en-US Mon, 14 Apr 2025 04:10:25 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 213570821 From the bestselling author of In My Dreams I Hold a Knife and Midnight is the Darkest Hour comes a chilling, compulsive story of five amateur sleuths, whose hunt for an elusive killer catapults them into danger as the world watches.

It's the most famous crime in modern history. But only she knows the true story.

After the unexpected death of her father, college student Jane Sharp longs for a distraction from her grief. She becomes obsessed with true crime, befriending armchair detectives who teach her how to hunt killers from afar. In this morbid internet underground, Jane finds friendship, purpose, and even glory...

So when news of the shocking deaths of three college girls in Delphine, Idaho takes the world by storm, and sleuths everywhere race to solve the crimes, Jane and her friends are determined to beat them. But the case turns out to be stranger than anyone expected. Details don't add up, the police are cagey, and there seems to be more media hype and internet theorizing than actual evidence. When Jane and her sleuths take a step closer, they find that every answer only begs more questions. Something's not adding up, and they begin to suspect their killer may be smarter and more prolific than any they've faced before. Placing themselves in the center of the story starts to feel more and more like walking into a trap...

Told one year after the astounding events that concluded the case and left the world reeling, when Jane has finally decided to break her silence about what really happened, she tells the true story of the Delphine Massacres. And what she has to confess will shock even the most seasoned true crime fans...


]]> 480 Ashley Winstead 1728270006 Kaley 3 3.5 stars 3.74 2025
author: Ashley Winstead
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/14
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars
]]> 220817728 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158717 Kaley 0 currently-reading 4.45 2025
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 216437557 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer comes a new playful yet deeply emotional contemporary romance.

There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong�

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 0349442827 Kaley 5 4.5 stars!! 4.22 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars!!
]]> 223201007 That’s all the getaway is meant to be.
Then the guests arrive.

When Calvin and Sadie decide to spend their babymoon in a remote cabin in the snowy mountains before their first child is due, it’s supposed to be a chance for them to connect, relax, and celebrate their future.

Before the vacation even gets started, shocking news leaves the couple reeling. To make matters worse, their arrival at the rental is marked by strange behavior from the homeowners, and Sadie can’t shake the paranoia that she’s being watched.

When another revelation comes to light that’s so distressing it cracks the stable foundation Calvin and Sadie once stood on, everything changes.

Suddenly unable to decide whom to trust and how to move forward, the getaway takes a terrifying turn. Just how safe are they up in the mountains all alone? Someone knows their location, and if the couple can’t discover the truth before it’s too late, their last trip before the baby arrives might just be their last trip…ever.

The secrets, lies, and betrayals hidden in this sinister domestic thriller from million-copy bestselling author Kiersten Modglin will chill you to your core.]]> 208 Kiersten Modglin Kaley 4
Calvin and Sadie are going on a babymoon, but they choose a cabin with creepy homeowners, and then a guest arrives that has you start questioning everything�

The twists just kept coming in this one!! The kind that makes you rethink the whole story as your jaw hangs wide open thinking, “WHAAAATTT???� The ending was crazy but perfectly satisfying. Andrea and I could not believe what was being revealed!

The audio was dual narrated, and really well done! I definitely recommend this one for all you thriller readers that like lies, deceit, and betrayal!]]> 3.85 2025
author: Kiersten Modglin
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves:
review:
My first book by Kiersten and it won’t be my last! This was a fast paced, twisty book at only 208 pages - a nice quick 5 hour audio that you’ll fly through!

Calvin and Sadie are going on a babymoon, but they choose a cabin with creepy homeowners, and then a guest arrives that has you start questioning everything�

The twists just kept coming in this one!! The kind that makes you rethink the whole story as your jaw hangs wide open thinking, “WHAAAATTT???� The ending was crazy but perfectly satisfying. Andrea and I could not believe what was being revealed!

The audio was dual narrated, and really well done! I definitely recommend this one for all you thriller readers that like lies, deceit, and betrayal!
]]> 123255391
Ryder is six-foot five, built, opinionated, rude…and sexy as hell. But he's still the enemy.

Briar's new hockey co-captain has his reasons, though. The men's team just merged with a rival program, leaving Ryder with an angry roster where everyone hates one another's guts. To make matters worse, the summer coaching spot he's angling for with the legendary Garrett Graham is out of reach after he makes the worst possible first impression on his hero. So, really, this compromise with Gigi is win-win. He helps her make the national team, she puts in a good word with her dad.

The only potential snag? This bone-deep, body-numbing, mind-spinning chemistry they're trying to ignore. It's a dangerous game they're playing, but the risks just might be worth it.

Et pourtant, il y a un gros hic ! L'alchimie profonde, qui Ă©touffe le corps et fait tourner l'esprit, qu'ils essaient d'ignorer. C'est un jeu dangereux auquel ils jouent, mais les risques pourraient bien en valoir la peine.]]> 498 Elle Kennedy 1990101186 Kaley 5 4.18 2023
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves:
review:
The first book in the Campus Diaries series, but it’s about Gigi Graham (the daughter of Garrett and Hannah from The Deal). I’m sure it can be read as a stand-alone, but I sure appreciated having the background knowledge of some of the people and inside jokes that were mentioned. It just made it sweeter seeing Hannah and Garrett as parents
]]> 216247526 'It's time we name our kingdom!' he shouted over the wind. 'I say we call this place Happy Land. If this ain't the land of happy people, then where is it? Why not create our heaven right here on earth?'

In the hills of Appalachia, there once existed a land ruled by a king and queen. Inspired by memories of African kingdoms, a community of formerly enslaved men and women grasped freedom on mountain land they owned. But freedom doesn't always last forever . . .

Today, after years of silence, Nikki has been summoned to North Carolina by her estranged grandmother. But instead of revealing answers about their recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki a shocking story about her great-great-great grandmother, Queen Luella, and the very land they stand on. Land Mother Rita insists must be protected at all costs.

As Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land, she comes to realise how much of her identity is rooted in this family land, and how much they stand to lose if it, like so much else, is taken from them. It's time to reclaim what's theirs.]]> 368 Dolen Perkins-Valdez 0593337727 Kaley 5
Dolen has magic y’all. The way she writes, the stories she tells, the characters she creates, and the way she transports you to the time and place will leave a lasting mark on you. This will definitely be a favorite of the year for me. So phenomenal.

I quickly became obsessed with our MCs. In the present, we have Nikki who is trying to navigate a strained family relationship, help her grandmother “Mother Rita� protect her land, and learn about her history…with some good ole family secrets!

In the past, we are blessed by the amazing Queen Luella. We learn how the Kingdom of the Happy Land came to be. I was so captivated by this story and their community, that I would find myself forgetting everything else around me. I would just stand there with laundry in my hand and forget to fold it as I was so immersed in their history! On several occasions, I was holding my breath because I was nervous about how some scenes were going to play out. Dolen creates characters that feel so real .

I highly recommend the audio. Listening to the narrators bring these characters to life was incredible.
]]> 4.42 2025
author: Dolen Perkins-Valdez
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/01
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves:
review:
After having read and loved Take My Hand, Dolen’s newest novel, Happy Land, was HIGH on my most anticipated list for this year.

Dolen has magic y’all. The way she writes, the stories she tells, the characters she creates, and the way she transports you to the time and place will leave a lasting mark on you. This will definitely be a favorite of the year for me. So phenomenal.

I quickly became obsessed with our MCs. In the present, we have Nikki who is trying to navigate a strained family relationship, help her grandmother “Mother Rita� protect her land, and learn about her history…with some good ole family secrets!

In the past, we are blessed by the amazing Queen Luella. We learn how the Kingdom of the Happy Land came to be. I was so captivated by this story and their community, that I would find myself forgetting everything else around me. I would just stand there with laundry in my hand and forget to fold it as I was so immersed in their history! On several occasions, I was holding my breath because I was nervous about how some scenes were going to play out. Dolen creates characters that feel so real .

I highly recommend the audio. Listening to the narrators bring these characters to life was incredible.

]]> 213650748 She’s the one that got away. He’s the one that never let her go.

From the bestselling author of Done and Dusted and Swift and Saddled, the next book in the Rebel Blue Ranch series, a small town romance in which past lovers get a second chance to rediscover what they lost.

Camille Ashwood had always loved a plan. Her latest was her best yet. She was going to get married so she could secure her daughter’s future, get her overbearing parents off her back, and finally start building her own life in small town Meadowlark, Wyoming. Easy, right?

But when her groom doesn’t show up to the wedding, Cam’s life is turned upside down—she doesn’t even have a place to live. That is, until she finds out the house she’s loved since high school is available to rent. There’s only one problem: the neighbor.

Dusty Tucker has spent nearly all of his adult life running. Running from what, though? More like who: Cam Ashwood. But ever since he returned home last year, the girl who was his first, well, everything has become a woman seemingly determined to keep him at arm’s length. And he was okay with that—at least, that’s what he kept telling himself. She was getting married, after all. But now she’s single and living next door. Dusty wants to show her that they can be friends, and that he can stay put.

Despite her best attempts to stay far away from Dusty Tucker, Cam realizes that being close to him is like slipping on her favorite jeans. Easy. Comfortable. That is until past wounds start to open and feelings—both old and new—wreak havoc. Nearly ten years after they first met, Dusty and Cam begin to wonder if their first love can also be their last. And this time, will it be forever?]]> Lyla Sage Kaley 4 4.27 2025
author: Lyla Sage
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 216405568 The first novel in an eerie, darkly creative, and romantic new gothic fantasy duology from Maxym M. Martineau, for readers of Sarah J. Maas and Rachel Gillig.

Edira Brillwyn is a threadmender. She holds a rare, lifesaving power that can cure disease and heal injuries in the blink of an eye. But magic always comes with a cost, and saving anyone sacrifices a sliver of her own life. She’s always kept her abilities hidden…until the powerful Fernglove family discovers her secret.

The Ferngloves are charming and beautiful, possess powerful magic, and don’t take no for an answer—especially Orin, the head of these ruling elites. When Edira’s brothers unexpectedly contract blight—an incurable virus killing people throughout the town, and an illness too strong for her to heal them both—Orin offers to help. Together at his estate they’ll research a cure while Orin slows their sickness and Edira hones her magic. His kindness and honesty surprises Edira, as does her undeniable attraction to him.

But the other Ferngloves are suspicious of her power and may be more dangerous than the ever-present disease. The longer Edira stays within the confines of the Manor, the more the family’s pristine exterior begins to crack—until Edira discovers a terrifying secret and must choose who she can save and at what cost…]]> 384 Maxym M. Martineau 0063391198 Kaley 0 currently-reading 4.09 2025
author: Maxym M. Martineau
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 217387739 From the bestselling author of If Something Happens to Me, comes one of the year’s most anticipated thrillers.

In the glow of their children’s exciting first year of college at a small private school in Northern California, five families plan on a night of dinner and cocktails for the opening festivities of Parents Weekend. As the parents stay out way past their bedtimes, their kids—five residents of Campisi Hall—never show up at dinner.

At first, everyone thinks that they’re just being college students, irresponsibly forgetting about the gathering or skipping out to go to a party. But as the hours click by and another night falls with not so much as a text from the students, panic ensues. Soon, the campus police call in reinforcements. Search parties are formed. Reporters swarm the small enclave. Rumors swirl and questions arise.

Libby, Blane, Mark, Felix, and Stella—The Five, as the podcasters, bloggers, and TikTok sleuths call them—come from five very different families. What led them out on that fateful night? Could it be the sins of their mothers and fathers come to cause them peril or a threat to the friend group from within?

Told through multiple points of view in past and present—and marking the return of FBI Special Agent Sarah Keller from Every Last Fear and The Night Shift—Parents Weekend explores the weight of expectation, family dysfunction, and those exhilarating first days we all remember in the dorms when our friends become our family.]]> 320 Alex Finlay 1250360722 Kaley 4 4.5 stars! Loved it! 3.66 2025
author: Alex Finlay
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! Loved it!
]]> 53138046 “They found the bodies on a Tuesday.�

So begins this twisty and breathtaking novel that traces the fate of the Pine family, a thriller that will both leave you on the edge of your seat and move you to tears.

After a late night of partying, NYU student Matt Pine returns to his dorm room to devastating news: nearly his entire family—his mom, his dad, his little brother and sister—have been found dead from an apparent gas leak while vacationing in Mexico. The local police claim it was an accident, but the FBI and State Department seem far less certain—and they won’t tell Matt why.

The tragedy makes headlines everywhere because this isn’t the first time the Pine family has been thrust into the media spotlight. Matt’s older brother, Danny—currently serving a life sentence for the murder of his teenage girlfriend Charlotte—was the subject of a viral true crime documentary suggesting that Danny was wrongfully convicted. Though the country has rallied behind Danny, Matt holds a secret about his brother that he’s never told anyone: the night Charlotte was killed Matt saw something that makes him believe his brother is guilty of the crime.

When Matt returns to his small hometown to bury his parents and siblings, he’s faced with a hostile community that was villainized by the documentary, a frenzied media, and memories he’d hoped to leave behind forever. Now, as the deaths in Mexico appear increasingly suspicious and connected to Danny’s case, Matt must unearth the truth behind the crime that sent his brother to prison—putting his own life in peril—and forcing him to confront his every last fear.

Told through multiple points-of-view and alternating between past and present, Alex Finlay's Every Last Fear is not only a page-turning thriller, it’s also a poignant story about a family managing heartbreak and tragedy, and living through a fame they never wanted.]]> 368 Alex Finlay 1250268826 Kaley 4
This is one you have to pay close attention to because if you zone out, you’ll miss something! I probably recommend reading this one instead of listening. I did feel like there was too much going on at times. With so many different POVs, past and present timelines, and extra details/information that didn’t always seem to contribute to the story had me confused at times.

When meeting with my school book club, we all agreed that this was a very entertaining story while you’re reading it, but when we were trying to discuss it, we couldn’t remember why certain things happened because they seemed out of the blue!

So, I recommend reading it and enjoying the ride because the plot had me wanting to know the truth!!]]> 3.89 2021
author: Alex Finlay
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:
This one was a wild ride! If you want your head spinning while trying to figure out how everything is connected, then this one is for you! It was fast paced and the audio narration was pretty good.

This is one you have to pay close attention to because if you zone out, you’ll miss something! I probably recommend reading this one instead of listening. I did feel like there was too much going on at times. With so many different POVs, past and present timelines, and extra details/information that didn’t always seem to contribute to the story had me confused at times.

When meeting with my school book club, we all agreed that this was a very entertaining story while you’re reading it, but when we were trying to discuss it, we couldn’t remember why certain things happened because they seemed out of the blue!

So, I recommend reading it and enjoying the ride because the plot had me wanting to know the truth!!
]]> 211003787 From New York Times bestseller and Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave—the hugely anticipated next installment in the fan-favorite Finlay Donovan series.

Finlay Donovan may have skeletons in her closet . . . but at least there's not a body in her backyard.

Finlay Donovan and her nanny/partner-in-crime, Vero, have not always gotten along with Finlay’s elderly neighbor, Mrs. Haggerty, the community busybody and president of the neighborhood watch. But when a dead body is discovered in her backyard, Mrs. Haggerty needs their help. At first a suspect, Mrs. Haggerty is cleared by the police, but her house remains an active crime scene. She has nowhere to go . . . except Finlay’s house, right across the street.

Finlay and Vero have no interest in getting involved in another murder case—or sacrificing either of their bedrooms. After all, they’ve dealt with enough murders over the last four months to last a lifetime and they both would much rather share their beds with someone else.]]> 320 Elle Cosimano 1250337348 Kaley 5 4.5 stars! Loved this one! 4.16 2025
author: Elle Cosimano
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/24
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! Loved this one!
]]> 210209498 Every good summer has a little bad...

I wasn’t supposed to be in Sunset Harbor for more than a weekend. But thanks to, let’s just call it—an unforeseen act of stupidity on my part—I’m here for the whole summer. And for the first time in my life, I’m in a whole lot of trouble.

The sentence? Community service paid toward the person I accidentally wronged.

The problem? That person happens to be Dax Miller. The guy who always spent more time fighting the law than obeying it. He's also the guy I once told to have a nice life amounting to nothing.

So…it’s been fun being court-ordered to serve him now.

Except the more time I spend with Dax fighting and fixing what was broken, the more I remember that sizzling…something…that’s always been between us. Or that smile of his that can get me to do just about anything. Let me be clear, with a politician for a father, I don’t do trouble. But what happens when the temptation to embrace that inner rebel becomes too strong to resist?

And what do I do when the guy who has only dated trouble his entire life, has his sights set on me?]]> 364 Cindy Steel Kaley 4
This is part of the Falling for Summer series, but they can all be read as stand-alones, and they are all written by different authors! This is the only one I’ve read in the series, but now I want to check out the rest. And it’s on Kindle Unlimited!

Bella and I devoured this book. This enemies to lovers has THE BEST teasing and banter I’ve read in a while. I was smiling and laughing the whole time. Dax and Ivy have a past…and when Ivy makes a mistake, she is forced to help Dax in his shop for some community service. You gotta love some forced proximity!! I love the way every chapter started with a brief glimpse into their past because it perfectly connected to each chapter.

Not only was the romance perfect (and it was clean with only kissing), but the growth Ivy’s character made was fun to watch. She learned to stick up for herself, and I was so proud of her!

Rebel Summer was pure joy, and I highly recommend it! ]]> 4.36 2024
author: Cindy Steel
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
Go ahead and put this book on your summer TBR!! My first @authorcindysteel and it won’t be my last! This book was so stinking adorable. You will fall head over heels for Dax Miller!

This is part of the Falling for Summer series, but they can all be read as stand-alones, and they are all written by different authors! This is the only one I’ve read in the series, but now I want to check out the rest. And it’s on Kindle Unlimited!

Bella and I devoured this book. This enemies to lovers has THE BEST teasing and banter I’ve read in a while. I was smiling and laughing the whole time. Dax and Ivy have a past…and when Ivy makes a mistake, she is forced to help Dax in his shop for some community service. You gotta love some forced proximity!! I love the way every chapter started with a brief glimpse into their past because it perfectly connected to each chapter.

Not only was the romance perfect (and it was clean with only kissing), but the growth Ivy’s character made was fun to watch. She learned to stick up for herself, and I was so proud of her!

Rebel Summer was pure joy, and I highly recommend it!
]]> 214151202 “The farmer is dead. He is dead, and all anyone wants to know is who killed him.�

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth’s brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn’t realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager—the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo, a boy who reminds Beth very much of her own son, who died in a tragic accident.

As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel’s life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become.

A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love.]]> 320 Clare Leslie Hall 166807818X Kaley 0 to-read 4.44 2025
author: Clare Leslie Hall
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 52918684
The dare: seduce the hottest new hockey player in the junior class.

Conor Edwards is a regular at Greek Row parties…and in Greek Row sorority beds. He’s the one you fall for before you learn that guys like him don’t give girls like me a second glance. Except Mr. Popular throws me for a loop—rather than laughing in my face, he does me a solid by letting me take him upstairs to pretend we’re getting busy.

Even crazier, now he wants to keep pretending. Turns out Conor loves games, and he thinks it’s fun to pull the wool over my frenemies� eyes.

But resisting his easy charm and surfer-boy hotness is darn near impossible. Though I’m realizing there’s much more to Conor’s story than his fan club can see.

And the longer this silly ruse goes on, the greater the danger of it all blowing up in my face.]]> 354 Elle Kennedy Kaley 3 Should probably be 2.5 stars 3.70 2020
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:
Should probably be 2.5 stars
]]> 210395729 The Invisible Life of Addie La Rue meets This is How You Lose The Time War in this fantastical love story that defies death as two souls reincarnate through the centuries.

They've loved each other in a thousand lifetimes. They've killed each other in every one.

Evelyn remembers all her past lives. She also remembers that in every single one, she’s been murdered before her eighteenth birthday by Arden, a supernatural being whose soul―and survival―is tethered to hers.

The problem is that she’s quite fond of the life she’s in now, and her little sister needs her for bone marrow transplants in order to stay alive. If Evelyn wants to save her sister, she’ll have to:

1. Find the centuries-old devil who hunts her through each life―before they find her first.
2. Figure out why she’s being hunted and finally break their curse.
3. Try not to fall in love.]]> 352 Laura Steven 1250333881 Kaley 5 3.79 2025
author: Laura Steven
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves:
review:
Y’all!!! This book is so beautiful
]]> 214986213 1956, Malibu, Something is not right on Paradise Circle.

With her name on the Hollywood blacklist and her life on hold, starlet Melanie Cole has little choice in company. There is her next-door neighbor, Elwood, but the screenwriter’s agoraphobia allows for just short chats through open windows. He’s her sole confidante, though, as she and her housekeeper, Eva, an immigrant from war-torn Europe, rarely make conversation.

Then one early morning Melanie and Eva spot Elwood’s sister-in-law and caretaker, June, digging in his beloved rose garden. After that they don’t see Elwood at all anymore. Where could a man who never leaves the house possibly have gone?

As they try to find out if something has happened to him, unexpected secrets are revealed among all three women, leading to an alliance that seems the only way for any of them to hold on to what they can still call their own. But it’s a fragile pact and one little spark could send it all up in smoke…]]> 352 Susan Meissner 0593332865 Kaley 2 3.69 2025
author: Susan Meissner
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2025
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/12
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:

]]> 217506549 368 Julie Clark 1464221286 Kaley 4
Olivia is a ghostwriter and is tasked with helping her estranged father in writing his memoir. A book that will finally reveal the full tragedy of the murders of Vincent’s siblings. Everyone assumes Vincent is guilty even though he had an alibi�

I loved all the different ways we obtained information as Olivia started digging into the past to figure out the truth. Different POVs from the siblings in the past, diary entires, movie reel clips, Vincent’s creepy notes…BUT WHAT WAS THE TRUTH?!!

I had several theories while reading, and I kept changing my mind and second guessing myself due to the excellent writing. I was never really sure until it was being revealed to us…and the execution was flawless. My mind was reeling when I finished the book! Andrea and I were both pretty shocked at the end! I highly recommend! ]]> 4.25 2025
author: Julie Clark
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves:
review:
Holy bananas did this one keep me on my toes! If you like unreliable narrators, then this one is for you!

Olivia is a ghostwriter and is tasked with helping her estranged father in writing his memoir. A book that will finally reveal the full tragedy of the murders of Vincent’s siblings. Everyone assumes Vincent is guilty even though he had an alibi�

I loved all the different ways we obtained information as Olivia started digging into the past to figure out the truth. Different POVs from the siblings in the past, diary entires, movie reel clips, Vincent’s creepy notes…BUT WHAT WAS THE TRUTH?!!

I had several theories while reading, and I kept changing my mind and second guessing myself due to the excellent writing. I was never really sure until it was being revealed to us…and the execution was flawless. My mind was reeling when I finished the book! Andrea and I were both pretty shocked at the end! I highly recommend!
]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Kaley 4 4.08 2025
author: B.K. Borison
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

]]> 213243919 From the beloved author of Right on Cue and Lease on Love comes a whimsical new rom-com about a workaholic forced to aim for a goal she never thought she'd love.

Campbell Andrews despises exactly three things in incompetence, tardiness, and love stories. Making partner at her law firm at thirty-four, she has no time for anything or anyone else. And certainly no respect for those who choose love over work. That is, until she wakes up in Heart Springs—her own personal hell. 

The good news? She's not dead. She's been magically transported to a small town straight out the Hallmark channel, complete with a meddling mayor, seasonal festivals, and friendly townsfolk. Cam can't stand it, but in order to make it back to her real life, she has to fulfill three tasks . . . most importantly, she has to find true love. It seems impossible. But anything's possible with a Change of Heart.]]> 336 Falon Ballard 0593712927 Kaley 4
Our main character, Cam, will rub you the wrong way at first (she’s pretty much a workaholic b*tch), but you can’t help but root for her as she realizes there is more to life. She is a snarky one, and her dialogue is hilarious. I loved watching her grow and find true happiness.

This one has magical realism which I usually am not a fan of, but I ate this one up! All its cheesiness had me wanting to wake up like Cam in this whimsical small town and live life to the fullest! To escape Heart Springs, Cam must complete 3 different tasks, and who better to help her than the man she was rude to on a date the night before?! Ben is the perfect counterpart to Cam, and I thoroughly enjoyed their slow burn romance full of tension and good banter!]]> 3.38
author: Falon Ballard
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.38
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/28
shelves:
review:
This book is SOOOOOOOOOOO stinking cute!! I can always count on Falon Ballard to give me a binge-able and fun romance! I’m always laughing and smiling while reading her books, and Change of Heart was no exception.

Our main character, Cam, will rub you the wrong way at first (she’s pretty much a workaholic b*tch), but you can’t help but root for her as she realizes there is more to life. She is a snarky one, and her dialogue is hilarious. I loved watching her grow and find true happiness.

This one has magical realism which I usually am not a fan of, but I ate this one up! All its cheesiness had me wanting to wake up like Cam in this whimsical small town and live life to the fullest! To escape Heart Springs, Cam must complete 3 different tasks, and who better to help her than the man she was rude to on a date the night before?! Ben is the perfect counterpart to Cam, and I thoroughly enjoyed their slow burn romance full of tension and good banter!
]]> 198563641 From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo, a podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love?

Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. She fiercely protects her colleagues, dearly adores her friends, and never misses dinner with her sister. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she’s put romantic love on hold.

When the boss who’s disappointed her again and again finally offers her the chance to host her own show, she wants to be thrilled. But there’s a catch—actually, two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily’s dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer and newly minted relationship coach Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life.

Cecily would rather do anything other than put her singledom on display (ugh) or take advice from the internet (UGH). But when her boss hints that doing the show is the only way to protect a friend’s job, she realizes she has no choice.

To make matters more complicated, once she’s committed to twenty blind dates of Eliza’s choosing, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she helped to rescue a very big and very lovable lost dog. Even though there are sparks between the two, Will’s own path is uncertain, and Eliza’s skeptical comments about Cecily’s decision-making aren’t helping. On the one hand, Will seems great. But on the other hand . . . don’t they all?

As Cecily struggles to balance the life she truly desires and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Can Cecily sort through all the advice and find a way to do what she loves without losing herself in the process?]]> 320 Linda Holmes 059359925X Kaley 3
Back After This is out in the world today, and it was a fun and easy read. Cecily is a podcast producer about to star in her own podcast/dating show with the help of Eliza…an influencer/ relationship coach.

Right before Eliza sets her up on 20 blind dates, she has the cutest meet-cute with Will. Even though I didn’t feel their chemistry fly off the pages, I thought they were cute together. This seemed more of a women’s contemporary fiction with a side of romance.

I liked all the podcast elements and details of what a producer actually does. I went back and forth between the audio and ebook, and I preferred reading this one. The author narrates this one herself, and while I think that’s awesome…her voice just didn’t work for me.
]]> 3.80 2025
author: Linda Holmes
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars - Thank you @prhaudio @netgalley and @penguinrandom for my #gifted copy!

Back After This is out in the world today, and it was a fun and easy read. Cecily is a podcast producer about to star in her own podcast/dating show with the help of Eliza…an influencer/ relationship coach.

Right before Eliza sets her up on 20 blind dates, she has the cutest meet-cute with Will. Even though I didn’t feel their chemistry fly off the pages, I thought they were cute together. This seemed more of a women’s contemporary fiction with a side of romance.

I liked all the podcast elements and details of what a producer actually does. I went back and forth between the audio and ebook, and I preferred reading this one. The author narrates this one herself, and while I think that’s awesome…her voice just didn’t work for me.

]]> 211049697 Some secrets we keep even from ourselves

Philosophy professor Neil Weber can' t think of one good reason to get up in the morning. His wife has left him, his academic research has sputtered, and the prospect of tenure is more remote than ever.

Until Lucia Vanotti disappears.

A college student at the Southern university where Neil teaches, Lucia has a secret of her own� one that haunts her relationships and leads to destructive, reckless behavior. When Neil is drawn into the mystery of her disappearance, he finds himself suddenly relevant again. But at what cost? Each clue pulls him deeper into Lucia' s dark past, but also into the hidden lives of his closest friends and colleagues.

What drove Lucia to risk everything? And why does Neil, a professor who hardly knew her, care to find her? From campus classrooms to sex dens to backwoods hideaways, The Department shows the world through the eyes of Lucia and Neil as they descend into obsession, delusion, and the dangerous terrain of memory� uncovering the trauma that drives them to behave in ways even they themselves could never have predicted.

Perfect for fans of Tana French and Gillian Flynn]]> 0 Jacqueline Faber 1608096351 Kaley 2
I did enjoy the two POVs. One of Neil, the professor who becomes obsessed in the disappearance of Lucia, and one of Lucia that leads up to her disappearance. With sort chapters, the first part of the book flew by as we try and figure out what happened to Lucia.

As I got into the second half, the book started getting darker, and eventually got to be too much for me. I would not go in blind with this one. It’s dark, and needs some content warnings (DM me if you need them).

Faber does an excellent of misdirecting you where you think everyone is the culprit at some point, and I definitely was not able to guess the ending…but I was also disappointed in the ending. ]]> 3.92
author: Jacqueline Faber
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.92
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/16
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:
This one is perfect for fans of dark academia, whodunit crime fiction, and missing person cases - but this one was way too dark for me.

I did enjoy the two POVs. One of Neil, the professor who becomes obsessed in the disappearance of Lucia, and one of Lucia that leads up to her disappearance. With sort chapters, the first part of the book flew by as we try and figure out what happened to Lucia.

As I got into the second half, the book started getting darker, and eventually got to be too much for me. I would not go in blind with this one. It’s dark, and needs some content warnings (DM me if you need them).

Faber does an excellent of misdirecting you where you think everyone is the culprit at some point, and I definitely was not able to guess the ending…but I was also disappointed in the ending.
]]> 211148021 A new holiday enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn.

Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.

But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.

As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win.

Over Cole's dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump's heart has grown three sizes this season and he's fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title.

But the competition isn't the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee's fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they're attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…]]> 480 Meghan Quinn 1464230153 Kaley 0 to-read 3.64 2024
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60217777 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]> 464 Kristen Ciccarelli Kaley 5 4.25 2025
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:

]]> 211164792 Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He's the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?]]> 384 Sarah Adams 0593723694 Kaley 5
Sarah Adams is a master of writing witty banter, and this one had the best between our rivals/enemies to lovers Emily and Jack. They are both second grade teachers, and while I usually don’t like reading about my own profession, this one was set in the summer, so it was really more about their shenanigans.

I really enjoyed learning how their feud started in college, and then them both realizing that maybe they didn’t actually hate each other after all. They were both competitive (which I could easily relate to ]]> 4.07 2025
author: Sarah Adams
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/15
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
This book was pure joy. It was so entertaining, and just what I needed! The audio narrators, Nelson Hobbs and Brittany Pressley, did a fantastic job bringing this book to life! It was such an easy listen.

Sarah Adams is a master of writing witty banter, and this one had the best between our rivals/enemies to lovers Emily and Jack. They are both second grade teachers, and while I usually don’t like reading about my own profession, this one was set in the summer, so it was really more about their shenanigans.

I really enjoyed learning how their feud started in college, and then them both realizing that maybe they didn’t actually hate each other after all. They were both competitive (which I could easily relate to
]]> 209439446
Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth. But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Kaley 3
It wasn’t all bad though. I still LOVED the characters and dragons. They are the reason I kept reading. I’m invested in them, and I’m rooting for them. Ridoc stole the show in this one. I loved his humor, quips, and determination. I will also enjoy Tairn, Andarna, and Violet’s connection. Tairn is brutally honest, and I love it when he inserts his two cents into Violet’s thoughts.

Without giving spoilers away, my main issue was that most of it was fluff. Nothing much happened between the action. The important scenes were way too short, and the ones that didn’t matter were way too long and drawn out. This threw off the pacing where I was bored most of the book. It’s like she threw in random things and just breezed over the topic, leaving me with more questions. Way too many scenes that did not add value to the story. If you want my specific thoughts, DM me!

Out of all the ways she could have ended the book, I was surprised and disappointed with how it went down. It almost makes me want to just skip the 4th book and wait for book 5 to get my answers.]]> 4.18 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
I was very underwhelmed.

It wasn’t all bad though. I still LOVED the characters and dragons. They are the reason I kept reading. I’m invested in them, and I’m rooting for them. Ridoc stole the show in this one. I loved his humor, quips, and determination. I will also enjoy Tairn, Andarna, and Violet’s connection. Tairn is brutally honest, and I love it when he inserts his two cents into Violet’s thoughts.

Without giving spoilers away, my main issue was that most of it was fluff. Nothing much happened between the action. The important scenes were way too short, and the ones that didn’t matter were way too long and drawn out. This threw off the pacing where I was bored most of the book. It’s like she threw in random things and just breezed over the topic, leaving me with more questions. Way too many scenes that did not add value to the story. If you want my specific thoughts, DM me!

Out of all the ways she could have ended the book, I was surprised and disappointed with how it went down. It almost makes me want to just skip the 4th book and wait for book 5 to get my answers.
]]> 216052747 She's written dozens of smash hit novels as a ghostwriter. Too bad no one knows it.

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitching session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.

No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.

What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.

And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go.

But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.]]> 304 Melissa Ferguson 0840716885 Kaley 4 3.74 2025
author: Melissa Ferguson
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves:
review:
If you’re looking for a clean romance for the month of love, then this one is it!!
]]> 112975658 A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]> 432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546874 Kaley 3 3.5 stars 4.38 2023
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/09
date added: 2025/02/09
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars
]]> 141236438 A legendary band, an iconic lead singer, and their mysterious connection to a woman whose love helped create the music of a generation. Timing is everything in a powerful novel about fate, regret, and moving on by the author of A Day Like This.

In the 1990s, Carter Wills was the lead singer of the English alt-rock band Mayluna, securing his place among music legends. His tortured-heart lyrics struck a chord. And so did his secret connection to a woman whose love changed all their lives. Who was she?

Evie Waters’s two grown children discover an iconic photo in an old magazine of a “mystery girl� with their mother. It all started in a wistful time and place for Evie, her twenty-fifth summer. A young columnist forging her career. Backstage euphoria. A long-shot interview. And an almost cosmic connection with an enigmatic musician on the rise.

What happened between them is a hidden story no one, not even Evie’s family, knows. Until now. Worlds apart, Carter and Evie finally reveal the story—joyful, regretful, and unforgettable. It was a time when the stars aligned for a love so profound the whole world felt it. It was as if it would last forever.]]> 391 Kelley McNeil 166251610X Kaley 4 4.47 2024
author: Kelley McNeil
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
I have so many thoughts on this book, but what I really want to say is a spoiler
]]> 211399784 To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER � An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

“P˛ą°ůłŮ Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story� through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.]]> 448 Layne Fargo 0593732049 Kaley 4 Story = 4.5 stars

THE DRAMA!! Holy moly yall weren’t kidding!! Another #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt book that did not disappoint ]]> 4.19 2025
author: Layne Fargo
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/20
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:
Audio narration = 5 stars
Story = 4.5 stars

THE DRAMA!! Holy moly yall weren’t kidding!! Another #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt book that did not disappoint
]]> 209455843
Sure, Dom was Josh’s life-long best friend. He’s also the infuriating man who broke Maddie’s heart back when she was naïve enough to give it to him. But since Dom insists on following the rules and Josh didn’t leave much room for Maddie to argue the matter, they embark together on a farewell trip that spans thousands of miles, exploring new places and revisiting their complicated history along the way.

After a snowstorm leads to a shared bed, Maddie starts to wonder if her brother might be matchmaking from the grave. But when grief also reopens old wounds between them, Maddie will need more than Josh’s ghostly guidance to trust Dom again.]]> 432 Lauren Connolly Kaley 4
Maddie is hilarious…her sarcasm and banter with Dom had me laughing out loud. Dom was meant for Maddie he was so patient and caring. He wins as a book boyfriend, and his family is even better.

I loved Josh’s letters and the forced proximity he created for Maddie and Dom. Their adventures to spread his ashes were so touching and heartwarming. So many swoony moments to make you fall in love with these characters.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was outstanding! She really brought the emotion and story to life. I’d listen to anything she reads! ]]> 4.07 2024
author: Lauren Connolly
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! This was a total #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt read, and it was a winner!! This story has love and loss, and the author did an excellent job mixing in some humor with the grief. It never felt too heavy as we travel with Maddie and Dom.

Maddie is hilarious…her sarcasm and banter with Dom had me laughing out loud. Dom was meant for Maddie he was so patient and caring. He wins as a book boyfriend, and his family is even better.

I loved Josh’s letters and the forced proximity he created for Maddie and Dom. Their adventures to spread his ashes were so touching and heartwarming. So many swoony moments to make you fall in love with these characters.

The narrator, Karissa Vacker, was outstanding! She really brought the emotion and story to life. I’d listen to anything she reads!
]]> 60847018
Blackwood mansion looms, surrounded by nightmare pines, atop the hill over the small town of New Haven. Ben Bookman, bestselling novelist and heir to the Blackwood estate, spent a weekend at the ancestral home to finish writing his latest horror novel, The Scarecrow. Now, on the eve of the book’s release, the terrible story within begins to unfold in real life.

Detective Mills arrives at the scene of a gruesome murder: a family butchered and bundled inside cocoons stitched from corn husks, and hung from the rafters of a barn, eerily mirroring the opening of Bookman’s latest novel. When another family is killed in a similar manner, Mills, along with his daughter, rookie detective Samantha Blue, is determined to find the link to the book—and the killer—before the story reaches its chilling climax.

As the series of “Scarecrow crimes� continues to mirror the book, Ben quickly becomes the prime suspect. He can’t remember much from the night he finished writing the novel, but he knows he wrote it in The Atrium, his grandfather’s forbidden room full of numbered books. Thousands of books. Books without words.

As Ben digs deep into Blackwood’s history he learns he may have triggered a release of something trapped long ago—and it won’t stop with the horrors buried within the pages of his book.]]> 326 J.H. Markert 1639101705 Kaley 4 <br /> 3.86 2023
author: J.H. Markert
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/12
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves:
review:


]]> 59632248
When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.

Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.

Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.

I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.

I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.

I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.

I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.

Fa la la la la, la FML.]]> 374 Kate Stewart Kaley 4
There was also some excellent depth as we look back and learn about Whitney’s and Eli’s college relationship (hello second chances!). As Eli crashes Whitney’s Christmas, you get excellent tension and forced proximity!

I read this with my school’s book club, and there were some mixed opinions…but if you love romcoms, then you’ll love this one!
]]> 4.13
author: Kate Stewart
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/15
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves:
review:
I laughed for almost the entire book. Between their shenanigans and dialogue, it kept me entertained. I adored Whitney’s family. They loved each other, and roasted each other, and are pretty much family goals.

There was also some excellent depth as we look back and learn about Whitney’s and Eli’s college relationship (hello second chances!). As Eli crashes Whitney’s Christmas, you get excellent tension and forced proximity!

I read this with my school’s book club, and there were some mixed opinions…but if you love romcoms, then you’ll love this one!

]]> 172133046 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes book two in her Flesh and Fire series�

The only one who can save Sera now is the one she spent her life planning to kill.

The truth about Sera’s plan is out, shattering the fragile trust forged between her and Nyktos. Surrounded by those distrustful of her, all Sera has is her duty. She will do anything to end Kolis, the false King of Gods, and his tyrannical rule of Iliseeum, thus stopping the threat he poses to the mortal realm.

Nyktos has a plan, though, and as they work together, the last thing they need is the undeniable, scorching passion that continues to ignite between them. Sera cannot afford to fall for the tortured Primal, not when a life no longer bound to a destiny she never wanted is more attainable than ever. But memories of their shared pleasure and unrivaled desire are a siren’s call impossible to resist.

And as Sera begins to realize that she wants to be more than a Consort in name only, the danger surrounding them intensifies. The attacks on the Shadowlands are increasing, and when Kolis summons them to Court, a whole new risk becomes apparent. The Primal power of Life is growing inside her, pushing her closer to the end of her Culling. And without Nyktos’s love—an emotion he’s incapable of feeling—she won’t survive her Ascension. That is if she even makes it to her Ascension and Kolis doesn’t get to her first. Because time is running out. For both her and the realms.]]> 615 Jennifer L. Armentrout 195756816X Kaley 3 4.45 2022
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/05
date added: 2025/01/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 123471760 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 438 Penn Cole Kaley 3 4.20 2023
author: Penn Cole
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/23
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
This one has a it of everything. Mystery, fighting, and a SLOW burn romance. The story intrigued me from the beginning, but got a little slow in the middle. I enjoyed Diem as a character where she tries to solve the disappearance of her mother while also figuring out what she stands for. The ending is wild with an excellent twist, so I’m hoping book two has some answers for us.
]]> 57282383
However, Sera’s real destiny is the most closely guarded secret in all of Lasania—she’s not the well protected Maiden but an assassin with one mission—one target. Make the Primal of Death fall in love, become his weakness, and then…end him. If she fails, she dooms her kingdom to a slow demise at the hands of the Rot. 

Sera has always known what she is. Chosen. Consort. Assassin. Weapon. A specter never fully formed yet drenched in blood. A monster. Until him. Until the Primal of Death’s unexpected words and deeds chase away the darkness gathering inside her. And his seductive touch ignites a passion she’s never allowed herself to feel and cannot feel for him. But Sera has never had a choice. Either way, her life is forfeit—it always has been, as she has been forever touched by Life and Death.]]> 647 Jennifer L. Armentrout Kaley 4 4.43 2021
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! The banter in this one wins the book. After a slow start, it finally took off and I couldn’t get enough! I loved learning about the gods and primals. Sera has been groomed to kill the Primal of Death as his chosen Consort to save her kingdom…she is a feisty assassin, but her plans go awry. Instead, she discovers a different destiny that she was meant for. Lots of good twists in this one! The secondary characters and creatures brought so much extra fun to the story!
]]> 199531989 Knives Out gets a rom-com twist in this rivals-to-lovers Christmas romance-mystery from New York Times bestselling author Ally Carter

The bridge is out. The phones are down. And the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room three days before Christmas.

Meet Maggie Chase and Ethan Wyatt:
She’s the new Queen of the Cozy Mystery.
He’s Mr. Big-Time Thriller Guy.

She hates his guts.

He thinks her name is Marcie (no matter how many times she’s told him otherwise.)

But when they both accept a cryptic invitation to attend a Christmas house party at the English estate of a reclusive fan, neither is expecting their host to be the most powerful author in the world: Eleanor Ashley, the Duchess of Death herself.

That night, the weather turns, and the next morning Eleanor is gone.

She vanished from a locked room, and Maggie has to wonder: Is Eleanor in danger? Or is it all some kind of test? Is Ethan the competition? Or is he the only person in that snowbound mansion she can trust?

As the snow gets deeper and the stakes get higher, every clue will bring Maggie and Ethan closer to the truth—and each other. Because, this Christmas, these two rivals are going to have to become allies (and maybe more) if they have any hope of saving Eleanor.

Assuming they don’t kill each other first.]]> 293 Ally Carter 0063276682 Kaley 0 to-read 3.92 2024
author: Ally Carter
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 211004123 The million-copy bestselling Queen of Twists Alice Feeney returns with a gripping and deliciously dark thriller about marriage. . .
. . . and revenge.

Author Grady Green is having the worst best day of his life.

Grady calls his wife to share some exciting news as she is driving home. He hears Abby slam on the brakes, get out of the car, then nothing. When he eventually finds her car by the cliff edge the headlights are on, the driver door is open, her phone is still there. . . but his wife has disappeared.

A year later, Grady is still overcome with grief and desperate to know what happened to Abby. He can’t sleep, and he can’t write, so he travels to a tiny Scottish island to try to get his life back on track. Then he sees the impossible � a woman who looks exactly like his missing wife.

Wives think their husbands will change but they don’t.
Husbands think their wives won’t change but they do.]]> 306 Alice Feeney 125033778X Kaley 4 3.64 2025
author: Alice Feeney
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/14
date added: 2024/12/23
shelves:
review:
I feel like audiobooks have stepped up their game recently! This one was incredible! The narrators ability to do different accents made this such a fun listen…and all the sound effects! Very well done!
]]> 62054146 A heartwarming story about the power of books to bring us together, inspired by the true story of the underground library in WWII Warsaw, by the New York Times bestselling author of The Last Bookshop in London.

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler’s forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.

With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.

But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families—and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left—literature.]]> 416 Madeline Martin 1335455027 Kaley 3 4.07 2023
author: Madeline Martin
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/11
date added: 2024/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> 63910262 In the luscious, dark sequel to One Dark Window, Elspeth must face the consequences of what she's wrought - perfect for readers of Hannah Whitten's For the Wolf and Alexis Henderson's The Year of the Witching.

Elspeth and Ravyn have gathered most of the twelve Providence Cards, but the last, and most important one remains to be found: The Twin Alders.

If they are going to find it before the Solstice and cure the kingdom of the dark magic infecting it, they will need to journey beyond the dangerous mist-cloaked forest that surrounds their kingdom.

And the only one who can lead them there is the monster that shares Elspeth's head. The Nightmare. And he's not eager to share any longer.]]> 437 Rachel Gillig 0356519503 Kaley 5 4.39 2023
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/07
date added: 2024/12/07
shelves:
review:

]]> 199793372 Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.]]> 400 Thea Guanzon 0063277301 Kaley 3
Unfortunately, it was not. The plot was lacking, and the author seemed to drag out the boring, character driven scenes instead of the fighting and action! The whole book is leading you up to a world ending event, but the event lasted maybe 5 pages?! Y’all know me…I need the action to keep me engaged ]]> 4.15 2024
author: Thea Guanzon
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/24
date added: 2024/12/05
shelves:
review:
The second book in The Hurricane Wars series has a bit of everything…an enemies to lovers alliance, magical adventures, and royals plotting against each other! The perfect setup for a page turning, gripping read.

Unfortunately, it was not. The plot was lacking, and the author seemed to drag out the boring, character driven scenes instead of the fighting and action! The whole book is leading you up to a world ending event, but the event lasted maybe 5 pages?! Y’all know me…I need the action to keep me engaged
]]> 58340706
Elspeth Spindle needs more than luck to stay safe in the eerie, mist-locked kingdom of Blunder—she needs a monster. She calls him the Nightmare, an ancient, mercurial spirit trapped in her head. He protects her. He keeps her secrets.

But nothing comes for free, especially magic.

When Elspeth meets a mysterious highwayman on the forest road, her life takes a drastic turn. Thrust into a world of shadow and deception, she joins a dangerous quest to cure Blunder from the dark magic infecting it. And the highwayman? He just so happens to be the King’s nephew, Captain of the most dangerous men in Blunder…and guilty of high treason.

Together they must gather twelve Providence Cards—the keys to the cure. But as the stakes heighten and their undeniable attraction intensifies, Elspeth is forced to face her darkest secret yet: the Nightmare is slowly taking over her mind. And she might not be able to stop him.]]> 399 Rachel Gillig 0316312487 Kaley 4 4.26 2022
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves:
review:
Loved it!! I got sucked into this story and all its elements from the start! Full review coming soon!
]]> 207571151 Told in alternating timelines, The Lake of Lost Girls is a haunting novel that will thrill fans of All Good People Here and We Are All the Same in the Dark.

Using suspenseful podcast clips to weave a twisty tale of a missing student and her sister who is desperate for answers, The Lake of Lost Girls is perfect for fans of I Have Some Questions for You.

It's 1998, and female students are going missing at Southern State University in North Carolina. But freshman Jessica Fadley, once a bright and responsible student, is going through her own struggles. Just as her life seems to be careening dangerously out of control, she suddenly disappears.

Twenty-four years later, Jessica's sister Lindsey is desperately searching for answers and uses the momentum of a new chart-topping true crime podcast, Ten Seconds to Vanish, that focuses on the cold cases, to guide her own investigation. Soon, interest reaches fever pitch when the bodies of the long-missing women begin turning up at a local lake, which leads Lindsey down a disturbing road of discovery.

In the present, one sister seeks to untangle a complicated web of lies.
In the past, the other descends ever deeper into a darkness that will lead to her ultimate fate.

This propulsive and chilling suspense is a sharp examination of sisterhood and the culture of true crime.]]> 320 Katherine Greene 1639109080 Kaley 4
]]> 3.83 2024
author: Katherine Greene
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves:
review:
Audiobook fans…ADD THIS TO YOUR TBR! Not only was the story addicting, but the audio narration was FABULOUS! With a full cast of characters, and a podcast element, I truly believe this book is best when listened to.


]]> 220450038
The New York Times bestselling author of The Next Mrs. Parrish delivers another spellbinding story of betrayal and deceit in this audiobook original, Everybody Is a Liar.

When Julie Buckley, a successful mystery writer, suspects her husband of cheating, she turns to her best friend, Darby, for advice. When Darby suggests couples therapy, Julie and Oliver find themselves discussing Oliver’s betrayal with their new therapist, Liza. Liza is competent and reassuring, and her advice and Oliver’s openness to change seem to be helping the couple rebuild their relationship.

But when murder strikes in this small Connecticut town, Liza begins to worry there is a connection between Oliver and another one of her patients and the confidences they have shared with her become the key to solving the murder. As Liza digs deeper, she comes to believe that everybody is a liar.]]> Liv Constantine Kaley 3 3.62
author: Liv Constantine
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.62
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/27
date added: 2024/11/27
shelves:
review:

]]> 203579200 From international bestselling authors James S. Murray (better known as "Murr" on the hit TV show Impractical Jokers) and Darren Wearmouth, comes You Better Watch Out, a suspenseful, serial killer thriller that leaves you wondering, is Christmas really the best time of the year? Forty-eight hours until Christmas, Jessica Kane wakes up with blurred vision, ears ringing, and in excruciating pain. A gash in her head and blood running down her face, the last thing she remembers is going for a run and something or someone hitting her in the head. It doesn't take her long to realize she is trapped in an unknown, deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of being attacked and stranded there. Unsure why and how they got there, she knows one thing for certain, she has to find a way out. That becomes nearly impossible when someone is meticulously orchestrating their deaths, one by one, and the only thing Jessica can do is watch the life leave their eyes. The fenced-in town is the killer’s very own playground and there's nowhere left to hide... she better watch out because she could be next.]]> 240 James S. Murray 1250286263 Kaley 0 to-read 3.61 2024
author: James S. Murray
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 122997129 Cade Jennings was always there for me when I needed him—until he wasn’t.

I’d spent my entire life loving my best friend’s older brother. Every single one of my birthday wishes was spent hoping Cade would finally notice me.

And then one day, he did.

But not all love stories have happy endings.

It's been years since I left the small town of Sutten Mountain devastated and heartbroken. I’d used the pain to fuel a bestselling novel that solidified I’d never have to return.

Until tragedy struck, forcing me to face the man who shattered my heart.

I thought I’d be strong enough to see him again. I didn’t expect the angry, broken man staring back at me.

But the more time we spend around each other, the more I see glimpses of the man I fell in love with. His touch still owns me. His kiss still brands me. And even after all this time, the feelings I have for him still consume me.

Cade and I are unfinished business, and this time, he’s not letting me leave until we rewrite our story .

From the author of Black Ties and White Lies comes an all new series of complete standalones set in Sutten Mountain. Rewrite Our Story, the first book in the series, is a steamy, second chance, best friend's brother romance.]]> 384 Kat Singleton Kaley 3
The beginning and end were very emotional to where I was tearing up. ]]> 3.95 2023
author: Kat Singleton
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/25
date added: 2024/11/25
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars - a very sweet second chance romance. Too much time was spent in the past. Several of their arguments felt repetitive, and the second half turned into straight steam for almost 20% of the book.

The beginning and end were very emotional to where I was tearing up.
]]> 11260526 144 Mark Cotta Vaz 0316134112 Kaley 5 4.29
author: Mark Cotta Vaz
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.29
book published:
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves:
review:

]]> 62005119 One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.]]> 340 Cindy Steel Kaley 0 to-read 4.14 2022
author: Cindy Steel
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 33898874
From recording parents' response times to her emails about helping in the classroom, to requesting contributions of-special-brownies for curriculum night, not all of Jen's methods win approval from the other moms. Throw in an old flame from Jen's past, a hyper-sensitive -allergy mom,-a surprisingly sexy kindergarten teacher, and an impossible-to-please Real Housewife-wannabe, causing problems at every turn, and the job really becomes much more than she signed up for.]]> 290 Laurie Gelman 1250124697 Kaley 4 3.70 2017
author: Laurie Gelman
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/18
date added: 2024/11/18
shelves:
review:
3.5 �️ As a teacher and a mom, I found this book hilarious! The class e-mails were on point with her wit! Highly enjoyed.
]]> 204294824
Dark and twisting at every turn, fans of Catriona Ward will love this chilling new tale from the deviously inventive horror author that Peter Farris calls the “clear heir to Stephen King.�

Beware the one who got away . . .

Father Silence once terrorized the rural town of Twisted Tree, disguising himself as a priest to prey on the most vulnerable members of society. When the police finally found his “House of Horrors,� they uncovered nineteen bodies and one survivor–a boy now locked away in a hospital for the criminally insane.

Nearly two decades later, Father Silence is finally put to death, but by the next morning, the detective who made the original arrest is found dead. A new serial killer is taking credit for the murder and calling himself the Outcast.

The detective’s daughter, Tess Claibourne, is a detective herself, haunted by childhood trauma and horrified by the death of her father and the resurgence of Father Silence’s legacy.

When Tess’s daughter is kidnapped by the Outcast, Tess is forced to face her worst fears and long-buried memories. With no leads to follow, she travels back to Twisted Tree to visit the boy who survived and see what secrets might be buried in the tangled web of his broken mind.

With captivating prose and an old-school horror flair, Sleep Tight is a must-read, haunting tale from a true master of the genre.]]> 336 J.H. Markert 1639108734 Kaley 4 3.64 2024
author: J.H. Markert
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves:
review:
This one had so many twists and turns, with different POVs, and I couldn’t figure out for life of me how it was going to play out or who was behind it all. This one had a lot of info due to several characters� backgrounds, BUT it was crucial…and so interesting! The characters in this one need to be psychoanalyzed
]]> 18775334
Settling back into his childhood home and doing some renovations in the backyard to make the house feel like his own, Matt, a young up-and-coming chef and restaurateur, stumbles upon a locked crate he’s never seen before. Curious, he picks the padlock and makes a discovery so gruesome it will forever haunt him� Faced with this deep dark family secret, Matt must decide whether to keep what he knows buried in the past, go to the police, or take matters into his own hands.

Meanwhile Matt’s girlfriend, Sam, has always suspected that her mother was murdered by the Beacon Hill Butcher—two years after the supposed Butcher was gunned down. As she pursues leads that will prove her right, Sam heads right into the path of Matt’s terrible secret.]]> 352 Jennifer Hillier 1476734216 Kaley 5
A serial killer, the son, and a girlfriend trying to solve her mother’s murder. What could go wrong?! ]]> 4.03 2014
author: Jennifer Hillier
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves:
review:
I am BLOWN AWAY. This book is insane, and it has one of my favorite things…the POV of the serial killer. Even though we know who the bad guy is early on, the events that take place kept me engrossed where I couldn’t put it down. You never knew when a secret would be revealed as characters started connecting the dots. I found myself holding my breath as scenes would play out. This story will keep you on the edge of your seat.

A serial killer, the son, and a girlfriend trying to solve her mother’s murder. What could go wrong?!
]]> 205822553 New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan returns to the high-stakes, sweeping world of dragons, romance, and drama first evoked in her bestselling young adult Firelight series, in a brand-new epic adult romantasy series.

Dragons are extinct. Witches are outcast. Magic is dying.

But human lust for power is immortal.

Dragon fire no longer blisters the skies over Penterra, but inside the lavish palace, life is still perilous…especially for Tamsyn. Raised in the glittering court alongside the princesses, it's her duty to be punished for their misdeeds. Treated as part of the royal family but also as the lowliest servant, Tamsyn fits nowhere. Her only friend is Stig, Captain of the Guard...though sometimes she thinks he wants more than friendship.

When Fell, the Beast of the Borderlands, descends on her home, Tamsyn’s world becomes even more dangerous. To save the pampered princesses from a fate worse than death, she is commanded to don a veil and marry the brutal warrior. She agrees to the deception even though it means leaving Stig, and the only life she’s ever known, behind.

The wedding night begins with unexpected passion—and ends in near violence when her trickery is exposed. Rather than start a war, Fell accepts Tamsyn as his bride...but can he accept the dark secrets she harbors—secrets buried so deep even she doesn’t know they exist? For Tamsyn is more than a royal whipping girl, more than the false wife of a man who now sees her as his enemy. And when those secrets emerge, they will ignite a flame bright enough to burn the entire kingdom to the bone.

Magic is not dead...it is only sleeping. And it will take one ordinary girl with an extraordinary destiny to awaken it.]]> 336 Sophie Jordan 0063399997 Kaley 4
The beginning was a tad slow as it set everything up, but it was easy to follow…and then it really turned into an action packed, heart pumping, and addicting read.

The story follows a strong-willed heroine caught in the dangerous world, with a huge secret about her past. Tamsyn’s forced Marriage to Fell brings all the sexual tension as they feel drawn to each other but despise each other. Tamsyn wants answers, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to find them.

The ending felt a bit rushed, and it left you with a big cliff hanger, so now I want book 2 asap!!!!!]]> 3.59 2024
author: Sophie Jordan
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/11/13
shelves:
review:
Need to get lost in a new fantasy book? Look no further because A Fire in the Sky is it! Witches have gone into hiding, and dragons no longer exist�.or do they? The twists and secrets along the way keep you hooked!

The beginning was a tad slow as it set everything up, but it was easy to follow…and then it really turned into an action packed, heart pumping, and addicting read.

The story follows a strong-willed heroine caught in the dangerous world, with a huge secret about her past. Tamsyn’s forced Marriage to Fell brings all the sexual tension as they feel drawn to each other but despise each other. Tamsyn wants answers, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to find them.

The ending felt a bit rushed, and it left you with a big cliff hanger, so now I want book 2 asap!!!!!
]]> 203608552 A woman must learn to take life by the throat after a night out leads to irrevocable changes in this juicy, thrilling novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Such Sharp Teeth and Black Sheep.

Sloane Parker is dreading her birthday. She doesn’t need a reminder she’s getting older, or that she’s feeling indifferent about her own life.

Her husband surprises her with a birthday weekend getaway—not with him, but with Sloane’s longtime best friend, troublemaker extraordinaire Naomi.

Sloane anticipates a weekend of wine tastings and cozy robes and strategic avoidance of issues she’d rather not confront, like her husband’s repeated infidelity. But when they arrive at their rental cottage, it becomes clear Naomi has something else in mind. She wants Sloane to stop letting things happen to her, for Sloane to really live. So Naomi orchestrates a wild night out with a group of mysterious strangers, only for it to take a horrifying turn that changes Sloane’s and Naomi’s lives literally forever.

The friends are forced to come to terms with some pretty eternal consequences in this bloody, seductive novel about how it’s never too late to find satisfaction, even though it might taste different than expected.]]> 304 Rachel Harrison 0593642546 Kaley 2 3.50 2024
author: Rachel Harrison
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/09
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 206780522 An orphan.
An outcast.
A prince.

And a killer who will bring an empire to its knees.

Growing up in the Kegari slums, AIZ has seen her share of suffering. An old tragedy fuels her need for vengeance, but it is love of her people that propels her. Until one hotheaded mistake lands her in an inescapable prison, where the embers of her wrath ignite.

Banished from her people for an unforgivable crime, SIRSHA is a down-on-her-luck tracker who uses magic to trace her marks. Destitute, she agrees to hunt down a killer who has murdered children across the Martial Empire. All she has to do is carry out the job and get paid. But when a chance encounter leads to an unexpected attraction, Sirsha learns her mission might cost her far more than she's willing to give up.

QUIL is the crown prince of the Empire and nephew of a venerated empress, but he’s loath to take the throne when his aunt steps down. As the son of a reviled emperor, he, better than anyone, understands that power corrupts. When a vicious new enemy threatens the survival of the Empire, Quil must ask himself if he can rise above his tragic lineage and be the heir his people need.

Beloved storyteller Sabaa Tahir interweaves the lives of three young people as they grapple with power, treachery, love, and the devastating consequences of unchecked greed, on a journey that may cost them their lives―and their hearts. Literally.]]> 484 Sabaa Tahir 0593616944 Kaley 0 to-read 4.25 2024
author: Sabaa Tahir
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 203956639 A student will find that the hardest lessons sometimes come outside the classroom in this stunning dark academia novel from the acclaimed author of The Year of the Witching and House of Hunger.

Lennon Carter’s life is falling apart.

Then she gets a mysterious phone call inviting her to take the entrance exam for Drayton College, a school of magic hidden in a secret pocket of Savannah. Lennon has been chosen because—like everyone else at the school—she has the innate gift of persuasion, the ability to wield her will like a weapon, using it to control others and, in rare cases, matter itself.

After passing the test, Lennon begins to learn how to master her devastating and unsettling power. But despite persuasion’s heavy toll on her body and mind, she is wholly captivated by her studies, by Drayton’s lush, moss-draped campus, and by her brilliant classmates. But even more captivating is her charismatic adviser, Dante, who both intimidates and enthralls her.

As Lennon continues in her studies her control grows, and she starts to uncover more about the secret world she has entered into, including the disquieting history of Drayton College, and the way her mentor’s tragic and violent past intertwines with it. She is increasingly disturbed by what she learns. For it seems that the ultimate test is to embrace absolute power without succumbing to corruption . . . and it's a test she's terrified she is going to fail.]]> 464 Alexis Henderson 0593638301 Kaley 0 to-read 3.45 2024
author: Alexis Henderson
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/09
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 60568471
It couldn’t save their marriage.

Yasmen wasn’t prepared for how her life fell apart, but she is finally starting to find joy again. She and Josiah have found a new rhythm, co-parenting their two kids and running a thriving business together. Yet like magnets, they’re always drawn back to each other, and now they’re beginning to wonder if they’re truly ready to let go of everything they once had.

Soon, one stolen kiss leads to another…and then more. It's hot. It's illicit. It's all good—until old wounds reopen. Is it too late for them to find forever? Or could they even be better, the second time around?

Award-winning and bestselling "powerhouse" author Kennedy Ryan is at her absolute best in this compelling, scorching novel about hope and healing, and what it truly means to love for a lifetime (USA Today).]]> 391 Kennedy Ryan 1538706792 Kaley 5
The good, the bad, and the ugly will have your heart hurt for these beautiful people. The grief and pain they must overcome is soul crushing…but on the other side is hope, love, and family.

This is a story that will stick with you. It won’t be easily forgotten. I highly recommend this one, but be warned…don’t go in expecting sunshine and rainbows. It’s more serious than I thought it would be…but aren’t those the ones that leave lasting impressions? ❤️❤️]]> 4.32 2022
author: Kennedy Ryan
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/12
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! This is one of the most vulnerable, raw, and emotional books I’ve read. The writing is so beautiful, and you’ll get sucked right in thinking these characters are real.

The good, the bad, and the ugly will have your heart hurt for these beautiful people. The grief and pain they must overcome is soul crushing…but on the other side is hope, love, and family.

This is a story that will stick with you. It won’t be easily forgotten. I highly recommend this one, but be warned…don’t go in expecting sunshine and rainbows. It’s more serious than I thought it would be…but aren’t those the ones that leave lasting impressions? ❤️❤️
]]> 199928276 A recently deceased woman meets “the one� in the afterlife waiting room, scoring a second chance at life (and love!) if she can find him on Earth before ten days are up�.

If she wasn’t dead already, Delphie would be dying of embarrassment. Not only did she just die by choking on a microwaveable burger, she’s also now standing in her "sparkle and shine" nightie in front of the hottest man she’s ever seen. And he’s smiling at her.

As they start to chat, everything else becomes background noise. That is, until someone comes running through a door yelling something about a huge mistake and sends the dreamy stranger back down to Earth. And here Delphie was thinking her luck might be different in the afterlife.

When Delphie is offered a deal in which she can return to Earth and reconnect with the mysterious man, she jumps at the opportunity to find her possible soulmate and a fresh start. But to find him in a city of millions, Delphie is going to have to listen to her heart, learn to ask for help, and perhaps even see the magic in the life she’s leaving behind. . . .]]> 369 Kirsty Greenwood 0593816137 Kaley 3 4.05 2024
author: Kirsty Greenwood
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/13
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves:
review:
This one started out really cute, and I was so curious where it was heading. After about the first 30% I quickly grew bored as nothing much happened. The romance part was almost nonexistent because the whole time she was trying to find her soulmate on Earth, and it got too dragged out. The narration was easy to listen to, and I enjoyed the afterlife aspects, but it was a miss for me.
]]> 199927030 The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons� investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.]]> 352 Meg Shaffer 0593598873 Kaley 4 ]]> 3.78 2024
author: Meg Shaffer
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/01
date added: 2024/11/04
shelves:
review:
This was a fun one to listen to as it had major Narnia vibes. It was mysterious and whimsical and just the perfect escape into another world. However, the pacing was off a bit as it seemed to take forever to get into the magical world, and I wanted more detail. I definitely recommend it still if you’re interested in trying it!

]]> 195790535 Two best friends who haven’t spoken in ten years pretend to date after break-ups with their respective exes go viral, in this delightfully fun and deeply emotional novel.

June and Levi were best friends as teenagers—until the day they weren’t. Now June is struggling to make rent on her beachside tea shop, Levi is living a New York cliché as a disillusioned hedge fund manager and failed novelist, and they've barely spoken in years.

But after they both experience public, humiliating break-ups with their exes that spread like wildfire across TikTok rabbit holes and daytime talk shows alike, they accidentally make some juicy gossip of their own—a photo of them together has the internet convinced they're a couple. With so many people rooting for them, they decide to put aside their rocky past and make a pact to fuel the fire. Pretending to date will help June’s shop get back on its feet and make Levi’s ex realize that she made a mistake. All they have to do is convince the world they're in love, one swoon-worthy photo opp at a time.

Two viral break-ups. One fake relationship. Five sparkling, heart-pounding dates. June and Levi can definitely pull this off without their hearts getting involved. Because everyone knows fake dating doesn’t come with real feelings. Right?]]> 320 Emma Lord Kaley 3 3.32 2024
author: Emma Lord
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.32
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves:
review:
3.5 �️ - I liked the humor in this one a lot, and found myself laughing. The friends to lovers was really sweet and well written, but the pacing was just a bit off and some scenes lasted longer than they needed to.
]]> 199223201 Two women—separated by decades and continents, and united by a mysterious family heirloom—discover second chances at love in this sweeping novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Wives.

New England, 2022. Three years ago, single mother Mallory Dunne received the telephone call every parent dreads—her ten-year-old son, Sam, had been airlifted from summer camp with acute poisoning from a toxic death cap mushroom, leaving him fighting for his life. Now, searching for the donor kidney that will give her son a chance for a normal life, Mallory’s forced to confront two harrowing secrets from her past: her mother’s adoption from an infamous Irish orphanage in 1952, and her own all-consuming summer romance fourteen years earlier with her childhood best friend, Monk Adams� one of the world’s most beloved singer-songwriters—a fairy tale cut short by a devastating betrayal.

Cairo, 1951. After suffering tragedy beyond comprehension in the war, Hungarian refugee Hannah Ainsworth has forged a respectable new life for herself—marriage to a wealthy British diplomat with a coveted posting in glamorous Cairo. But a fateful encounter with the enigmatic manager of a hotel bristling with spies leads to a passionate affair that will reawaken Hannah’s longing for everything she once lost. As revolution simmers in the Egyptian streets, a pregnant Hannah finds herself snared in a game of intrigue between two men . . . and an act of sacrifice that will echo down the generations.

Timeless and bittersweet, Husbands & Lovers takes readers on an unforgettable journey of heartbreak and redemption, from the revolutionary fires of midcentury Egypt to the moneyed beaches of contemporary New England. Acclaimed author Beatriz Williams has written a poignant and beautifully voiced novel of deeply human characters entangled by morally complex issues—of privilege, class, and the female experience—inside worlds brought shimmeringly to life.]]> 384 Beatriz Williams 0593724224 Kaley 4
This was a fun one to listen to! The narration was fabulous ]]> 4.08 2024
author: Beatriz Williams
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/20
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:
Thank you @prhaudio for my complimentary audiobook!

This was a fun one to listen to! The narration was fabulous
]]> 216304428
No one can find Luca Sterling. No longer able to numb his pain with sex, booze, and rock �n� roll after his band calls it quits, Luca retreats to his hometown, holed up in his apartment with his phone silenced and the curtains drawn. When the universe sends him a sign bringing him back to Nashville, Luca finds the support of his friends and begins the journey to heal from his painful past. What he doesn’t see coming are the sparks that fly after a run-in with his friend’s prickly restaurant employee.


After a chance encounter leads to a night-long adventure, McKenzie and Luca end up confessing their deepest secrets to each other. Their walls come crumbling down, leading them to discover they have much more in common than they thought. But as the pair travel through the uncharted terrain of their new relationship, personal demons return to haunt them, and the two are faced with a choice: to hide from the shadows of their pasts or run toward them together. Coming Home, the fifth and final installment of the Midnight in Dallas series, is a story about embracing the broken pieces of ourselves that let the light in.]]> Melissa Grace Kaley 5
Bear with me as I try to express my love for this book�.I knew from the dedication page that this was going to be something special, but I had no idea what Melissa Grace had in store for us.

Coming Home is the last book in the Midnight in Dallas series (yes, you should read them in order), and Melissa ended it with a bang. This is Melissa’s best work. Her writing in Coming Home is EXQUISITE, RAW, and oh so VULNERABLE. Every word on the page will have an impact on you. I was not ready to feel so deeply.

Luca’s character in the series has been a bit mysterious as he’s always been a bit closed off, and he’s gotten a bad rep as the party boy. He’s dealing with depression and anxiety, and finally reaches out for help once he realizes his friends still care about him. The emotion just oozes off the pages as Luca learns how to cope with everything. Your heart will break for Luca, but you also get to watch him soar as everything comes full circle. McKenzie is also struggling. They are two lost souls who find each other. They understand each other in a way no one else can. I loved them together and I loved them separately as they each trudged through their demons.

Everyone can relate to some part of Luca and McKenzie’s story. We all have our bad days, but no matter what you may feel at times, just remember ]]> 4.57 2024
author: Melissa Grace
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/23
date added: 2024/09/30
shelves:
review:
5 beautiful glowing stars for this perfection. Flawlessly written and so vulnerable. It will turn you into a puddle of mush. Such a satisfying end to The Midnight in Dallas gang.

Bear with me as I try to express my love for this book�.I knew from the dedication page that this was going to be something special, but I had no idea what Melissa Grace had in store for us.

Coming Home is the last book in the Midnight in Dallas series (yes, you should read them in order), and Melissa ended it with a bang. This is Melissa’s best work. Her writing in Coming Home is EXQUISITE, RAW, and oh so VULNERABLE. Every word on the page will have an impact on you. I was not ready to feel so deeply.

Luca’s character in the series has been a bit mysterious as he’s always been a bit closed off, and he’s gotten a bad rep as the party boy. He’s dealing with depression and anxiety, and finally reaches out for help once he realizes his friends still care about him. The emotion just oozes off the pages as Luca learns how to cope with everything. Your heart will break for Luca, but you also get to watch him soar as everything comes full circle. McKenzie is also struggling. They are two lost souls who find each other. They understand each other in a way no one else can. I loved them together and I loved them separately as they each trudged through their demons.

Everyone can relate to some part of Luca and McKenzie’s story. We all have our bad days, but no matter what you may feel at times, just remember
]]> 43877254
But there’s nothing in the rulebook that says I can’t be friends with a woman. And I won’t lie—my new classmate Demi Davis is one cool chick. Her smart mouth is hot as hell, and so is the rest of her, but the fact that she’s got a boyfriend eliminates the temptation to touch her.

Except three months into our friendship, Demi is single and looking for a rebound.

And she’s making a play for me.

Avoiding her is impossible. We’re paired up on a yearlong school project, but I’m confident I can resist her. We’d never work, anyway. Our backgrounds are too different, our goals aren’t aligned, and her parents hate my guts.

Hooking up is a very bad idea. Now I just have to convince my body—and my heart.]]> 422 Elle Kennedy Kaley 4
There were lots of little things that I loved about this one that just added to my enjoyment. It was a bit slower to start, but the friendship Demi and Hunter created made the teasing even better. I also really liked their school project they had to work on together that added a bit of depth to the story.

I’ve said this with every Elle Kennedy book, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but the hockey guys conversations are the funniest things you’ll read. I laugh out loud every time, and this particular story had me rolling with Pablo the Egg ]]> 4.00 2019
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/10
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars! The 3rd book in the Briar U series, and it’s my favorite! I had a lot of people tell me it’s their least, but I just loved Demi and her sarcastic dialogue so much! It was an easy, spicy read that I could escape into.

There were lots of little things that I loved about this one that just added to my enjoyment. It was a bit slower to start, but the friendship Demi and Hunter created made the teasing even better. I also really liked their school project they had to work on together that added a bit of depth to the story.

I’ve said this with every Elle Kennedy book, and I’m sure I’ll say it again, but the hockey guys conversations are the funniest things you’ll read. I laugh out loud every time, and this particular story had me rolling with Pablo the Egg
]]> 199797582
Three years later, Anna is a starving artist living paycheck to paycheck while West is a Stanford professor. He may be one of four heirs to the Weston Foods conglomerate, but he has little interest in working for the heartless corporation his family built from the ground up. He is interested, however, in his one-hundred-million-dollar inheritance. There’s just one catch.

Due to an antiquated clause in his grandfather’s will, Liam won’t see a penny until he’s been happily married for five years. Just when Liam thinks he’s in the home stretch, pressure mounts from his family to see this mysterious spouse, and he has no choice but to turn to the one person he’s afraid to introduce to his one-percenter parents � his unpolished, not-so-ex-wife.

But in the presence of his family, Liam’s fears quickly shift from whether the feisty, foul-mouthed, paint-splattered Anna can play the part to whether the toxic world of wealth will corrupt someone as pure of heart as his surprisingly grounded and loyal wife. Liam will have to ask himself if the price tag on his flimsy cover story is worth losing true love that sprouted from a lie.]]> 352 Christina Lauren 1668017725 Kaley 4 4.07 2024
author: Christina Lauren
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/26
date added: 2024/09/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 203019740 From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.]]> 608 Chris Whitaker 0593798872 Kaley 4
Chris Whitaker is a master at writing complex, heartbreaking stories. Yes, this one is LONG! Probably too long in my opinion, but when I focus on the main parts of this story, it’s just phenomenal.

I usually don’t write down quotes, but this one stood out to me, “]]> 4.24 2024
author: Chris Whitaker
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:
Thank you Penguin Random House Audio for my complimentary copy!

Chris Whitaker is a master at writing complex, heartbreaking stories. Yes, this one is LONG! Probably too long in my opinion, but when I focus on the main parts of this story, it’s just phenomenal.

I usually don’t write down quotes, but this one stood out to me, �
]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]> 406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Kaley 4 4.16 2024
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> 62047984
So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.

But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.]]> 319 R.F. Kuang 000853277X Kaley 2 3.69 2023
author: R.F. Kuang
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2024/09/01
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves:
review:
I get why everyone said this was “thought provoking� now
]]> 199698485 When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.]]> 490 Liz Moore Kaley 4
I see why there are so many good reviews for this one! The story is so intricate, and Liz Moore was able to connect everything together seamlessly. There are a lot of characters and POVs…and timelines ]]> 4.16 2024
author: Liz Moore
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/09/10
shelves:
review:
If you’re looking for an atmospheric, slow build mystery to get lost in, then this is it!

I see why there are so many good reviews for this one! The story is so intricate, and Liz Moore was able to connect everything together seamlessly. There are a lot of characters and POVs…and timelines
]]> 41032121 THE RISK takes you back to the world of hot hockey players, feisty heroines, bro banter, and steamy scenes...

Everyone says I’m a bad girl. They’re only partly right—I don’t let fear rule me, and I certainly don’t care what people think. But I draw the line at sleeping with the enemy. As the daughter of Briar’s head hockey coach, I’d be vilified if I hooked up with a player from a rival team.

And that’s who Jake Connelly is. Harvard’s star forward is arrogant, annoying, and too attractive for his own good. But fate is cruel—I require his help to secure a much-coveted internship, and the sexy jerk isn’t making it easy for me.

I need Connelly to be my fake boyfriend.

For every fake date…he wants a real one.

Which means this bad girl is in big trouble. Nothing good can come from sneaking around with Jake Connelly. My father would kill me, my friends will revolt, and my post-college career is on the line. But while it’s getting harder and harder to resist Jake’s oozing sex appeal and cocky grin, I refuse to fall for him.

That’s the one risk I’m not willing to take.]]> 402 Elle Kennedy Kaley 4 4.22 2019
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/18
date added: 2024/09/01
shelves:
review:
The second book in the Briar U series, and I enjoyed it way more than the first. The rivals to lovers and fake dating tropes provided THE BEST banter and tension between Jake and Brenna. Their confidence and teasing was so fun to read…and we can’t forget how fun and comedic the hockey boys conversations are
]]> 199798460
It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work.

Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State.

But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers. She needs to get to the bottom of what happened to Ellie: for herself, and for the memory of her sister, but mostly for the next girl who could be taken—and who, unlike Ellie, might never return.

The debut thriller from New York Times bestselling author Emiko Jean, The Return of Ellie Black is both a feminist tour de force about the embers of hope that burn in the aftermath of tragedy and a twisty page-turner that will shock and surprise you right up until the final page.]]> 299 Emiko Jean 1668023938 Kaley 5
HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This was a #bookstagrammademedoit purchase, and it TOTALLY lived up to the hype for me! The past and present timeline were really well done. This is a dark and chilling story about what Ellie went through while being held captive, and the struggles of reentering her old life. I was sucked in from the beginning because I had to know what happened to Ellie, and I loved how Chelsey pieced together all the clues. The ending was satisfying with twists I was not expecting!
]]> 3.97 2024
author: Emiko Jean
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/11
date added: 2024/08/11
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! This was a #bookstagrammademedoit purchase, and it TOTALLY lived up to the hype for me! The past and present timeline were really well done. This is a dark and chilling story about what Ellie went through while being held captive, and the struggles of reentering her old life. I was sucked in from the beginning because I had to know what happened to Ellie, and I loved how Chelsey pieced together all the clues. The ending was satisfying with twists I was not expecting!

]]> 53977568 Enemies should never get a second chance. But this one might...

It’s been twelve years since I’ve seen him. Twelve years since he won our war of wits by outsmarting me with a tactic I didn’t even know was allowed. But tonight…I resurrect the battle.

Ryan Henderson is back in town for our best friends� wedding, and I plan on showing him exactly how much I don’t care about him—or the almost kiss he ruthlessly dangled over me after graduation. A lot has changed since our feuding days. I'm a successful bakery owner now, and I plan to rub every delicious detail of my life in his ugly face. Just one problem: his face is gorgeous. He wasn’t supposed to look like this or pursue me like a sexy guided missile. I must stay strong until the wedding is over and Ryan scurries back into whatever alternate universe he escaped from. His interest in me is nothing but a continuation of the games we played in high school...right?

But the longer he stays, the more I wonder if I’m wrong and his tender smile and heated attentions are genuine. Maybe it’s not a game. Ha! Who am I kidding? This is Ryan we’re talking about. Of course it’s a game. A game called war. And this time, I will win.

The Enemy is a feel-good, closed-door romantic comedy! Perfect for readers who enjoy sweet, sizzling chemistry with passionate kissing only. ]]> 256 Sarah Adams Kaley 4 3.76 2020
author: Sarah Adams
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/09
date added: 2024/08/09
shelves:
review:

]]> 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 can’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 Kaley 3 3.94 2024
author: Carley Fortune
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:

]]> 198663066 Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead�

All drummer Vienna Taylor ever wanted was to make music. If that came with fame, she’d take it—as long as her best friend, guitarist Madison Pierce, was sharing the spotlight and singing lead. And with their new all-female pop rock band gaining traction, soon everyone would hear their songs�

Except, on the way to an event, the Bittersweet’s van careened off an icy mountain road during a blizzard—leaving one member dead and another severely injured.

In order to survive the frigid night, the rest took shelter in a nearby abandoned cabin. But Vienna’s dreams devolved into a terrifying nightmare as, one by one, her fellow band members met a gruesome end…and Madison simply vanished in the night.

What really happened to the Bittersweet? Did Vienna’s closest friend finally decide to take center stage on her own terms?

She doesn’t want to believe it.

But guilty people run. ]]> 400 Hannah Mary McKinnon 0778305473 Kaley 4
So many things had Andrea and I texting back and forth going ]]> 3.66 2024
author: Hannah Mary McKinnon
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:
Holy moly what a toxic, bingeable thriller! The characters are nuts and psycho, and I couldn’t stop reading until I knew the truth.

So many things had Andrea and I texting back and forth going
]]> 199798006
As a young, queer couple who flip houses, Charlie and Eve can’t believe the killer deal they’ve just gotten on an old house in a picturesque neighborhood. As they’re working in the house one day, there’s a knock on the door. A man stands there with his family, claiming to have lived there years before and asking if it would be alright if he showed his kids around. People pleaser to a fault, Eve lets them in.

As soon as the strangers enter their home, inexplicable things start happening, including the family’s youngest child going missing and a ghostly presence materializing in the basement. Even more weird, the family can’t seem to take the hint that their visit should be over. And when Charlie suddenly vanishes, Eve slowly loses her grip on reality. Something is terribly wrong with the house and with the visiting family—or is Eve just imagining things?

This unputdownable and spine-tingling novel “is like quicksand: the further you delve into its pages, the more immobilized you become by a spiral of terror. We Used to Live Here will haunt you even after you have finished it� (Agustina Bazterrica, author of Tender Is the Flesh).]]> 312 Marcus Kliewer 1982198788 Kaley 4 3.67 2024
author: Marcus Kliewer
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/26
date added: 2024/07/26
shelves:
review:

]]> 53257881 Sometimes, love finds you when you least expect it...

Having worked for Southern Service Paws for a few years now, I like to think I’m prepared for just about any client meeting under the sun. I am dead wrong.

The day I meet with single dad, Jacob Broaden, about potentially matching his daughter with one of our service dogs, I learn a few valuable lessons.

1) Always set my alarm clock.
2) Single dads are way hotter than I previously thought.
3) It is possible to go from fantasizing about kissing someone to wishing they would be run over by a truck in a matter of two minutes.

Unfortunately, I don’t hold that opinion of him for very long. Not when he shows me a different side of himself—one that’s sweet as maple syrup and hot as apple pie fresh out of the oven. And after a few days of working closely with him and his daughter, he starts looking at me with fire in his eyes, making me dream of something I probably shouldn’t�
A family.

The Match is a feel-good, closed-door romantic comedy! Perfect for readers who enjoy sweet, sizzling chemistry with passionate kissing only. ]]> 284 Sarah Adams Kaley 3 3.95 2020
author: Sarah Adams
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves:
review:
Don’t get me wrong, it was a cute book full of heart, but you can just tell it was one of her early books. It lacked some of the humor she has gotten so good at. I adored the plot with a service dog, single dad, and epilepsy rep. I still would recommend this one! I listened to this one, and it was great on audio. Thank you @librofm for my complimentary copy.
]]> 58100280 Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?

Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.

Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)

Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with...oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!

Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.

How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?

Send help.
XO Bree]]> 306 Sarah Adams Kaley 4 3.71 2021
author: Sarah Adams
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/14
date added: 2024/07/22
shelves:
review:
I loved Bree and her determination, and the group of guys were always providing laughs! I got a little frustrated that they wouldn’t just admit their feelings, but there was a really vulnerable scene towards the end that made up for it. The ending was so perfect and sweet that I even teared up a bit
]]> 195888459 In the wake of tragedy, a group of friends make a pact that will cause them to reunite a decade later and embark upon a life-changing adventure together—from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Meant to Be.

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

As their college years fly by, their bond intensifies and the four become inseparable. But as graduation nears, their lives are forever changed after a desperate act leads to tragic consequences. Stunned and heartbroken, a pact is made to be there for each other in their time of need, no matter how separated they are by circumstances or distance.

Ten years later, Hannah is anticipating what should be one of the happiest moments of her life when everything is suddenly turned upside down. Calling on her closest friends, it soon becomes clear that they are facing their own crossroads. True to their promise, they agree to take a time out from lives headed in wrong directions and embark on a journey of self-discovery, forgiveness, and acceptance.

In this tender portrayal of grief, love, and hope, Emily Giffin asks: When things fall apart, who will be at our sides to help pick up the pieces?]]> 352 Emily Giffin 0593600290 Kaley 3
Then, the second part took a wild turn, and I wasn’t a fan of where it went. All of the sudden, our wonderful cast became immature and judgmental. I didn’t like the decisions they made or the secrets they hid from each other.

Sadly, this one was a miss for me, but I have seen some good reviews if you’re still wanting to try it!]]> 3.27 2024
author: Emily Giffin
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/14
date added: 2024/07/19
shelves:
review:
I really enjoyed the first part of this book. It had depth, it had heartbreak, and it proved how powerful friendship can be. Everyone needs a ride or die group, and Tyson, Lainey, and Hannah were fiercely loyal. They were found family at its finest. I was surprised how quickly I got sucked into the story with such a tragic topic.

Then, the second part took a wild turn, and I wasn’t a fan of where it went. All of the sudden, our wonderful cast became immature and judgmental. I didn’t like the decisions they made or the secrets they hid from each other.

Sadly, this one was a miss for me, but I have seen some good reviews if you’re still wanting to try it!
]]> 34851664
And that his best friend has a crush on me.

And that I just moved in with them.

Oh, did I not mention we’re roommates?

I suppose it doesn’t matter. Fitzy has made it clear he’s not interested in me, even though the sparks between us are liable to burn our house down. I’m not the kind of girl who chases after a man, though, and I’m not about to start. I’ve got my hands full dealing with a new school, a sleazy professor, and an uncertain future. So if my sexy brooding roomie wises up and realizes what he’s missing?

He knows where to find me.]]> 368 Elle Kennedy 0994054459 Kaley 4
Sabrina and Tucker felt a little more immature than the Off Campus characters (in terms of their romantic side), but I appreciated all they had to overcome to get to where they are. Sabrina, a fashion lover with ADHD, was out to prove she was more than a pretty face while Fitz was proving he was more than a dumb jock.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
✔️Opposites Attract
]]> 3.84 2018
author: Elle Kennedy
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/09
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves:
review:
The first book in the Briar U series, and I loved being back on campus (I’ve already read the Off Campus series)! While it may not have been my favorite, it still had me laughing and smiling throughout the story…even with heavier topics at play.

Sabrina and Tucker felt a little more immature than the Off Campus characters (in terms of their romantic side), but I appreciated all they had to overcome to get to where they are. Sabrina, a fashion lover with ADHD, was out to prove she was more than a pretty face while Fitz was proving he was more than a dumb jock.

READ IF YOU LIKE:
✔️Opposites Attract

]]> 182484354 College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, the highly anticipated companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent, and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers and spark the romance of a lifetime?]]> 356 Sarah Adams 0593723678 Kaley 5
SARAH ]]> 3.88 2024
author: Sarah Adams
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/06
date added: 2024/07/14
shelves:
review:
Thank you so much @prhaudio for my #complimentary audiobook!

SARAH
]]> 198563729 Daphne and Amber Parrish are thrust back into each other’s lives upon the resurgence of a long-forgotten threat, forcing a vicious game of cat and mouse where everything is on the line, in this thrilling sequel to the million-copy-bestselling Reese’s Book Club pick The Last Mrs. Parrish.

Amber Patterson Parrish has come a long way from being an invisible wallflower. Her hard work and immaculate planning have paid off now that she’s a prominent socialite, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been bumps along the way. Less than a year since her husband Jackson’s tax-evasion scandal, Amber is still at the top of the Bishops Harbor community pecking order, free to do as she wishes while Jackson sits in prison. But that freedom is quickly coming to an end. With Jackson getting released from prison, Amber’s time—and money—is vanishing.

Meanwhile, Daphne Parrish left Bishops Harbor after her divorce from Jackson Parrish, swearing she would never go back. But when one of her daughters runs away from home, desperate to see her father, Daphne agrees to return for the summer to allow him supervised visits. Once out of prison, Jackson swears he’s a changed man, but Daphne knows all too well that he can’t be trusted.

When a ghost from Amber’s past emerges looking for revenge, the three of them find unlikely allies in one another, but who is playing who? When all is said and done, they’ll have to fight tooth and nail for everything they have left in this zero-sum game.

With shocking turns and entertaining characters, The Next Mrs. Parrish will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about duplicity and betrayal.]]> 336 Liv Constantine 0593599926 Kaley 3
READ IF YOU LIKE:
]]> 3.76 2024
author: Liv Constantine
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/01
date added: 2024/07/09
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars

READ IF YOU LIKE:

]]> 199026522 In the latest jaw-dropping thriller from New York Times bestselling author Riley Sager, a man must contend with the long-ago disappearance of his childhood best friend—and the dark secrets lurking just beyond the safe confines of his picture-perfect neighborhood.

The worst thing to ever happen on Hemlock Circle occurred in Ethan Marsh’s backyard. One July night, ten-year-old Ethan and his best friend and neighbor, Billy, fell asleep in a tent set up on a manicured lawn in a quiet, quaint New Jersey cul de sac. In the morning, Ethan woke up alone. During the night, someone had sliced the tent open with a knife and taken Billy. He was never seen again.

Thirty years later, Ethan has reluctantly returned to his childhood home. Plagued by bad dreams and insomnia, he begins to notice strange things happening in the middle of the night. Someone seems to be roaming the cul de sac at odd hours, and signs of Billy’s presence keep appearing in Ethan’s backyard. Is someone playing a cruel prank? Or has Billy, long thought to be dead, somehow returned to Hemlock Circle?

The mysterious occurrences prompt Ethan to investigate what really happened that night, a quest that reunites him with former friends and neighbors and leads him into the woods that surround Hemlock Circle. Woods where Billy claimed monsters roamed and where a mysterious institute does clandestine research on a crumbling estate.

The closer Ethan gets to the truth, the more he realizes that no place—be it quiet forest or suburban street—is completely safe. And that the past has a way of haunting the present.]]> 367 Riley Sager 0593472373 Kaley 3
Sager’s books can be hit or miss for me, and I still have a few of his backlist to read. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark a bit.

The plot was intriguing with a cold case about a boy who disappeared while camping in a friend’s back yard in the middle of the night. The opening scene really pulled me in, but it dragged in the middle a bit, and there were lots of characters that I couldn’t remember everyone.

There were some good red herrings that caused me to never really guess anything, but the reveal felt underwhelming (I had also lost interest by then). I think I was expecting something bigger, so that’s a me problem.

Here’s my Sager rankings out of the ones I’ve read:
1. Home Before Dark
2. The Only One Left
3. Lock Every Door
4. Middle of the Night
5. The House Across the Lake]]> 3.66 2024
author: Riley Sager
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/24
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves:
review:
Thank you @prhaudio for my complimentary audiobook!

Sager’s books can be hit or miss for me, and I still have a few of his backlist to read. Unfortunately, this one missed the mark a bit.

The plot was intriguing with a cold case about a boy who disappeared while camping in a friend’s back yard in the middle of the night. The opening scene really pulled me in, but it dragged in the middle a bit, and there were lots of characters that I couldn’t remember everyone.

There were some good red herrings that caused me to never really guess anything, but the reveal felt underwhelming (I had also lost interest by then). I think I was expecting something bigger, so that’s a me problem.

Here’s my Sager rankings out of the ones I’ve read:
1. Home Before Dark
2. The Only One Left
3. Lock Every Door
4. Middle of the Night
5. The House Across the Lake
]]> 195790531
A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

Rose Barclay is a nine-year-old girl who witnessed the possible murder of her nanny - in the midst of her parent's bitter divorce - and immediately stopped speaking. Stella Hudson is a best interest attorney, appointed to serve as counsel for children in custody cases. She never accepts clients under thirteen due to her own traumatic childhood, but Stella's mentor, a revered judge, believes Stella is the only one who can help.

From the moment Stella passes through the iron security gate and steps into the gilded, historic DC home of the Barclays, she realizes the case is even more twisted, and the Barclay family far more troubled, than she feared. And there's something eerie about the house itself: It's a plastic house, with not a single bit of glass to be found.

As Stella comes closer to uncovering the secrets the Barclays are desperate to hide, danger wraps around her like a shroud, and her past and present are set on a collision course in ways she never expected. Everyone is a suspect in the nanny's murder. The mother, the father, the grandmother, the nanny's boyfriend. Even Rose. Is the person Stella's supposed to protect the one she may need protection from?]]> 341 Sarah Pekkanen 125028399X Kaley 4
This book is eerie, and one where you don’t know who to trust. Their family drama had them all acting suspiciously, so everyone was a suspect. What are they hiding???? I might have had a lucky guess for part of the twist, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all!

I so enjoyed reading about Stella’s job because quite frankly, I didn’t know something like that existed. She represented children in divorce cases to place them in the most beneficial situation for them…and Rose is her hardest client. Not only is she tasked to figuring out the family dynamics, but she is also trying to figure what really happened to Rose’s nanny ]]> 3.84 2024
author: Sarah Pekkanen
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/21
date added: 2024/07/06
shelves:
review:
I binged the crap out of this creepy book! Some scenes had my hair raising, and I was holding my breath while trying to yell at our MC, Stella, to get the H-E-double hockey sticks OUT OF THE HOUSE!!

This book is eerie, and one where you don’t know who to trust. Their family drama had them all acting suspiciously, so everyone was a suspect. What are they hiding???? I might have had a lucky guess for part of the twist, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all!

I so enjoyed reading about Stella’s job because quite frankly, I didn’t know something like that existed. She represented children in divorce cases to place them in the most beneficial situation for them…and Rose is her hardest client. Not only is she tasked to figuring out the family dynamics, but she is also trying to figure what really happened to Rose’s nanny
]]> 125311382 544 Laura Thalassa 1728280133 Kaley 4 3.97 2019
author: Laura Thalassa
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/05
date added: 2024/07/05
shelves:
review:

]]> 31076583 229 Sarah J. Maas 168119631X Kaley 4 3.77 2019
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2020/09/27
date added: 2024/07/02
shelves:
review:
This was a nice wrap up. I enjoyed getting to read different POVs from characters. It was much slower then the 2nd and 3rd, but I enjoyed getting to see how they were after the war.
]]> 198563734
There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace.

No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?]]> 321 Annabel Monaghan 0593714083 Kaley 4
This was the perfect summer romance! It had characters to root for, characters we love to hate, and characters that will make you swoon. Add it to your TBR friends!

Ethan and Ali had a hilarious meet cute. Ali was an awesome MC as she was realistic, raw, and sarcastically funny…Ethan was swoony, attentive, and such a sweetheart! Andrea and I couldn’t stop texting about all the cute things he did. I enjoyed their relationship journey and was smiling constantly. Especially when Ethan would help Ali with her divorce, and not let her get walked on by her ex husband ]]> 4.02 2024
author: Annabel Monaghan
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves:
review:
Thank you @prhaudio for my complimentary audiobook!

This was the perfect summer romance! It had characters to root for, characters we love to hate, and characters that will make you swoon. Add it to your TBR friends!

Ethan and Ali had a hilarious meet cute. Ali was an awesome MC as she was realistic, raw, and sarcastically funny…Ethan was swoony, attentive, and such a sweetheart! Andrea and I couldn’t stop texting about all the cute things he did. I enjoyed their relationship journey and was smiling constantly. Especially when Ethan would help Ali with her divorce, and not let her get walked on by her ex husband
]]> 123272656 They came to earth—Pestilence, War, Famine, Death—four horsemen riding their screaming steeds, racing to the corners of the world. Four horsemen with the power to destroy all of humanity. They came to earth, and they came to end us all.

When Pestilence comes for Sara Burn’s town, one thing is certain: everyone she knows and loves is marked for death. Unless, of course, the angelic-looking horseman is stopped, which is exactly what Sara has in mind when she shoots the unholy beast off his steed.

Too bad no one told her Pestilence can’t be killed.

Now the horseman, very much alive and very pissed off, has taken her prisoner, and he’s eager to make her suffer. Only, the longer she’s with him, the more uncertain she is about his true feelings towards her� and hers towards him.

And now, well, Sara might still be able to save the world, but in order to do so, she'll have to sacrifice her heart in the process.

From bestselling indie author Laura Thalassa comes a dark fantasy romance between the Horseman Pestilence and Sara, the girl who shoots Pestilence down only to realize he can't be killed. He takes her as prisoner, but the longer they're together, the more uncertain their feelings for each other grow.]]> 416 Laura Thalassa 1728280168 Kaley 3 3.5 stars 3.82 2018
author: Laura Thalassa
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/28
date added: 2024/06/28
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars
]]> 176443295
1976: Rebecca “Becks� Saint James has made a name for herself as the best hostess North Carolina has ever seen. Her annual summer suppers have become the stuff of legend, and locals and out-of-towners alike clamor for an invitation to her stunning historic home. But she’s struggling behind the façade. Becks strives to make the lives of those around her as easy as possible, but this summer she is facing a dilemma that even she can’t solve. And as the end of the season looms, she is brought to a decision she never wanted to make.

As both Keaton and Becks face new challenges and chapters, they are connected through time by the house on Sunset Lane, which has protected the secrets, hopes, and dreams of the women in their family for generations.]]> 384 Kristy Woodson Harvey 1668012197 Kaley 5
A little romance, a little mystery, and a lot of southern charm. KWH has a way with words. This was so eloquently written. It’s just one of those books that made an impact on me, and a story I won’t forget easily. These characters were something special ]]> 4.15 2024
author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/26
date added: 2024/06/26
shelves:
review:
ALL THE STARS �️ for this one!!!! I never wanted it to end, and it’s one I will want to reread in the future. I still have several KWH books to read, but this one is my favorite so far, and it will definitely be one of my favorite books of the year. It will make you laugh, it will make you cry (one scene in particular had me ugly crying where I couldn’t see the page), and it will tug at your heartstrings.

A little romance, a little mystery, and a lot of southern charm. KWH has a way with words. This was so eloquently written. It’s just one of those books that made an impact on me, and a story I won’t forget easily. These characters were something special
]]> 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 can’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 Kaley 4
This one started a bit slow for me, but it really picked up and I can see why everyone is raving about it!

Let me start with the ending…it was SO SATISFYING. Chef’s kiss. Thebomb.com. It’s been added to my list of favorite endings. I loved everything about it, and one particular part played out in my head like a mic drop. ]]> 3.97 2024
author: Ashley Elston
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/14
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars - Thank you so much @prhaudio for my complimentary copy!

This one started a bit slow for me, but it really picked up and I can see why everyone is raving about it!

Let me start with the ending…it was SO SATISFYING. Chef’s kiss. Thebomb.com. It’s been added to my list of favorite endings. I loved everything about it, and one particular part played out in my head like a mic drop.
]]> 22840421 This comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Jane Grey is “an uproarious historical fantasy that’s not to be missed� (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.]]> 474 Cynthia Hand 0062391798 Kaley 0 to-read 4.00 2016
author: Cynthia Hand
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/06/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 181110045 A haunting and powerful story of female friendships and secrets in a Washington, D.C. boardinghouse during the McCarthy era.

Washington, D.C., 1950. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, a down-at-the-heels all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the nation’s capital, where secrets hide behind white picket fences. But when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, she draws her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship: poised English beauty Fliss whose facade of perfect wife and mother covers gaping inner wounds; police officer’s daughter Nora, who is entangled with a shadowy gangster; frustrated baseball star Bea, whose career has ended along with the women’s baseball league of WWII; and poisonous, gung-ho Arlene, who has thrown herself into McCarthy’s Red Scare.

Grace’s weekly attic-room dinner parties and window-brewed sun tea become a healing balm on all their lives, but she hides a terrible secret of her own. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar Club women must decide once and for all: Who is the true enemy in their midst?]]> 432 Kate Quinn 0063244748 Kaley 3
]]> 4.26 2024
author: Kate Quinn
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/13
date added: 2024/06/18
shelves:
review:
First of all, I LOVE Kate Quinn. I’ve read The Rose Code and The Diamond Eye, and I always recommend her for historical fiction fans…But this one was not for me. However, I do think it will be a hit for plenty of people.


]]> 213940203 380 Sophie Sinclair Kaley 5 4.18
author: Sophie Sinclair
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.18
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/07
date added: 2024/06/14
shelves:
review:
4.5 stars. Lost in Tuscany is the perfect summer escape! If I ever travel to Italy, I’ll be going on the night of San Lorenzo because it sounds so magical
]]> 198264654 A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris in this new edge-of-your-seat thriller from USA Today bestselling author, Kimberly Belle.

When Stella met Adam, she thought she had finally found a nice, normal guy—a welcome change from her previous boyfriend and her precarious jetsetter lifestyle with him. But her secure world comes crashing down when Adam goes missing after an explosion in the city square. Unable to reach him, she panics.

As the French police investigate, it’s revealed that Adam was on their radar as a dealer of rare and stolen antiquities with a long roster of criminal clients. Reeling from this news, Stella is determined not to leave Paris until she has the full story. Was Adam a random victim or the target of the explosion? And why is someone following her through the streets of Paris?

An irresistible, fast-paced read set in some of Europe’s most inviting locales, The Paris Widow explores how sinister secrets of the past stay with us—no matter how far we travel.]]> 304 Kimberly Belle 0778307972 Kaley 4
I highly recommend going in blind because the beginning will hook you even more if you don’t know what’s coming! Once I started, my mind never stopped trying to figure it all out. Some of it was predictable, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all. There were some bigger things at the end that surprised me, and I REALLY loved how it all wrapped up.

Stella stops at nothing to find out the truth about her husband (while on the run from danger). Who did she really marry?! I could not have done what she did. Along the way, we get a few snippets of Adam’s POV which only adds to the mystery of him.

I highly recommend this cat and mouse thriller!]]> 3.63 2024
author: Kimberly Belle
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/06/12
date added: 2024/06/13
shelves:
review:
Need an entertaining, fast paced read?! Well, look no further because The Paris Widow is just that! It’s loaded with action and secrets, and it would make an excellent movie! The timing when things were revealed was perfect to keep you frantically turning pages!

I highly recommend going in blind because the beginning will hook you even more if you don’t know what’s coming! Once I started, my mind never stopped trying to figure it all out. Some of it was predictable, but it didn’t take away from the enjoyment at all. There were some bigger things at the end that surprised me, and I REALLY loved how it all wrapped up.

Stella stops at nothing to find out the truth about her husband (while on the run from danger). Who did she really marry?! I could not have done what she did. Along the way, we get a few snippets of Adam’s POV which only adds to the mystery of him.

I highly recommend this cat and mouse thriller!
]]> 40045986
Beckett,

If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.

My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.

And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan]]> 426 Rebecca Yarros 1640635335 Kaley 5
It is so beautifully written. I loved her writing in this way more than Fourth Wing or Iron Flame. Yes, it will gut you and destroy you, and remind you life isn’t fair�.but it’s also a love story that is so real and raw.

I was so engrossed with this story, these characters, and the setting. Ella has been dealt a really crappy hand in life, and I admired her strength. Poor Beckett is so broken, but you couldn’t help but fall in love with his determination to prove he was true to his word. Maisie and Colt are some of my favorite kids to read about. Wise beyond their years, and more mature than most adults ]]> 4.43 2019
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/31
date added: 2024/06/05
shelves:
review:
I don’t really know how to review this one. I loved it so much, but I don’t think it’s a book everyone will enjoy. It’s SAD y’all…and I mean tragic…but it’s a story that I’ll always remember.

It is so beautifully written. I loved her writing in this way more than Fourth Wing or Iron Flame. Yes, it will gut you and destroy you, and remind you life isn’t fair�.but it’s also a love story that is so real and raw.

I was so engrossed with this story, these characters, and the setting. Ella has been dealt a really crappy hand in life, and I admired her strength. Poor Beckett is so broken, but you couldn’t help but fall in love with his determination to prove he was true to his word. Maisie and Colt are some of my favorite kids to read about. Wise beyond their years, and more mature than most adults
]]> 195790586 She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.� Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?]]> 336 Katherine Center 1250283809 Kaley 4
Charlie is a very successful but cynical screenwriter who is trying to write a rom-com. Emma is an unsuccessful screenwriter, who is full of sunshine and knows everything there is to know about love on a big screen…so, of course, they end up working together. Their research together made the best scenes!

At first, I wasn’t vibing with Charlie because his grumpiness came off mean. I felt so bad for Emma. BUT THEN…he started showing his softer side and he grew on me. I didn’t agree with all his decisions, but he did have a wonderful grand gesture at the end!

This story had so many sweet moments that will have you smiling and laughing, but also some deeper, heartfelt conversations that will make you feel all the emotions. I loved Emma as a character, and how her family was a big part of the story…and I loved how everything end ]]> 4.06 2024
author: Katherine Center
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/18
date added: 2024/06/04
shelves:
review:
The Rom-Commers is full of love and sacrifices. It’s one that will touch your heart in the best way.

Charlie is a very successful but cynical screenwriter who is trying to write a rom-com. Emma is an unsuccessful screenwriter, who is full of sunshine and knows everything there is to know about love on a big screen…so, of course, they end up working together. Their research together made the best scenes!

At first, I wasn’t vibing with Charlie because his grumpiness came off mean. I felt so bad for Emma. BUT THEN…he started showing his softer side and he grew on me. I didn’t agree with all his decisions, but he did have a wonderful grand gesture at the end!

This story had so many sweet moments that will have you smiling and laughing, but also some deeper, heartfelt conversations that will make you feel all the emotions. I loved Emma as a character, and how her family was a big part of the story…and I loved how everything end
]]> 208912935
Emily Cooper’s life is finally under control. She’s moved on from her cheating ex-fiancé and all the extra hours she’s put in at the advertising agency are paying off. If her team lands this pitch with Imperial, the hottest auto account on the market, a promotion (and the raise she desperately needs) is as good as hers.

Nothing can derail her focus.

Until she meets Matt Davis and sparks immediately fly. Matt recently moved to NYC, ready to prove himself with a new job and pick up the pieces from his failed marriage. Completely out of character Emily decides to celebrate with this charming guy before the pitch kicks off on Monday. After spending an amazing weekend together, Emily’s still smiling when Matt shows up as the lead for the other team pitching Imperial. They both need this win. They both want each other. Will they battle to the bitter end or will they realize they’re fighting for so much more?

Read if you like: Cinnamon roll heroes, loyal girl gangs, flirty text banter, he falls first, workplace romance, NYC setting, only one bed, dad jokes and sexy forearms.]]> Ali Curtis Kaley 4
This book was right up my alley. I love a good workplace rivals with some competition. I usually don’t like one night stands, but theirs set us up for some excellent workplace tension and flirty banter ]]> 4.07
author: Ali Curtis
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/28
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves:
review:
@thevoiceoftimpaige and @kelseynavfoster did a fantastic job with the audiobook! I love having dual narrators, and this one was so easy to escape into!

This book was right up my alley. I love a good workplace rivals with some competition. I usually don’t like one night stands, but theirs set us up for some excellent workplace tension and flirty banter
]]> 58724990 384 D.J. Palmer 1250267889 Kaley 4
I can’t tell you how many times I changed my theory, and I was only right about one small thing. This book kept me guessing until the end, and although I was just a tad bit dissatisfied with one of the outcomes, I enjoyed everything else!

This book will grip you as you try and unravel the family secrets. Plenty of action to keep you entertained, but also some slower parts for you to learn some backstory. I definitely recommend this one.]]> 3.84 2022
author: D.J. Palmer
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/06
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves:
review:
This is an excellent cat & mouse thriller that will keep you on your toes! The writing was so well done that I kept wanting to root for everyone in some way (even the potential villains)!

I can’t tell you how many times I changed my theory, and I was only right about one small thing. This book kept me guessing until the end, and although I was just a tad bit dissatisfied with one of the outcomes, I enjoyed everything else!

This book will grip you as you try and unravel the family secrets. Plenty of action to keep you entertained, but also some slower parts for you to learn some backstory. I definitely recommend this one.
]]> 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 Kaley 3
Don’t come at me for this rating ]]> 4.21 2024
author: Emily Henry
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/17
shelves:
review:
Thank you @prhaudio for my complimentary copy!

Don’t come at me for this rating
]]> 28187230 341 Ruth Ware 1501132938 Kaley 4
I actually listened to this one, and it’s the one where I got scared at the beginning and couldn’t listen at night ]]> 3.73 2016
author: Ruth Ware
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/28
date added: 2024/05/14
shelves:
review:
This was a great locked-room mystery! I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of a cruise ship that was trying to take passengers to see the Northern Lights!

I actually listened to this one, and it’s the one where I got scared at the beginning and couldn’t listen at night
]]> 195790899
Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like...

Filled with spicy summer fun, small-town charm, and Big Feelings, this highly anticipated romcom is Tarah DeWitt’s best yet.]]> 336 Tarah DeWitt 1250329426 Kaley 4 3.87 2024
author: Tarah DeWitt
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/28
date added: 2024/05/07
shelves:
review:
3.5 stars - This is one of those books that’s fun and entertaining while you read it, but will most likely forget in a month
]]> 195820807
Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?]]> 432 Abby Jimenez 1538704439 Kaley 4
I loved Justin and Emma’s meet-cute. I was laughing and smiling the whole time they were getting to know each other. I loved how honest they were with each other and the inside jokes they shared!

They each had completely different issues with their mothers, and sometimes I felt like their inner dialogue was repetitive as they got lost in their grief. But Justin’s mother did bring on my favorite scene with a baby trash panda ]]> 4.35 2024
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/20
date added: 2024/05/02
shelves:
review:
While this wasn’t my favorite Abby Jimenez book, there was still lots to love about it, and there were some great messages that really resonated with me.

I loved Justin and Emma’s meet-cute. I was laughing and smiling the whole time they were getting to know each other. I loved how honest they were with each other and the inside jokes they shared!

They each had completely different issues with their mothers, and sometimes I felt like their inner dialogue was repetitive as they got lost in their grief. But Justin’s mother did bring on my favorite scene with a baby trash panda
]]> 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 can’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 Kaley 5 4.07 2024
author: Amy Tintera
name: Kaley
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/19
date added: 2024/04/28
shelves:
review:
Well, hello to my new favorite audiobook so far this year! This audio was SO well done!
]]> 195790849 Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

All that bestselling author Eleanor Dash wants is to get through her book tour in Italy and kill off her main character, Connor Smith, in the next in her Vacation Mysteries series―is that too much to ask?

Clearly, because when an attempt is made on the real Connor’s life―the handsome but infuriating con man she got mixed up with ten years ago and now can't get out of her life―Eleanor’s enlisted to help solve the case.

Contending with literary rivals, rabid fans, a stalker―and even her ex, Oliver, who turns up unexpectedly―theories are bandied about, and rivalries, rifts, and broken hearts are revealed. But who’s really trying to get away with murder?

Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies is the irresistible and hilarious series debut from Catherine Mack, introducing bestselling fictional author Eleanor Dash on her Italian book tour that turns into a real-life murder mystery, as her life starts to imitate the world in her books.]]> 342 Catherine Mack 1250325854 Kaley 1 3.47 2024
author: Catherine Mack
name: Kaley
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2024
rating: 1
read at: 2024/04/19
date added: 2024/04/19
shelves:
review:
I made it to 52% and called it quits. The dialogue was mediocre, and the story was going in circles. The plot had potential, but it would have been better as a "locked room" mystery with the murder happening at the beginning. The characters had no development and they were unlikable. There were also WAY too many footnotes. The author said you can skip them, but I didn't want to potentially miss anything. They did not add anything to the story, and it was just annoying having to go back and forth on my kindle for them. Hopefully they will be at the bottom of the page in the physical copy.
]]>