lea (semi-hiatus)'s bookshelf: all en-US Sun, 13 Apr 2025 06:13:13 -0700 60 lea (semi-hiatus)'s bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Boom 13149467 Boom, where civil servants wake the dead, corpses are terrified of cremation, old women are besieged in their homes, and Ah Bengs still dream of being Superman. Boom tells the story of an elderly woman and her property agent son in Singapore, who are struggling over the potential en bloc sale of their home. Their destinies become interwoven with that of an idealistic civil servant, Jeremiah, who is facing the greatest challenge of his career—persuading a reluctant corpse to yield its memories. Boom is a quirky yet poignant tale about the relocation of both dead and living, and how personal stories get left behind in the inexorable march of progress.

Written by economist-turned-playwright Jean Tay, Boom was conceptualised at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2007, and developed and staged by the Singapore Repertory Theatre in September 2008. It was nominated for Best Original Script for The Straits Times� Life! Theatre Awards in 2009 and is now an O- and N-Level Literature text in Singapore schools.

“Jean Tay is one of the most gifted playwrights I have come across in years.� —Gaurav Kripalani, Artistic Director, Singapore Repertory Theatre]]> 128 Jean Tay lea (semi-hiatus) 0 school 3.74 2009 Boom
author: Jean Tay
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: school
review:

]]> A Hundred Flowers 13513190
China, 1957. Chairman Mao has declared a new openness in society: “Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend.� Many intellectuals fear it is only a trick, and Kai Ying’s husband, Sheng, a teacher, has promised not to jeopardize their safety or that of their young son, Tao. But one July morning, just before his sixth birthday, Tao watches helplessly as Sheng is dragged away for writing a letter criticizing the Communist Party and sent to a labor camp for “reeducation.�

A year later, still missing his father desperately, Tao climbs to the top of the hundred-year-old kapok tree in front of their home, wanting to see the mountain peaks in the distance. But Tao slips and tumbles thirty feet to the courtyard below, badly breaking his leg.

As Kai Ying struggles to hold her small family together in the face of this shattering reminder of her husband’s absence, other members of the household must face their own guilty secrets and strive to find peace in a world where the old sense of order is falling. Once again, Tsukiyama brings us a powerfully moving story of ordinary people facing extraordinary circumstances with grace and courage.]]> 288 Gail Tsukiyama 0312274815 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 school, to-read 3.75 2012 A Hundred Flowers
author: Gail Tsukiyama
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: school, to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dungeons and Drama (Dungeons and Drama, #1)]]> 160047094
Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...]]> 304 Kristy Boyce 0593647017 lea (semi-hiatus) 2 buddy-read, 2-stars, 2025 2 stars �

i usually start off my reviews with a quote i liked from the book but i didn't like any soo... no quote i guess. throughout this review, i will, however, share quotes that made me want to throw my kobo on the floor and stomp on it until it breaks with a satisfying 'crack' ☺️ let's start the rant.

firstly, i was soo excited to read this book because of THE COVER. isn't it the cutest thing ever?? the cover reminded me of the vibes from better than the movies by lynn painter, my favourite ya romance book ever which is why this book has been sitting on my tbr for the longest time! ]]> 4.14 2024 Dungeons and Drama (Dungeons and Drama, #1)
author: Kristy Boyce
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: buddy-read, 2-stars, 2025
review:
� 2 stars �

i usually start off my reviews with a quote i liked from the book but i didn't like any soo... no quote i guess. throughout this review, i will, however, share quotes that made me want to throw my kobo on the floor and stomp on it until it breaks with a satisfying 'crack' ☺️ let's start the rant.

firstly, i was soo excited to read this book because of THE COVER. isn't it the cutest thing ever?? the cover reminded me of the vibes from better than the movies by lynn painter, my favourite ya romance book ever which is why this book has been sitting on my tbr for the longest time!
]]> Carrie Soto Is Back 60435878 Carrie Soto is fierce, and her determination to win at any cost has not made her popular.

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

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

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

In spite of it all: Carrie Soto is back, for one epic final season. In this riveting and unforgettable novel, Taylor Jenkins Reid tells a story about the cost of greatness and a legendary athlete attempting a comeback.]]> 384 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158687 lea (semi-hiatus) 5 6 stars �

"I am no longer the greatest tennis player in the world.
For the first time in my life, I can be…something else."

]]> 4.19 2022 Carrie Soto Is Back
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/17
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: locked-up-in-a-safe-in-my-heart, book-boyfriends, 2025
review:
� 6 stars �

"I am no longer the greatest tennis player in the world.
For the first time in my life, I can be…something else."


]]> This Time It's Real 60759266 massive secret to keep.

Eliza made her essay up. She’s never been in a relationship before, let alone in love. All good writing is lying, right?

Desperate to hide the truth, Eliza strikes a deal with the famous actor in her class, the charming but aloof Caz Song. She’ll help him write his college applications if he poses as her boyfriend. Caz is a dream boyfriend -- he passes handwritten notes to her in class, makes her little sister laugh, and takes her out on motorcycle rides to the best snack stalls around the city.

But when her relationship with Caz starts feeling a little too convincing, all of Eliza’s carefully laid plans are threatened. Can she still follow her dreams if it means breaking her own heart?

Get ready to fall in love in this hilarious romcom about a girl who begins a fake relationship with the famous actor in her class, perfect for fans of Meg Cabot and Jenny Han.]]> 352 Ann Liang 1338827111 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.03 2023 This Time It's Real
author: Ann Liang
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo]]> 32620332
Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career.

Summoned to Evelyn’s luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the �80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn’s story nears its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique’s own in tragic and irreversible ways.]]> 389 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1501139231 lea (semi-hiatus) 4
pre-read ]]> 4.39 2017 The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: buddy-read, 2025, 4-stars, rtc
review:
rtc <3

pre-read
]]> <![CDATA[The Naturals (The Naturals, #1)]]> 62949648
Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But, it's not a skill that she's ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come they've begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.

What Cassie doesn't realize is that there's more at risk than a few unsolved homicides—especially when she's sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own. Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms close. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.

Jennifer Lynn Barnes's The Naturals is a gripping novel with killer appeal and a to-die-for romance. Don't miss the other books in the Naturals Killer Instinct , All In , and Bad Blood .
]]> 311 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316540625 lea (semi-hiatus) 3 2025, 3-and-a-half-stars 3.5 stars �

I looked at Dean, and suddenly, I could breathe.

ok firstly this was way scarier than the inheritance games]]> 4.19 2013 The Naturals (The Naturals, #1)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: 2025, 3-and-a-half-stars
review:
� 3.5 stars �

I looked at Dean, and suddenly, I could breathe.

ok firstly this was way scarier than the inheritance games
]]> <![CDATA[The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1)]]> 53063341 She came from nothing.

Avery has a plan: keep her head down, work hard for a better future. Then an eccentric billionaire dies, leaving her almost his entire fortune. And no one, least of all Avery, knows why.

They had everything.

Now she must move into the mansion she's inherited. It's filled with secrets and codes, and the old man's surviving relatives - a family hell-bent on discovering why Avery got 'their' money.

Now there's only one rule: winner takes all.

Soon she is caught in a deadly game that everyone in this strange family is playing. But just how far will they go to keep their fortune?

An utterly addictive and twisty thriller, full of dark family secrets and deadly stakes. Perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.]]> 372 Jennifer Lynn Barnes lea (semi-hiatus) 4 2025, 4-stars 4 stars �

You don't have to kiss me. You don't even have to like me, Heiress, but please don't make me do this alone.

sorry for the super late full review guys, life has been so busy and hectic lately, i keep trying to grasp at pockets of time so i can read~! ]]> 4.11 2020 The Inheritance Games (The Inheritance Games, #1)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: 2025, 4-stars
review:
� 4 stars �

You don't have to kiss me. You don't even have to like me, Heiress, but please don't make me do this alone.

sorry for the super late full review guys, life has been so busy and hectic lately, i keep trying to grasp at pockets of time so i can read~!
]]> <![CDATA[The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1)]]> 42201431
Olive braces herself to get through 24 hours of wedding hell before she can return to her comfortable, unlucky life. But when the entire wedding party gets food poisoning from eating bad shellfish, the only people who aren’t affected are Olive and Ethan. And now there’s an all-expenses-paid honeymoon in Hawaii up for grabs.

Putting their mutual hatred aside for the sake of a free vacation, Olive and Ethan head for paradise, determined to avoid each other at all costs. But when Olive runs into her future boss, the little white lie she tells him is suddenly at risk to become a whole lot bigger. She and Ethan now have to pretend to be loving newlyweds, and her luck seems worse than ever. But the weird thing is that she doesn’t mind playing pretend. In fact, she feels kind of... lucky.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781501128035.]]> 432 Christina Lauren 1501128035 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 buddy-read, currently-reading <b>pre-read</b> 3.88 2019 The Unhoneymooners (Unhoneymooners, #1)
author: Christina Lauren
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: buddy-read, currently-reading
review:
pre-read
]]> Full Tilt (Full Tilt, #1) 30372977 I would love you forever, if I only had the chance...

Kacey Dawson has always lived life on the edge--impulsively, sometimes recklessly. And now, as lead guitarist for a hot up-and-coming band, she is poised at the brink of fame and fortune. But she is torn between wanting to be a serious musician, and the demons that lure her down the glittering, but alcohol-soaked path of rock stardom. A wrecked concert in Las Vegas threatens to ruin her career entirely. She wakes up with the hangover from hell and no memory of the night before, or how she ended up on her limo driver’s couch...

Jonah Fletcher is running out of time. He knows his situation is hopeless, and he's vowed to make the most of the handful of months he has left to him. His plans include seeing the opening of his glass installation at a prestigious art gallery…they do not include falling in love with a wild, tempestuous rock musician who wound up passed out on his couch.

Jonah sees that Kacey is on a path to self-destruction. He lets her crash with him for a few days to dry out and get her head on straight. But neither of them expected the deep connection they felt, or how that connection could grow so fast from friendship into something more. Something deep and pure and life-changing…something as fragile as glass, that they both know will shatter in the end no matter how hard they try to hold on to it.


Full Tilt is a story about what it means to love with your whole heart, to sacrifice, to experience terrible grief and soaring joy. To live life with all its beauty, and all its pain, and in the end to be able to smile through tears and know you wouldn’t have changed a thing.]]> 292 Emma Scott lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.34 2016 Full Tilt (Full Tilt, #1)
author: Emma Scott
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> If I Never Met You 51213487 If faking love is this easy... how do you know when it’s real?

When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see himevery day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and the thought of dating again in the age of Tinder is nothing short of horrifying. When news of her ex’s pregnant girlfriend hits the office grapevine, taking the humiliation lying down is not an option. Then a chance encounter in a broken-down elevator with the office playboy opens up a new possibility.

Jamie Carter doesn’t believe in love, but he needs a respectable, steady girlfriend to impress their bosses. Laurie wants a hot new man to give the rumor mill something else to talk about. It’s the perfect proposition: a fauxmance played out on social media, with strategically staged photographs and a specific end date in mind. With the plan hatched, Laurie and Jamie begin to flaunt their new couple status, to the astonishment—and jealousy—of their friends and colleagues. But there’s a fine line between pretending to be in love andactuallyfallingfor your charming, handsome fake boyfriend...]]> 409 Mhairi McFarlane 006295850X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, buddy-read 3.75 2020 If I Never Met You
author: Mhairi McFarlane
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read, buddy-read
review:

]]> Mile High (Windy City, #1) 60909831
Chicago hockey isn't complete without me - everyone's favourite player to hate. I know my role, and I play it well. In fact, I thoroughly enjoy spending the majority of my game time in the penalty box before leaving the arena with a new girl on my arm each night.

What I don't like is the new flight attendant on our team's private plane. She works for me, not the other way around. But I'll be sure to remind her of that, and I can guarantee, by the end of the season, she'll be begging to quit her job.

But every road trip blurs the lines, and I can't quite figure out if I keep pushing that flight attendant call button in order to push her buttons, or if it's more than that.

STEVIE

I've been a flight attendant for years. I thought I'd seen it all, but when my new job lands me onboard working for the most egotistical and self-righteous diva in the NHL, I start to second guess everything. Including the promise I made to myself of never hooking up with an athlete again . . . no matter how annoyingly tempting he may be.

Evan Zanders is unfiltered, unapologetic, and too attractive for his own good. He loves his image, but I hate everything about it.

Everything but him.]]> 603 Liz Tomforde lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.98 2022 Mile High (Windy City, #1)
author: Liz Tomforde
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Hating Game 27213238 Nemesis (n.)
1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome;
2) A person’s undoing;
3) Joshua Templeman.
Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman hate each other. Not dislike. Not begrudgingly tolerate. Hate. And they have no problem displaying their feelings through a series of ritualistic passive aggressive maneuvers as they sit across from each other, executive assistants to co-CEOs of a publishing company. Lucy can’t understand Joshua’s joyless, uptight, meticulous approach to his job. Joshua is clearly baffled by Lucy’s overly bright clothes, quirkiness, and Pollyanna attitude.

Now up for the same promotion, their battle of wills has come to a head and Lucy refuses to back down when their latest game could cost her her dream job…But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has also reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she doesn’t hate Joshua. And maybe, he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game.]]> 365 Sally Thorne lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.72 2016 The Hating Game
author: Sally Thorne
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Addicted to You (Addicted, #1)]]> 55475442 Fans of Gossip Girl, Friends, and Euphoria will devour this edgy new adult romance set in a world of lust, fame, swoon-worthy men, and friendships that run deeper than blood.

She’s addicted to sex. He’s addicted to booze…the only way out is rock bottom.

No one would suspect shy Lily Calloway’s biggest secret. While everyone is dancing at college bars, Lily stays in the bathroom. To get laid. Her compulsion leads her to one-night stands, steamy hookups and events she shamefully regrets. The only person who knows her secret happens to have one of his own.

Loren Hale’s best friend is his bottle of bourbon. Lily comes at a close second. For three years, they’ve pretended to be in a real relationship, hiding their addictions from their families. They’ve mastered the art of concealing flasks and random guys that filter in and out of their apartment.

But as they sink beneath the weight of their addictions, they cling harder to their destructive relationship and wonder if a life together, for real, is better than a lie. Strangers and family begin to infiltrate their guarded lives, and with new challenges, they realize they may not just be addicted to alcohol and sex.

Their real vice may be each other.

New Adult Romance recommended for readers 18+ for mature content]]> 335 Krista Ritchie lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.69 2013 Addicted to You (Addicted, #1)
author: Krista Ritchie
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Funny Story 194802722 A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

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

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

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

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex... right?]]> 400 Emily Henry lea (semi-hiatus) 3 4.21 2024 Funny Story
author: Emily Henry
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: buddy-read, 2025, rtc, 3-and-a-half-stars
review:
this was better than expected... rtc~!
]]> <![CDATA[When in Rome (When in Rome, #1)]]> 60092579 Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her "princess of pop" image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn't have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He's too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she's on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she's Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can't help but get close to her. Soon she'll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she's been missing, and she'll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can't resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.]]> 320 Sarah Adams 0593500784 lea (semi-hiatus) 3 2025, rtc, 3-and-a-half-stars 3.5 stars �

"And I realise in this moment, I’d do just about anything to make her laugh."

it started out slow but in the end it was sooo good!! rtc <3

pre-read ]]> 3.88 2022 When in Rome (When in Rome, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: 2025, rtc, 3-and-a-half-stars
review:
� 3.5 stars �

"And I realise in this moment, I’d do just about anything to make her laugh."

it started out slow but in the end it was sooo good!! rtc <3

pre-read
]]> <![CDATA[The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3)]]> 58658940 Avery’s fortune, life, and loves are on the line in the game that everyone will be talking about.

To inherit billions, all Avery Kylie Grambs has to do is survive a few more weeks living in Hawthorne House. The paparazzi are dogging her every step. Financial pressures are building. Danger is a fact of life. And the only thing getting Avery through it all is the Hawthorne brothers. Her life is intertwined with theirs. She knows their secrets and they know her.

But as the clock ticks down to the moment when Avery will become the richest teenager on the planet, trouble arrives in the form of a visitor who needs her help—and whose presence in Hawthorne House could change everything. It soon becomes clear that there is one last puzzle to solve, and Avery and the Hawthorne brothers are drawn into a dangerous game against an unknown and powerful player.]]> 400 Jennifer Lynn Barnes lea (semi-hiatus) 3 2025, 3-and-a-half-stars, rtc 3.5 stars �

“Sometimes you have an idea of a person � about who they are, about what you'd be like together. But sometimes that's all that it is: an idea. And for so long, I have been afraid that I loved the idea of Emily more than I will ever be capable of loving anyone real.�

He looked at me like the act of doing so was painful and sweet. “It was never just the idea of you, Avery.�

rtc~! definitely not my favourite from the series (might be my least favourite ]]> 4.10 2022 The Final Gambit (The Inheritance Games, #3)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/10
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: 2025, 3-and-a-half-stars, rtc
review:
� 3.5 stars �

“Sometimes you have an idea of a person � about who they are, about what you'd be like together. But sometimes that's all that it is: an idea. And for so long, I have been afraid that I loved the idea of Emily more than I will ever be capable of loving anyone real.�

He looked at me like the act of doing so was painful and sweet. “It was never just the idea of you, Avery.�

rtc~! definitely not my favourite from the series (might be my least favourite
]]> <![CDATA[Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2)]]> 209997824 From the author of the nationally bestselling Dungeons and Drama comes another gaming romance that's sure to win you over!

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign� this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!]]> Kristy Boyce lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.02 2024 Dating and Dragons (Dungeons and Drama, #2)
author: Kristy Boyce
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Kulti 24044596
When the man you worshipped as a kid becomes your coach, it’s supposed to be the greatest thing in the world. Keywords: supposed to.

It didn't take a week for 27-year-old Sal Casillas to wonder what she'd seen in the international soccer icon - why she'd ever had his posters on her wall or ever envisioned marrying him and having super-playing soccer babies.

Sal had long ago gotten over the worst non-break-up in the history of imaginary relationships with a man who hadn't known she'd existed. So she isn't prepared for this version of Reiner Kulti who shows up to her team's season: a quiet, reclusive shadow of the explosive, passionate man he'd once been.]]> 570 Mariana Zapata lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.22 2015 Kulti
author: Mariana Zapata
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (The Wicked Years, #0)]]> 199743711
Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, will grow to have a feisty and somewhat uncompromising character in adult life. But she is always a one-off, from her infancy; Elphie is the riveting coming-of-age story of a very peculiar and relatable young girl.

Young Elphie is shaped and molded by the behaviors of her promiscuous mother, Melena, and her pious father, Frex. She suffers ordinary childhood jealousies when her sister, saintly Nessarose, and brother, junior felon Shell, arrive. She first encounters the mistreatment of the Animal populations of Oz, which live adjacent to but not intertwined with human settlements, haunted by a Monkey and receiving aid from Dwarf Bears. She thrashes through her first bruising attempts at friendship, a possible lifeline from her tricky family life. And she gleans the benefits of an education, haphazard though it must be—until she arrives at the doors of Shiz University, about to meet the radiant creature that is Galinda.

Elphie is destined to be a witch; she bears the markings from childhood—most evidently in her green skin but more obscurely and profoundly in her cunning and perhaps amoral behaviors, as she seeks to make do, to slip by, to sneak out, to endure, and to aspire.]]> 288 Gregory Maguire 0063377012 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.15 Elphie: A Wicked Childhood (The Wicked Years, #0)
author: Gregory Maguire
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.15
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)]]> 219527732 An alternative cover edition for this ASIN can be found here

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.]]> 420 Caroline Peckham lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.97 2019 The Awakening (Zodiac Academy, #1)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Notebook (The Notebook, #1)]]> 33648131
Like a puzzle within a puzzle, the story of Noah and Allie is just the beginning. As it unfolds, their tale miraculously becomes something different, with much higher stakes. The result is a deeply moving portrait of love itself, the tender moments and the fundamental changes that affect us all. It is a story of miracles and emotions that will stay with you forever.]]> 227 Nicholas Sparks lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.32 1996 The Notebook (The Notebook, #1)
author: Nicholas Sparks
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.32
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Malibu Rising 55404546 Four famous siblings throw an epic party to celebrate the end of the summer. But over the course of twenty-four hours, their lives will change forever.

Malibu: August, 1983. It’s the day of Nina Riva’s annual end-of-summer party, and anticipation is at a fever pitch. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, the talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their adored baby sister, Kit. Together, the siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over—especially as the offspring of the legendary singer, Mick Riva.

The only person not looking forward to the party of the year is Nina herself, who never wanted to be the center of attention, and who has also just been very publicly abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Oh, and maybe Hud—because it is long past time to confess something to the brother from whom he’s been inseparable since birth.

Jay, on the other hand, is counting the minutes until nightfall, when the girl he can’t stop thinking about promised she’ll be there.

And Kit has a couple secrets of her own—including a guest she invited without consulting anyone.

By midnight the party will be completely out of control. By morning, the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. But before that first spark in the early hours before dawn, the alcohol will flow, the music will play, and the loves and secrets that shaped this family’s generations will all come bubbling to the surface.

Malibu Rising is a story about one unforgettable night in the life of a family: the night they each have to choose what they will keep from the people who made them... and what they will leave behind.]]> 369 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1524798657 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, buddy-read 4.02 2021 Malibu Rising
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read, buddy-read
review:

]]> Atmosphere 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 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.45 2025 Atmosphere
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:
i will eat up anything tjr serves me atp omg
]]> <![CDATA[Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)]]> 214333691 When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.]]> 400 Suzanne Collins 1546171479 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.71 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping (The Hunger Games, #0.5)
author: Suzanne Collins
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Man Called Ove 22948207 All you need is Ove.

At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet, a curmudgeon with staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People think him bitter, and he thinks himself surrounded by idiots.

Ove's well-ordered, solitary world gets a shake-up one November morning with the appearance of new neighbors, a chatty young couple and their two boisterous daughters, who announce their arrival by accidentally flattening Ove’s mailbox with their U-Haul. What follows is a heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unlikely friendships, and a community's unexpected reassessment of the one person they thought they had all figured out.

A word-of-mouth bestseller that has caused a sensation across Europe, Fredrik Backman's irresistible novel about the angry old man next door is an uplifting exploration of the unreliability of first impressions and a gentle reminder that life is sweeter when it is shared with other people.

Ove is all you need.]]> 337 Fredrik Backman 1476738025 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, physical-library 4.39 2012 A Man Called Ove
author: Fredrik Backman
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read, physical-library
review:

]]> Love and Other Words 36206591 The story of the heart can never be unwritten.

Macy Sorensen is settling into an ambitious if emotionally tepid routine: work hard as a new pediatrics resident, plan her wedding to an older, financially secure man, keep her head down and heart tucked away.

But when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos—the first and only love of her life—the careful bubble she’s constructed begins to dissolve. Once upon a time, Elliot was Macy’s entire world—growing from her gangly bookish friend into the man who coaxed her heart open again after the loss of her mother...only to break it on the very night he declared his love for her.

Told in alternating timelines between Then and Now, teenage Elliot and Macy grow from friends to much more—spending weekends and lazy summers together in a house outside of San Francisco devouring books, sharing favorite words, and talking through their growing pains and triumphs. As adults, they have become strangers to one another until their chance reunion. Although their memories are obscured by the agony of what happened that night so many years ago, Elliot will come to understand the truth behind Macy’s decade-long silence, and will have to overcome the past and himself to revive her faith in the possibility of an all-consuming love.

Love, loss, friendship, and the betrayals of the past all collide in this first fiction novel from New York Times and #1 international bestselling author Christina Lauren (Autoboyography, Dating You / Hating You).]]> 432 Christina Lauren 1501190539 lea (semi-hiatus) 2 2025, 2-and-a-half-stars 2.5 stars � (₊⊹⁀� some spoilers - scroll with caution!)

“Favorite word?� he whispers.
I don’t even hesitate: �You.�

Love and Other Words is told in alternating timelines ('Then' and 'Now') and follows Macy Lea Sorensen (a wonderful middle name, if i may say so myself]]> 4.23 2018 Love and Other Words
author: Christina Lauren
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves: 2025, 2-and-a-half-stars
review:
� 2.5 stars � (₊⊹⁀� some spoilers - scroll with caution!)

“Favorite word?� he whispers.
I don’t even hesitate: �You.�

Love and Other Words is told in alternating timelines ('Then' and 'Now') and follows Macy Lea Sorensen (a wonderful middle name, if i may say so myself
]]> <![CDATA[The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue]]> 50623864
Thus begins the extraordinary life of Addie LaRue, and a dazzling adventure that will play out across centuries and continents, across history and art, as a young woman learns how far she will go to leave her mark on the world.

But everything changes when, after nearly 300 years, Addie stumbles across a young man in a hidden bookstore and he remembers her name.]]> 448 Victoria E. Schwab 0765387565 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.16 2020 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
author: Victoria E. Schwab
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)]]> 55710822 In this rom-com about rom-coms, in the spirit of Kasie West and Jenn Bennett, a hopeless romantic teen attempts to secure a happily-ever-after moment with her forever crush, but finds herself reluctantly drawn to the boy next door.

Perpetual daydreamer Liz Buxbaum gave her heart to Michael a long time ago. But her cool, aloof forever crush never really saw her before he moved away. Now that he’s back in town, Liz will do whatever it takes to get on his radar - and maybe snag him as a prom date - even befriend Wes Bennet.

The annoyingly attractive next-door neighbor might seem like a prime candidate for romantic-comedy fantasies, but Wes has only been a pain in Liz’s butt since they were kids. Pranks involving frogs and decapitated lawn gnomes do not a potential boyfriend make. Yet, somehow, Wes and Michael are hitting it off, which means Wes is Liz’s in.

But as Liz and Wes scheme to get Liz noticed by Michael so she can have her magical prom moment, she’s shocked to discover that she likes being around Wes. And as they continue to grow closer, she must reexamine everything she thought she knew about love - and rethink her own ideas of what happily ever after should look like.]]> 356 Lynn Painter 1534467629 lea (semi-hiatus) 5 5 stars �

"She's not you."
"What?"
"She. Isn't. You."

Better than the Movies follows Liz Buxbaum, whose 'forever crush', Michael, has finally returned to their hometown. However, he still sees her as 'Little Liz', the nice little weirdo. In order to change his perception of her and to show that she has changed, she has to befriend her annoying next-door neighbour, Wes Bennett, for help. Slowly, the more time she spends with Wes, the more she starts to realise that she might be falling for Wes instead.

First 5-star read of 2025!! This book was so adorable, if it was a puppy, I would be pinching its cheeks and patting it non-stop! ]]> 4.28 2021 Better Than the Movies (Better Than the Movies, #1)
author: Lynn Painter
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: 2025, 5-stars, book-boyfriends
review:
� 5 stars �

"She's not you."
"What?"
"She. Isn't. You."

Better than the Movies follows Liz Buxbaum, whose 'forever crush', Michael, has finally returned to their hometown. However, he still sees her as 'Little Liz', the nice little weirdo. In order to change his perception of her and to show that she has changed, she has to befriend her annoying next-door neighbour, Wes Bennett, for help. Slowly, the more time she spends with Wes, the more she starts to realise that she might be falling for Wes instead.

First 5-star read of 2025!! This book was so adorable, if it was a puppy, I would be pinching its cheeks and patting it non-stop!
]]> <![CDATA[Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, #1)]]> 37834723 Alternative cover edition of ISBN13: 9780805094596.

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.]]> 358 Leigh Bardugo 0805094598 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.86 2012 Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone, #1)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Today Tonight Tomorrow (Rowan & Neil, #1)]]> 52766407 The Hating Game meets Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist by way of Morgan Matson in this unforgettable romantic comedy about two rival overachievers whose relationship completely transforms over the course of twenty-four hours.

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow � maybe she’s already fallen for him.]]> 364 Rachel Lynn Solomon 1534440240 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.04 2020 Today Tonight Tomorrow (Rowan & Neil, #1)
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow]]> 57390604
Now Salama volunteers at a hospital in Homs, helping the wounded who flood through the doors daily. Secretly, though, she is desperate to find a way out of her beloved country before her sister-in-law, Layla, gives birth. So desperate, that she has manifested a physical embodiment of her fear in the form of her imagined companion, Khawf, who haunts her every move in an effort to keep her safe.

But even with Khawf pressing her to leave, Salama is torn between her loyalty to her country and her conviction to survive. Salama must contend with bullets and bombs, military assaults, and her shifting sense of morality before she might finally breathe free. And when she crosses paths with the boy she was supposed to meet one fateful day, she starts to doubt her resolve in leaving home at all.

Soon, Salama must learn to see the events around her for what they truly are—not a war, but a revolution—and decide how she, too, will cry for Syria’s freedom.]]> 417 Zoulfa Katouh 0316351377 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.48 2022 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow
author: Zoulfa Katouh
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 126918690
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 Heartless Hunter is the thrilling start to The Crimson Moth duology, a romantic fantasy series where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch...is falling in love.]]> 411 Kristen Ciccarelli 125086691X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.29 2024 Heartless Hunter (Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 2025 on ŷ 216825549 2025 on ŷ should make an interesting and varied catalogue of books to inspire other readers in 2026.

For those of you who don't like to add titles you haven't actually 'read', you can place 2025 on ŷ on an 'exclusive' shelf. Exclusive shelves don't have to be listed under 'to read', 'currently reading' or 'read'. To create one, go to 'edit bookshelves' on your 'My Books' page, create a shelf name such as 'review-of-the year' and tick the 'exclusive' box. Your previous and future 'reviews of the year' can be collected together on this dedicated shelf.

Concept created by Fionnuala Lirsdottir.
Description: Fionnuala Lirsdottir
Cover art: Paul Cézanne, Vase of Flowers and Apples, 1889-1890
Cover choice and graphics by Jayson]]> Various lea (semi-hiatus) 0 ✧˖�. <u></u> 4.71 2025 2025 on ŷ
author: Various
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: year-in-review, currently-reading
review:
✧˖�.
]]> <![CDATA[The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)]]> 58416952 At the elite Catenan Academy, a young fugitive uncovers layered mysteries and world-changing secrets in this new fantasy series by internationally bestselling author of The Licanius Trilogy, James Islington.

AUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic � the Hierarchy � may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus � what they call Will � to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.

I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me.]]> 639 James Islington 1982141190 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.61 2023 The Will of the Many (Hierarchy, #1)
author: James Islington
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.61
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Invisible Man 56347343
Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket-sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful books make perfect gifts or a treat for any book lover.

A mysterious stranger arrives at a rural Sussex inn on a cold winter’s night with his face obscured by bandages and his body cloaked in a long, heavy coat. He locks himself in his room and spends his stay labouring over chemicals in intricate glass bottles. The villagers, bewildered by what lurks under the bandages, could never be prepared for the terrible that the man is a scientist who has rendered himself invisible and is desperately struggling to find an antidote. He flees to the rugged, cliff-lined coast, where, under the pressure of isolation and pursued by police and an angry mob, he is intent on murderous revenge.]]> 182 H.G. Wells 152906905X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, physical-library 3.79 1897 The Invisible Man
author: H.G. Wells
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1897
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: to-read, physical-library
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry]]> 18293427
A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.]]> 260 Gabrielle Zevin 1616203218 lea (semi-hiatus) 5 2024, 5-stars 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

We aren’t the things we collect, acquire, read. We are, for as long as we are here, only love. The things we loved. The people we loved. And these, I think these really do live on.
Do you know how you see people on the streets nowadays, usually glued to their phones? That was me but with this book. In the current fast-paced technological era, where electronic devices are exceptionally addictive, I was pleasantly surprised that I was not urged to peel my eyes away from this book! Remarkably written with all the components of a great book: humorous, poignant and hopeful.

A heartwarming book that will forever be remembered and kept safe in my heart, I highly recommend everyone to read it! I'm excited to read more of Ms Gabrielle Zevin's books and sob even harder!]]> 4.00 2014 The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: 2024, 5-stars
review:
5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

We aren’t the things we collect, acquire, read. We are, for as long as we are here, only love. The things we loved. The people we loved. And these, I think these really do live on.
Do you know how you see people on the streets nowadays, usually glued to their phones? That was me but with this book. In the current fast-paced technological era, where electronic devices are exceptionally addictive, I was pleasantly surprised that I was not urged to peel my eyes away from this book! Remarkably written with all the components of a great book: humorous, poignant and hopeful.

A heartwarming book that will forever be remembered and kept safe in my heart, I highly recommend everyone to read it! I'm excited to read more of Ms Gabrielle Zevin's books and sob even harder!
]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume Two (Heartstopper, #2)]]> 43307358
But love works in surprising ways, and Nick is discovering all kinds of things about his friends, his family ... and himself.]]> 320 Alice Oseman 1444951408 lea (semi-hiatus) 4 3-and-a-half-stars, 2024 <b>3.5 STARS</b> 4.52 2019 Heartstopper: Volume Two (Heartstopper, #2)
author: Alice Oseman
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/27
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: 3-and-a-half-stars, 2024
review:
3.5 STARS
]]> <![CDATA[Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)]]> 40495957
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn't been too great, but at least he's not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He's heard a little about Charlie - the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months - but he's never had the opportunity to talk to him.

They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn't think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner...]]> 288 Alice Oseman 152722533X lea (semi-hiatus) 4 4-stars, 2024 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super cute, quick read! I was initially hesitant to read this as I discovered it was a graphic novel and the topics were not of great interest to me, but I'm so glad I read it. I also loved how it was pure fluff, making it such a sweet read! The only thing I wished this graphic novel had was more flashbacks of Charlie's trauma so the reader could form a deeper emotional connection with Charlie. Perhaps this will be covered in the next few volumes and I'm totally clueless!]]> 4.43 2018 Heartstopper: Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)
author: Alice Oseman
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/26
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: 4-stars, 2024
review:
4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Super cute, quick read! I was initially hesitant to read this as I discovered it was a graphic novel and the topics were not of great interest to me, but I'm so glad I read it. I also loved how it was pure fluff, making it such a sweet read! The only thing I wished this graphic novel had was more flashbacks of Charlie's trauma so the reader could form a deeper emotional connection with Charlie. Perhaps this will be covered in the next few volumes and I'm totally clueless!
]]> Mad About You 58758622
Harriet Hatley is the most in-demand wedding photographer in town, but she doesn’t believe in romance, loathes the idea of marriage, and thinks chocolate fountains are an abomination. Which is why, when her long-time partner proposes, she panics. Suddenly Harriet is single� and living down the hall from her ex. She needs a new apartment, like, yesterday.

Enter Cal Clarke, a hopeless romantic who just experienced his own wedding-related disaster. Harriet and Cal are like chalk and cheese, but as they go from strangers to roommates to friends, it becomes clear they’re both running from something. When Harriet’s most heavily guarded secret comes to light, her world implodes. And Cal, with his witty humor and gentle advice, is a surprising source of calm at the center of the storm.

With her career, friendships, and reputation on the line, Harriet must finally face her past in order to take control of her future. Because if she’s willing to stop playing it safe and risk everything to share her truth, real love and happiness may be waiting on the other side…]]> 432 Mhairi McFarlane 0063117959 lea (semi-hiatus) 5 2024, 5-stars 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

He’d said, in a lower voice, with directness: ‘I think you can do anything.�


I thought I loved Just Last Night and then I READ THIS BOOK!!! The plot twists and the ending... SO SATISFYING! I love how this book is written from a third-person point of view, but it still encapsulates Harriet's feelings so well. I audibly SCREAMED at the ending... this book gave me all the different emotions: anger, frustration, sadness and definitely, love. Again, thank you, Ms Mhairi, for delivering yet another killer book and taking me on yet another beautiful journey.]]> 3.78 2022 Mad About You
author: Mhairi McFarlane
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/21
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: 2024, 5-stars
review:
5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

He’d said, in a lower voice, with directness: ‘I think you can do anything.�


I thought I loved Just Last Night and then I READ THIS BOOK!!! The plot twists and the ending... SO SATISFYING! I love how this book is written from a third-person point of view, but it still encapsulates Harriet's feelings so well. I audibly SCREAMED at the ending... this book gave me all the different emotions: anger, frustration, sadness and definitely, love. Again, thank you, Ms Mhairi, for delivering yet another killer book and taking me on yet another beautiful journey.
]]> Daisy Jones & The Six 40597810 Everyone knows DAISY JONES & THE SIX, but nobody knows the reason behind their split at the absolute height of their popularity . . . until now.

Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock ’n� roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.

Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.

Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.]]> 368 Taylor Jenkins Reid 1524798622 lea (semi-hiatus) 5 2024, 5-stars 5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

The two of you think you’re lost souls, but you’re what everybody is looking for.


I'll be honest. I didn't have really high expectations from this book, especially when I first found out that it was written in an oral history format. But after reading it (not to mention the fact that I finished it in record-breaking time), I am just... blown away by it and in awe of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing. I never expected this book to make me feel so many emotions at once: frustration, sadness (I teared up at the end), heartbreak and everything in between. There are no words to describe just how good this book is. 'Good' doesn't even cut it.

Each and every one of the characters is so unique in their own way and I must admit, Daisy Jones, was getting on my nerves at some points while at others I just couldn't help but be transfixed by her personality, especially when it was described from Billy's point of view. But oh my god, CAMILA! My absolute hands-down favourite character, she is the literal embodiment of female strength like just... wow. The love and respect I have for that character knows no bounds. If I were in her position, I don't think I would be able to put up with the horrible treatment she had to put up with from [spoilers removed] (Sorry, I know I'm not supposed to judge people for having their own views on the book but I'm just SO PASSIONATE about Camila.) She's so kind and caring, even to people who didn't deserve her kindness like [spoilers removed] Although Camila was a kind soul, she still had sass and didn't allow anyone to push her around, making me love her character even more. I just wished we got to see more of Camila in the book.

I also love this book because it touches on such important themes. This book talks a lot about drugs and alcohol abuse, but I think it's really important. It shows us how drugs and alcoholism can have such horrible impacts on us and the people around us that we care deeply for, unknowingly hurting them in the worst ways. This is portrayed by [spoilers removed] Some people might find this unsettling to talk about, which I truly understand. At the start of the book, I also felt a little off-put by the sheer amount of talk about it but at the end, I finally understood the whole purpose of it when [spoilers removed]

AND THE TWIST NEAR THE END?? Mind-blown.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹

currently-reading updates:
1/10/2024: So far, it seems very promising as I'm flying through the pages! The only reason my progress is considerably slow is because I'm studying for my examinations LOL
4/10/2024: Oh my gosh, I am reading this way faster than I anticipated. It's an extremely gripping book and I don't want to jinx it but... I think it's going to be a 5-star book of mine <3 Wish me luck, I'm 71% in! Aiming to finish by either today or tomorrow :)]]> 4.20 2019 Daisy Jones & The Six
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: 2024, 5-stars
review:
5 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐�

The two of you think you’re lost souls, but you’re what everybody is looking for.


I'll be honest. I didn't have really high expectations from this book, especially when I first found out that it was written in an oral history format. But after reading it (not to mention the fact that I finished it in record-breaking time), I am just... blown away by it and in awe of Taylor Jenkins Reid's writing. I never expected this book to make me feel so many emotions at once: frustration, sadness (I teared up at the end), heartbreak and everything in between. There are no words to describe just how good this book is. 'Good' doesn't even cut it.

Each and every one of the characters is so unique in their own way and I must admit, Daisy Jones, was getting on my nerves at some points while at others I just couldn't help but be transfixed by her personality, especially when it was described from Billy's point of view. But oh my god, CAMILA! My absolute hands-down favourite character, she is the literal embodiment of female strength like just... wow. The love and respect I have for that character knows no bounds. If I were in her position, I don't think I would be able to put up with the horrible treatment she had to put up with from [spoilers removed] (Sorry, I know I'm not supposed to judge people for having their own views on the book but I'm just SO PASSIONATE about Camila.) She's so kind and caring, even to people who didn't deserve her kindness like [spoilers removed] Although Camila was a kind soul, she still had sass and didn't allow anyone to push her around, making me love her character even more. I just wished we got to see more of Camila in the book.

I also love this book because it touches on such important themes. This book talks a lot about drugs and alcohol abuse, but I think it's really important. It shows us how drugs and alcoholism can have such horrible impacts on us and the people around us that we care deeply for, unknowingly hurting them in the worst ways. This is portrayed by [spoilers removed] Some people might find this unsettling to talk about, which I truly understand. At the start of the book, I also felt a little off-put by the sheer amount of talk about it but at the end, I finally understood the whole purpose of it when [spoilers removed]

AND THE TWIST NEAR THE END?? Mind-blown.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵� ˚ ₊⊹

currently-reading updates:
1/10/2024: So far, it seems very promising as I'm flying through the pages! The only reason my progress is considerably slow is because I'm studying for my examinations LOL
4/10/2024: Oh my gosh, I am reading this way faster than I anticipated. It's an extremely gripping book and I don't want to jinx it but... I think it's going to be a 5-star book of mine <3 Wish me luck, I'm 71% in! Aiming to finish by either today or tomorrow :)
]]> Maybe in Another Life 23492661
From the acclaimed author of Forever, Interrupted and After I Do comes a breathtaking new novel about a young woman whose fate hinges on the choice she makes after bumping into an old flame; in alternating chapters, we see two possible scenarios unfold—with stunningly different results.

At the age of twenty-nine, Hannah Martin still has no idea what she wants to do with her life. She has lived in six different cities and held countless meaningless jobs since graduating college. On the heels of leaving yet another city, Hannah moves back to her hometown of Los Angeles and takes up residence in her best friend Gabby’s guestroom. Shortly after getting back to town, Hannah goes out to a bar one night with Gabby and meets up with her high school boyfriend, Ethan.

Just after midnight, Gabby asks Hannah if she’s ready to go. A moment later, Ethan offers to give her a ride later if she wants to stay. Hannah hesitates. What happens if she leaves with Gabby? What happens if she leaves with Ethan?

In concurrent storylines, Hannah lives out the effects of each decision. Quickly, these parallel universes develop into radically different stories with large-scale consequences for Hannah, as well as the people around her. As the two alternate realities run their course, Maybe in Another Life raises questions about fate and true love: Is anything meant to be? How much in our life is determined by chance? And perhaps, most compellingly: Is there such a thing as a soul mate?

Hannah believes there is. And, in both worlds, she believes she’s found him.]]> 342 Taylor Jenkins Reid lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.77 2015 Maybe in Another Life
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Kite Runner 17165596 The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption; and an exploration of the power of fathers over sons—their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

A sweeping story of family, love, and friendship told against the devastating backdrop of the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful novel that has become a beloved, one-of-a-kind classic.

The 10th anniversary edition of the New York Times bestseller and international classic loved by millions of readers.

]]> 371 Khaled Hosseini lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.47 2003 The Kite Runner
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2003
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Thousand Splendid Suns 128029
With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.]]> 372 Khaled Hosseini 1594489505 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.44 2007 A Thousand Splendid Suns
author: Khaled Hosseini
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2007
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Ready or Not 154462768
Eve Hatch is pretty content with her life. Her apartment in Brooklyn is cozy and close to her childhood best friend Willa, but far from her midwestern, traditional family who never really understood her. While her job is only dream- adjacent , she’s hoping her passion and hard work will soon help her land a more glamorous role. And sure, her most recent romantic history has consisted of not one but two disappointing men named Derek. At least she always knows what to expect…until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve's loyalfriendship with Willa is feeling off , right when she needs her most. And it’s Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is� suddenly kinda hot? Then there’s the baby's father, who is supportive but conflicted. Before long, Eve is rethinking everything she thought she knew about herself and her world.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.]]> 400 Cara Bastone 0593595718 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.96 2024 Ready or Not
author: Cara Bastone
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/15
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)]]> 56182588
As the mystery grows and the plot thickens, Grayson and Jameson, the enigmatic and magnetic Hawthorne grandsons, continue to pull Avery in different directions. And there are threats lurking around every corner, as adversaries emerge who will stop at nothing to see Avery out of the picture - by any means necessary.

With nonstop action, aspirational jet-setting, family intrigue, swoonworthy romance, and billions of dollars hanging in the balance, The Hawthorne Legacy will thrill Jennifer Lynn Barnes fans and new readers alike.]]> 358 Jennifer Lynn Barnes lea (semi-hiatus) 4 4-and-a-half-stars, 2025, rtc 4.5 stars �

subtracting half a star because i'm bitter that avery didn't choose grayson ]]> 4.18 2021 The Hawthorne Legacy (The Inheritance Games, #2)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/10
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: 4-and-a-half-stars, 2025, rtc
review:
� 4.5 stars �

subtracting half a star because i'm bitter that avery didn't choose grayson
]]> The Fall Risk 223199392 Two good neighbors make the best of a bad Valentine’s Day in a funny and improbably romantic short story by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Just for the Summer.

It’s Valentine’s Day weekend, and Charlotte and Seth are not looking for romance. Armed with emotional-support bear spray, Charlotte is in self-imposed isolation and on guard from men. Having a stalker can do that to a person’s nerves. Just across the hall and giving off woodsy vibes is Seth, a recently divorced arborist. As in today recently. Heights, he’s fine with. Trust? Not so much. But when disaster traps them one flight up and no way down, an outrageously precarious predicament forces a tree-loving guy and a rattled girl next door to embrace their captivity. Soon their defenses are breaking away. Considering how close they both are to the edge, Charlotte and Seth could be in danger of falling—in love.]]> 82 Abby Jimenez 1662529082 lea (semi-hiatus) 4 4.5 stars �

She put her hands over her mouth. The sparkle in her eyes made the throbbing in my ankle worth every painful step I’d taken that morning.

the only thing i didn't like about this was that it ended. rtc~!

pre-read ]]> 4.12 2025 The Fall Risk
author: Abby Jimenez
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/13
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: 2025, 4-and-a-half-stars, novellas, book-boyfriends, rtc
review:
� 4.5 stars �

She put her hands over her mouth. The sparkle in her eyes made the throbbing in my ankle worth every painful step I’d taken that morning.

the only thing i didn't like about this was that it ended. rtc~!

pre-read
]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 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 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.08 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Out on a Limb 124950295 397 Hannah Bonam-Young 1778027784 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.25 2023 Out on a Limb
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> After I Do 18775359 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781476712840.

When Lauren and Ryan’s marriage reaches the breaking point, they come up with an unconventional plan. They decide to take a year off in the hopes of finding a way to fall in love again. One year apart, and only one rule: they cannot contact each other. Aside from that, anything goes.

Lauren embarks on a journey of self-discovery, quickly finding that her friends and family have their own ideas about the meaning of marriage. These influences, as well as her own healing process and the challenges of living apart from Ryan, begin to change Lauren’s ideas about monogamy and marriage. She starts to question: When you can have romance without loyalty and commitment without marriage, when love and lust are no longer tied together, what do you value? What are you willing to fight for?

This is a love story about what happens when the love fades. It’s about staying in love, seizing love, forsaking love, and committing to love with everything you’ve got. And above all, After I Do is the story of a couple caught up in an old game—and searching for a new road to happily ever after.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.91 2014 After I Do
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bodyguard 58724801 Hannah Brooks looks more like a kindergarten teacher than somebody who could kill you with her bare hands. But the truth is, she's an elite bodyguard and she's just been hired to protect a superstar actor from his stalker.

Jack Stapleton's a Hollywood heartthrob - captured by paparazzi on beaches the world over, rising out of the waves in clingy board shorts and glistening like a Roman deity.

When Jack's mom gets sick, he comes home to the family's Texas ranch to help out. Only one catch: He doesn't want his family to know about his stalker. Or the bodyguard thing. And so Hannah - against her will and her better judgment - finds herself pretending to be Jack's girlfriend as a cover.

Protecting Jack should be easy. But protecting her own heart? That's the hardest thing she's ever done...]]> 302 Katherine Center 1250219396 lea (semi-hiatus) 3 buddy-read, 2025, 3-stars 3 stars �

You can’t make people love you. But you can give the love you long for out to the world. You can be the love you wish you had. That’s the way to be okay. Because giving love to other people is a way of giving it to yourself.

so glad that i finally got to this book, overall not a bad read at all!! ]]> 3.94 2022 The Bodyguard
author: Katherine Center
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves: buddy-read, 2025, 3-stars
review:
� 3 stars �

You can’t make people love you. But you can give the love you long for out to the world. You can be the love you wish you had. That’s the way to be okay. Because giving love to other people is a way of giving it to yourself.

so glad that i finally got to this book, overall not a bad read at all!!
]]> If All Else Sails 221132635 In this enemies-to-lovers romance, school nurse Josie agrees to help her brother's best friend, hockey player Wyatt, recover from his knee injury . . . oh, and sail down the intercoastal waterway. What could go wrong?

When elementary school nurse Josie arrives to meet her brother for their not-quite-annual summer trip, instead of finding Jacob, she discovers she has been duped. Jacob can't take off work for a trip and instead is calling in a huge favor from Josie: helping his best friend recover from surgery. Wyatt is the perpetual grump, a famous hockey player Josie has never particularly liked, and a terrible patient. His foot is in bad shape, but nowhere near as bad as his surly attitude.

Begrudgingly, Josie agrees to stay for a week that becomes two. But when she finds out that Wyatt's injury ruined his plans to sail down the east coast on the Intracoastal Waterway, Josie surprises them both by agreeing to be his second set of hands.

Smooth sailing is nowhere to be found, and Wyatt is one cranky captain. With one disaster after another slowing their progress, Josie questions if they'll even be able to make it home without killing--or kissing?--each other. And yet, the longer they share cramped quarters and canned food, the more of Wyatt's layers she peels back until Josie realizes she misunderstood him and perhaps herself as well.]]> 368 Emma St. Clair 1400346940 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, netgalley 4.22 2025 If All Else Sails
author: Emma St. Clair
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read, netgalley
review:

]]> Twice Shy 54660653 Can you find real love when you've always got your head in the clouds?

Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start.

Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn't the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who's as grouchy as he is gorgeous—and it turns out he has very different vision for the property's future.

Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other dying wishes Great-Aunt Violet left behind. But when Maybell uncovers something unexpectedly sweet beneath Wesley's scowls, and as the two slowly begin to let their guard down, they might learn that sometimes the smallest steps outside one's comfort zone can lead to the greatest rewards.]]> 302 Sarah Hogle 0593085531 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.65 2021 Twice Shy
author: Sarah Hogle
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Sounds Like Love 219301810 A hitmaking songwriter and a bitter musician share a startling and inexplicable connection that they’ll do anything to shake, in the next sparkling, magical book from Ashley Poston.

Joni Lark is living the dream. She’s one of the most coveted songwriters in LA…and she can’t seem to write. There’s an emptiness inside her, and nothing seems to fill it.

When she returns to her hometown of Vienna Shores, North Carolina, she hopes that the sand, the surf, and the concerts at The Revelry, her family’s music venue, will spark her inspiration. But when she gets there, nothing is how she left it. Her best friend is avoiding her, her mother’s memories are fading fast, and The Revelry is closing.

How can she think about writing her next song when everything is changing without her?

Until she hears it. A melody in her head, lyric-less and half-formed, and an alluring and addictive voice to go with it—belonging, apparently, to a wry musician with hangups of his own.

Surely, he’s a figment of her overworked imagination.

But then the very real man attached to the voice shows up in Vienna Shores. He’s aggravating and gruff on the outside—nothing like the sweet, funny voice in Joni’s head—and he has a plan:

They’ll finish the song haunting them both, break their connection, and hope they don’t risk their hearts in the process.

Because that song stuck in their heads? Maybe it’s there for a reason.]]> Ashley Poston 0593641019 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.28 2025 Sounds Like Love
author: Ashley Poston
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Fake It Like You Mean It 214988485 Fake dating, enemies to lovers, and a wonderfully unique forced proximity debut romance, perfect for fans of Elena Armas’s The American Roommate Experiment and Drew Barrymore’s classic rom-com Fifty First Dates.

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her, as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

Fake It Like You Mean It is the perfect blend of romance, laugh out loud comedy, and heartbreaking, beautiful moments.]]> 336 Megan Murphy lea (semi-hiatus) 0 netgalley, currently-reading <b> <i>pre-read </i> </b> 3.90 2025 Fake It Like You Mean It
author: Megan Murphy
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: netgalley, currently-reading
review:
pre-read
]]> The Favorites 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 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 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.19 2025 The Favorites
author: Layne Fargo
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)]]> 38447
Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid's Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force.]]> 311 Margaret Atwood 038549081X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.15 1985 The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1)
author: Margaret Atwood
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1985
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires, #1)]]> 74045390 Rowan
I'm in the business of creating fairy tales.
Theme parks. Production companies. Five-star hotels.
Everything could be all mine if I renovated Dreamland.
My initial idea of hiring Zahra was good in theory, but then I kissed her.
Things spiraled out of control once I texted her using an alias.
By the time I realized where I went wrong, it was too late.
People like me don't get happy endings.
Not when we're destined to ruin them.

Zahra
After submitting a drunk proposal criticizing Dreamland's most expensive ride, I should have been fired.
Instead, Rowan Kane offered me a dream job.
The catch? I had to work for the most difficult boss I'd ever met.
Rowan was rude and completely off-limits, but my heart didn't care.
At least not until I discovered his secret.
It was time to teach the billionaire that money couldn't fix everything.
Especially not us.

The Fine Print is the first book in a series of interconnected standalones following three billionaire brothers.]]> 448 Lauren Asher 1737507714 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.75 2021 The Fine Print (Dreamland Billionaires, #1)
author: Lauren Asher
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Love Hypothesis 56732449
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.]]> 356 Ali Hazelwood 0593336828 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, buddy-read 4.11 2021 The Love Hypothesis
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/03
shelves: to-read, buddy-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Practice Makes Perfect (When in Rome, #2)]]> 61897968 A small-town sweetheart and an emotionally unavailable bad boy try to find some common ground in this chemistry-filled romance from the author of The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match—someone who complements her happy, quiet life running the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. But finding her dream man may be harder than Annie imagined. Everyone knows everyone in her hometown, and the dating prospects are getting fewer by the day. After she overhears her latest date say she is “so unbelievably boring,� Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will—the sexy, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard—is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie Walker and any other possible attachments to this sleepy town. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will finds himself tasked with helping Annie find the love of her life by becoming the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky. Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie. He knows for a fact that some stuffy, straitlaced guy won’t make her happy, but he doesn’t have the heart to say no.

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational� tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. As the lines of their friendship become dangerously blurred, Annie reconsiders her dream guy. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real.]]> 335 Sarah Adams 0593500806 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.00 2023 Practice Makes Perfect (When in Rome, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Snowed Under (Aspen Peaks #2)]]> 219133501
Madeline Sage has entirely lost who she is. After her brother and best friends passing, she’s left feeling as though they took her down with them. She’s an aunt taking care of their two kids, a nursing student, and a part-time cleaner at a ski lodge. Spending a majority of her time helping someone else out, she’s astray from who she was before the accident. Her nagging mother, incapable of helping with the kids, insists the one thing missing from Madeline’s already hectic life is a man. So Madeline seeks help from the most chaotic one she knows: her nephew’s coach. In hopes of easing her mother’s nerves about providing for the kids on her own, Madeline needs a boyfriend. Even if it’s a fake one.

Unfortunately, Cooper Graves knows all too well what he is. In an attempt to rectify his disorderly past and save his family ski lodge, he agrees to be interviewed by a well-known family magazine. The article will bring the lodge plenty of new exposure on its upcoming winter events. All he’s missing is a wife and kids.

Madeline needs a fake boyfriend. Cooper needs a fake family. In their chemistry-filled, strictly “professional� not-dates, they find there is much more to both of their stories. Their newfound friendship quickly blurs into something entirely real. Only he’s not fit for ‘uncle-hood�, and she can’t find a place in her heart or her schedule to add one more person to her circle of loved ones.

Snowed under their complications, Madeline and Cooper are destined to find out if love is enough to overcome tragedies of the past.]]> 375 Juliana Smith lea (semi-hiatus) 1 netgalley, dnf, 1-star, 2025 DNF @ 60%

i feel really bad for not finishing this book but i physically could not push myself to finish this book]]> 3.96 Snowed Under (Aspen Peaks #2)
author: Juliana Smith
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 1
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: netgalley, dnf, 1-star, 2025
review:
� DNF @ 60%

i feel really bad for not finishing this book but i physically could not push myself to finish this book
]]> Katabasis 210223811 Two graduate students must set aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul, perhaps at the cost of their own.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality—her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world—that is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands, and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams. Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the same conclusion.]]> 400 R.F. Kuang lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.12 2025 Katabasis
author: R.F. Kuang
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Secret History 29044 559 Donna Tartt 1400031702 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.17 1992 The Secret History
author: Donna Tartt
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Olive Juice 32993007
I want to see you.

He agrees, and on a cold winter’s night, David and Phillip will come together to sift through the wreckage of the memory of a life no longer lived.

David is burdened, carrying with him the heavy guilt of the past six years upon his shoulders.

Phillip offers redemption.]]> 132 T.J. Klune 1635335027 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.40 2017 Olive Juice
author: T.J. Klune
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.99 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)]]> 23437156 Alternate cover of ISBN 9781627792127

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.]]> 480 Leigh Bardugo 1627792120 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.47 2015 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
author: Leigh Bardugo
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Behind the Net (Vancouver Storm, #1)]]> 174713026 He's the hot, grumpy goalie I had a crush on in high school... and now I'm his live-in assistant.

After my ex crushed my dreams in the music industry, I’m done with getting my heart broken. Working as an assistant for an NHL player was supposed to be a breeze, but nothing about Jamie Streicher is easy. He’s an intimidatingly hot, grouchy jerk who can't stand me. The guy has a massive ego. Keeping things professional will be no problem, even when he demands I move in with him.


Beneath his surliness, though, Jamie’s surprisingly sweet and protective.

When Jamie learns how bad my ex was in bed, his competitive nature flares, and he encourages and spoils me in every way. The creative spark I used to feel about songwriting? It’s back, and I’m writing music again. Between wearing his jersey at games, rowdy parties with the team, and being brave on stage again, I’m falling for him.

He could break my heart, but it might be worth it.

Behind the Net is a grumpy-sunshine pro hockey romance with lots of spice and an HEA. It’s the first book in the Vancouver Storm series, and can be read as a standalone.

Tropes:

grumpy sunshine
slow burn
boy obsessed
pro hockey
forced proximity (boss vs assistant + roommates)
spice coaching]]> 424 Stephanie Archer lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.71 2023 Behind the Net (Vancouver Storm, #1)
author: Stephanie Archer
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)]]> 42844155 An alternative cover for this ASIN can be found here

"Turning the envelope over, his hand trembling, Harry saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger and a snake surrounding a large letter 'H'."

Harry Potter has never even heard of Hogwarts when the letters start dropping on the doormat at number four, Privet Drive. Addressed in green ink on yellowish parchment with a purple seal, they are swiftly confiscated by his grisly aunt and uncle. Then, on Harry's eleventh birthday, a great beetle-eyed giant of a man called Rubeus Hagrid bursts in with some astonishing news: Harry Potter is a wizard, and he has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. An incredible adventure is about to begin!]]> 333 J.K. Rowling lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.47 1997 Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Harry Potter, #1)
author: J.K. Rowling
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.47
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)]]> 13496
Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.]]> 835 George R.R. Martin 0553588486 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.44 1996 A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1)
author: George R.R. Martin
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1996
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Love Letter to Whiskey: Fifth Anniversary Edition]]> 59417433 This is not your typical love story.

It’s a story of almosts and could-have-beens.
Of friendship that teeters on the edge of something more.
Of passion so intoxicating, it burns.

Jamie and B are two hearts caught in the tangle of bad timing and unspoken words. Their connection defies labels—too deep for friendship, too tangled for love. Over a decade of moments, choices, and missed opportunities, they find themselves drawn together like a moth to a flame, even when the world—and their own mistakes—keep pulling them apart.

Is it obsession? Destiny? Or just self-destruction with a pretty face?

Sometimes, love isn’t about finding the right person—it’s about the moment when everything aligns.
But what if that moment never comes?

This special edition features:
* A Love Letter to Whiskey (the full, heart-wrenching story)
* Love, Whiskey (Jamie’s side, plus an extended epilogue)
* Bonus content, including behind-the-scenes stories, fun facts, and letters from the author and audiobook narrator]]> 608 Kandi Steiner lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.23 A Love Letter to Whiskey: Fifth Anniversary Edition
author: Kandi Steiner
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game, #1)]]> 197392670 Get caught up in the puzzles, games, danger, romance, and riches of this lush new chapter in the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games saga—set a year after we last saw Avery and the Hawthornes.

Seven tickets. An island of dreams. The chance of a lifetime.

Welcome to the Grandest Game, an annual competition run by billionaire Avery Grambs and the four infamous Hawthorne brothers, whose family fortune she inherited. Designed to give anyone a shot at fame and fortune, this year’s game requires one of seven golden tickets to enter. With millions on the line, those seven players will do whatever it takes to win.

Some of the players are in it for the money. Some for power. Some for reasons all their own. Every single one of them has secrets. Amidst it all is Grayson Hawthorne, tasked with a vital role in this year’s game. But as tensions rise and the mind-bending challenges push the players to their limits—physically, mentally, and emotionally—it soon becomes clear that not everyone is playing by the rules.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Lynn Barnes delivers a new series in the world of The Inheritance Games, where fan-favorite and new characters collide in a game you’ll never forget.

Do you have what it takes to play?]]> 384 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316481017 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.93 2024 The Grandest Game (The Grandest Game, #1)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves: to-read
review:

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

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

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

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

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.]]> 370 Holly Black 0316310271 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.01 2018 The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)
author: Holly Black
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Check & Mate 60683957 done with chess. Every move counts nowadays. After the sport led to the destruction of her family four years earlier, Mallory's focus is on her mom, her sisters, and the dead-end job that keeps the lights on. That is, until she begrudgingly agrees to play in one last charity tournament and inadvertently wipes the board with notorious "Kingkiller" Nolan Sawyer: current world champion and reigning bad boy of chess.

Nolan's loss to an unknown rook-ie shocks everyone—especially Mallory. What's even more confusing? His desire to cross pawns again. What kind of gambit is Nolan playing? The smart move would be to walk away. Resign. Game over. But Mallory's victory opens the door to sorely needed cash prizes and, despite everything, she can't help feeling drawn to the enigmatic strategist....

As she rockets up the ranks, Mallory struggles to keep her family safely separated from the game that wrecked it in the first place. And as her love for the sport she so desperately wanted to hate begins to rekindle, Mallory quickly realizes that the games aren't only on the board, the spotlight is hotter than she imagined, and the competition can be fierce(-ly attractive. And intelligent...and infuriating...)]]> 347 Ali Hazelwood 0593619919 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, archives 3.93 2023 Check & Mate
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/20
shelves: to-read, archives
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Things We Leave Unfinished]]> 53137938
Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy� of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century—the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book—it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes—even if it means destroying Noah’s career.]]> 400 Rebecca Yarros 1682815668 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.26 2021 The Things We Leave Unfinished
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games, #4)]]> 62804258 Four brothers. Two missions. One explosive read. Jennifer Lynn Barnes returns to the world of her #1 bestselling Inheritance Games trilogy, and the stakes have never been higher.

Grayson Hawthorne was raised as the heir apparent to his billionaire grandfather, taught from the cradle to put family first. Now the great Tobias Hawthorne is dead and his family disinherited, but some lessons linger. When Grayson’s half-sisters find themselves in trouble, he swoops in to do what he does best: take care of the problem—efficiently, effectively, mercilessly. And without getting bogged down in emotional entanglements.

Jameson Hawthorne is a risk-taker, a sensation-seeker, a player of games. When his mysterious father appears and asks for a favor, Jameson can’t resist the challenge. Now he must infiltrate London’s most exclusive underground gambling club, which caters to the rich, the powerful, and the aristocratic, and win an impossible game of greatest stakes. Luckily, Jameson Hawthorne lives for impossible.

Drawn into twisted games on opposite sides of the globe, Grayson and Jameson—with the help of their brothers and the girl who inherited their grandfather’s fortune—must dig deep to decide who they want to be and what each of them will sacrifice to win.]]> 480 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 0316480770 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.90 2023 The Brothers Hawthorne (The Inheritance Games, #4)
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection]]> 208209832 Romance, luxury, and secrets abound in this thrilling new collection that take readers deeper into the world of the #1 bestselling Inheritance Games series

There is nothing frivolous about the way a Hawthorne man loves.

An amnesiac playboy and the woman with every reason to hate him. A daredevil, his favorite heiress, and three nights in Prague. An unlikely pairing between a cowboy and a goth. Four brothers with an inescapable bond, strengthened by the family they chose, in a house of wonders that promises to always deliver one more secret.

Discover their stories of love and loss, power, puzzles, and life-and-death secrets in this mind-blowingly romantic collection that proves that when you love the way Hawthornes love, there is no going back.

This collection includes:
That Night in Prague (novella)
The Same Backward as Forward (novella)
The Cowboy and the Goth
Five Times Xander Tackled Someone (and One Time He Didn't)
One Hawthorne Night*
What Happens in the Treehouse*
$3CR3T $@NT@
Pain at the Right Gun

*previously published in limited release]]> 448 Jennifer Lynn Barnes 031657371X lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.08 2024 Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection
author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bell Jar 56616095 (back cover)]]> 288 Sylvia Plath 0060837020 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.12 1963 The Bell Jar
author: Sylvia Plath
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1963
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Lightlark (Lightlark, #1) 60310757 Welcome to the Centennial.

Every 100 years, the island of Lightlark appears to host the Centennial, a deadly game that only the rulers of six realms are invited to play. The invitation is a summons—a call to embrace victory and ruin, baubles and blood. The Centennial offers the six rulers one final chance to break the curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. Each ruler has something to hide. Each realm’s curse is uniquely wicked. To destroy the curses, one ruler must die.

Isla Crown is the young ruler of Wildling—a realm of temptresses cursed to kill anyone they fall in love with. They are feared and despised, and are counting on Isla to end their suffering by succeeding at the Centennial.

To survive, Isla must lie, cheat, and betray…even as love complicates everything.]]> 416 Alex Aster 1419760866 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.84 2022 Lightlark (Lightlark, #1)
author: Alex Aster
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Selection (The Selection, #1)]]> 10507293
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself—and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.]]> 336 Kiera Cass 0062059939 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.07 2012 The Selection (The Selection, #1)
author: Kiera Cass
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)]]> 55987278 How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings... until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy...]]> 408 Stephanie Garber 1250268397 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.06 2021 Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Flawless (Chestnut Springs, #1)]]> 108514520 The rules were simple . . . Keep my hands off his daughter and stay out of trouble. But now I'm stuck with her. There's only one bed. And, well, rules are made to be broken.

I'm the golden boy of professional bull riding. Or at least I was until it all blew up in my face. Now, my agent says I have to clean up my image, so I'm stuck with his ball-busting daughter for the rest of the season as my "full-time supervision."

But I don't need a goddamn babysitter, especially one with skin-tight jeans, a sexy smirk, and a mouth she can't stop running . . . A mouth I can't stop thinking about.

She says this means nothing.

I say this means everything.

She says there are boundaries we shouldn't cross. That my reputation can't take any more hits-and neither can her damaged heart.

I say I'm going to steal it anyway.]]> 416 Elsie Silver 0349437661 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.93 2022 Flawless (Chestnut Springs, #1)
author: Elsie Silver
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/18
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Hunchback of Notre-Dame 30597
The novel has been described as a key text in French literature[1] and has been adapted for film over a dozen times, in addition to numerous television and stage adaptations, such as a 1923 silent film with Lon Chaney, a 1939 sound film with Charles Laughton, and a 1996 Disney animated film with Tom Hulce (both as Quasimodo).

The novel sought to preserve values of French culture in a time period of great change, which resulted in the destruction of many French Gothic structures. The novel made Notre-Dame de Paris a national icon and served as a catalyst for renewed interest in the restoration of Gothic form.]]> 510 Victor Hugo 0451527887 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.01 1831 The Hunchback of Notre-Dame
author: Victor Hugo
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1831
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
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]]> Les Misérables 24280 1463 Victor Hugo 0451525264 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.19 1862 Les Misérables
author: Victor Hugo
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.19
book published: 1862
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)]]> 123675190
Read the book that launched Percy Jackson into the stratosphere before the Disney+ series comes out!

Lately, mythological monsters and the Olympian gods seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy Jackson’s Greek mythology textbook and into his life. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus.

Whether you are new to Percy or a longtime fan, this tie-in paperback edition with full-color photos from the Disney+ series is a must-have for your library.]]> 416 Rick Riordan 1368098169 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.37 2005 The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #1)
author: Rick Riordan
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2005
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Home Body 49656780
i dive into the well of my body
and end up in another world
everything i need
already exists in me
there’s no need
to look anywhere else
� home]]> 192 Rupi Kaur 1982172452 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.06 2020 Home Body
author: Rupi Kaur
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2020
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Song of Achilles 13623848 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.]]> 408 Madeline Miller lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.30 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
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]]> Fairy Tale 60177373 Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes deep into the well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher—for their world or ours.

Charlie Reade looks like a regular high school kid, great at baseball and football, a decent student. But he carries a heavy load. His mom was killed in a hit-and-run accident when he was ten, and grief drove his dad to drink. Charlie learned how to take care of himself—and his dad. Then, when Charlie is seventeen, he meets Howard Bowditch, a recluse with a big dog in a big house at the top of a big hill. In the backyard is a locked shed from which strange sounds emerge, as if some creature is trying to escape. When Mr. Bowditch dies, he leaves Charlie the house, a massive amount of gold, a cassette tape telling a story that is impossible to believe, and a responsibility far too massive for a boy to shoulder.

Because within the shed is a portal to another world—one whose denizens are in peril and whose monstrous leaders may destroy their own world, and ours. In this parallel universe, where two moons race across the sky, and the grand towers of a sprawling palace pierce the clouds, there are exiled princesses and princes who suffer horrific punishments; there are dungeons; there are games in which men and women must fight each other to the death for the amusement of the “Fair One.� And there is a magic sundial that can turn back time.

A story as old as myth, and as startling and iconic as the rest of King’s work, Fairy Tale is about an ordinary guy forced into the hero’s role by circumstance, and it is both spectacularly suspenseful and satisfying.]]> 607 Stephen King 1668002175 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.05 2022 Fairy Tale
author: Stephen King
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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]]> Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) 13455782
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette’s touch is fatal. As long as she doesn’t hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don’t fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war � and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she’s exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.]]> 338 Tahereh Mafi 0062085506 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.72 2011 Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2011
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Maid For Each Other 220155637
Declan is a busy man, working his way up at Hathaway Holdings. Which is why he’s never met the woman who cleans his penthouse every week.

Abi needs a place to stay, and Declan is out of town, so the solution seems simple and, crucially, free.

When Declan’s parents tell him they met his girlfriend at his apartment, he's surprised to say the least. But it is nice to have them off his back about being single for a change. . .

Declan finds out who Abi really is, and decides to makes her a pretend to date him, and he’ll provide everything she needs.

What could go wrong? It’s business, not pleasure. Right?

Fake DatingForced Proximity]]> Lynn Painter 1405959908 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.90 2025 Maid For Each Other
author: Lynn Painter
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read
review:
manifesting ms lynn painter to provide me with a beautiful copy of this arc
]]> <![CDATA[Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be, #4)]]> 197577021
Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.]]> 320 Christina Lauren 1368092837 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read, netgalley 3.89 2024 Tangled Up in You (Meant to Be, #4)
author: Christina Lauren
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/16
shelves: to-read, netgalley
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]]> Say You'll Remember Me 217182552 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.]]> 368 Abby Jimenez 1538759195 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.23 2025 Say You'll Remember Me
author: Abby Jimenez
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/16
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]]> Deep End 212806619 A competitive diver and an ace swimmer jump into forbidden waters in this steamy college romance from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis.

Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself.

Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes.

So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water...]]> 446 Ali Hazelwood 0593641051 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.90 2025 Deep End
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/16
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]]> Out of the Woods 209220944
But Sarah has begun to wonder... Who is she without her other half?

When she decides to take on a project of her own, a fundraising gala in memoriam of her late mother, Sarah wants nothing more than to prove to herself—and to everyone else—that she doesn’t need Caleb’s help to succeed. She’s still her mother’s daughter, after all. Independent and capable.

That is until the event fails and Caleb uninvitedly steps in to save the day.

The rift that follows unearths a decade of grievances between them and doubts begin to grow. Are they truly the same people they were when they got married at nineteen? Are they supposed to be?

In a desperate attempt to fix what they fear is near breaking, Sarah and Caleb make the spontaneous decision to join a grueling hiking trip intended to guide couples through rough patches.

What follows is a life-affirming comedy of errors as two nature-averse people fight their way out of the woods in order to find their way back to their roots.]]> 336 Hannah Bonam-Young 0593871863 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.01 2025 Out of the Woods
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/16
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]]> The Deal (Off-Campus, #1) 45484397
All Garrett Graham has ever wanted is to play professional hockey after graduation, but his plummeting GPA is threatening everything he's worked so hard for. If helping a sarcastic brunette make another guy jealous will help him secure his position on the team, he's all for it. But when one unexpected kiss leads to the wildest sex of both their lives, it doesn't take long for Garrett to realize that pretend isn't going to cut it. Now he just has to convince Hannah that the man she wants looks a lot like him.]]> 360 Elle Kennedy lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.17 2015 The Deal (Off-Campus, #1)
author: Elle Kennedy
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires, #1)]]> 199070596 Julian
If I ever caught on fire, Dahlia Muñoz would fan the flames with a smile.
So, when she returns to Lake Wisteria, I fully intend to avoid the interior designer.
At least until my meddling mother exploits my savior complex.
The faster I help Dahlia find her creative spark, the sooner she will leave town.
But while I was busy getting rid of Dahlia, I overlooked one potential issue.
What happens if I want her to stay?

Dahlia
People say the devil has many faces, but I know only one.
Julian Lopez—my childhood rival and family frenemy.
I vow to steer clear of him while recovering from my broken engagement, but then the billionaire makes an irresistible offer.
Renovate a historic house together and triple our profits.
Our temporary truce becomes compromised as we face years� worth of denied attraction and mixed emotions.
Giving into our desire is inevitable…but falling in love?
That isn’t part of the plan.

Love Redesigned is a steamy, small town romance about two family friends-turned-childhood rivals. It is the first book in the standalone Lakefront Billionaires series and has a happy ending.]]> 530 Lauren Asher lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Love Redesigned (Lakefront Billionaires, #1)
author: Lauren Asher
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters, #1)]]> 55659629
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.

Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.

Tessa Bailey is back with a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com about a Hollywood “It Girl� who is cut off from her wealthy family and exiled to a small Pacific Northwest beach town... where she butts heads with a surly, sexy local who thinks she doesn’t belong.]]> 397 Tessa Bailey 0063045656 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.91 2021 It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters, #1)
author: Tessa Bailey
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> Happily Never After 181853964 Two love sceptics agree to work together as professional wedding disruptors. But fate has more romantic plans in mind for them . . .

When Sophie finds out right before getting married that she’s been cheated on (again!) it’s time for drastic action. Instead of calling the wedding off, she hires a gorgeous stranger � Max � to interrupt the ceremony and confront her fiancé. It’s hardly the wedding she’d planned. But Sophie enjoys taking revenge. So, when Max asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they’re hired by a man who’s marrying the girl that once broke Max’s heart, Sophie expects Max to revel in the job. But instead, he seems to be wrestling with his feelings for his ex. And worse than that, Sophie is jealous . . .Tropes/ Friends to lovers2. Slow burn romance3. Spicy books4. Love triangle]]> 313 Lynn Painter lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.63 2024 Happily Never After
author: Lynn Painter
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Magnolia Parks (Magnolia Parks Universe, #1)]]> 58527403 423 Jessa Hastings 1737281198 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 3.68 2021 Magnolia Parks (Magnolia Parks Universe, #1)
author: Jessa Hastings
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> I Hope This Doesn't Find You 124932739 I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...]]> 320 Ann Liang 1338827154 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 4.17 2024 I Hope This Doesn't Find You
author: Ann Liang
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
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]]> Fake Skating 223262140 From the no. 1 international bestselling author of Better than the Movies, childhood sweethearts reunite in a hockey-loving town where romance is about to heat up the ice. For fans of Hannah Grace. *Pre-order now!*

From play dates on the playground to sneaking into movie theatres, Dani and Alec were inseparable as kids. Until Dani moved away. Years later, Dani is back in Minnesota, and exited to reconnect with the nerdy and comforting Alec. But teenage Alec is NOTHING like the boy she remembers. He's the hockey STAR in a town where hockey players are worshipped as gods � and he loves it.

Whenone thing leads to another and Dani and Alec find themselves thrown together and playing the role of boyfriend and girlfriend, “complicated� becomes an understatement. In this Minnesota town, hockey may rule, but romance is about to take its place.

A swoony, boy-next-door fake dating romance from theNew York Timesbestseller, Lynn Painter.

]]> Lynn Painter 1398537888 lea (semi-hiatus) 0 to-read 5.00 2025 Fake Skating
author: Lynn Painter
name: lea (semi-hiatus)
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/01/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>