Now this is how an ending should be! I'm so excited to read the next book. Wowsers. Just so dang GOOD. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Not what I was expecting, but so much more. This one has a little bit of everything. Historical fiction, bit of romance, a magical bookshop...I really can't think of another book that incorporates all that in one story. I loved the growth that Martha went through. I've heard great things about the audio version, so you might want to give that a try. Although I did enjoy the reading experience very much.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So good. 🤩 The epitome of a great summer read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The ending! I went through all that for that ending?!? 😨😩🤯

Wow this was bad! Don't try the audio version of this. The narrator for the guy has the most douche bag voice of all time. It made the atrociously unrealistic dialogue even worse. Noone would talk to each other like the characters in this book talked to each other. So dumb. Did I finish this? Yes. Once I thought of it more like a comedy than a thriller.?‍♀️I'm pretty sure we all know the color of Grace's eyes by the end. Not blue, but "blue blue"

I liked this, but it lacks...something. Something doesn't quite work. Too slow in spots. Kind of cringe-y that two brothers liked the same girl yet seemed mostly unbothered by this fact. I want to keep reading the series to see what happens.
Also, has anyone tried tearing a piece of their clothing off to bind a wound? Does it really only take a minute? Because everyone in this book seems to be able to do it way too easily and quickly. Lol
3 1/2⭐

Freida McFadden is a safe go-to for a psychological thriller type book that will almost never end how you think. Her books are so so easy to read. Too easy. Once I start, I have to keep going. I think this one is one of my favorites so far because I did find it interesting how the MC was healing after her injury. Plus, there were some pretty funny moments between brain injury patients in the rehab hospital. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This needs to be rated higher on Goodreads! Excellent book, great storyline, great strong female characters. 5 star read all around, I'm immediately invested and diving into the next book. The one great thing about not finding this earlier is that the next in the series was just released this year!

I need to get honest about what makes a book 5 star worthy for it's genre. For rom coms? Witty bantering, chemistry between characters. Who cares if it follows the same formula? So what if the characters in the story just need to tell each other the thing that's keeping them apart? You know if she explained what's on her mind he would 100% tell her if doesn't fn matter and they would live happily ever after. But that's what makes the story.

Yes! This is one of my top books of the year. All the feels of Fourth Wing, with a definite likeness to The Hunger Games. You just need to sprinkle in vampires and some crazy magic skills and you get this book.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I'm not even taking a break, I'm starting second in the series as soon as I can! I'm crossing my fingers that the series doesn't lead me towards a downward spiral of disinterest as some tend to do. I'm optimistic though. 🤞

This was an incredible book! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ What I got out of this was what I was hoping for in The Priory of the Orange Tree. I was totally engrossed in the story. Such a great reading experience. There is a lot of world building but I didn't find it overwhelming or confusing. It was interesting to see it all come together. It's not a light read, there's some really tragic moments. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next book has in store.

I'm currently switching back and forth from the ebook to the audiobook of this.. and the voice the narrator uses for the 3 year old is hilarious. Over the top childish lisp. I just wish I could share a clip of it to everyone to "enjoy" ?
Eta: surprisingly good summer read, def prefer reading it over listening! It had a murder mystery vibe which I wasn't expecting..I was initially drawn to the title and cover and didn't read what it was about. 4⭐

I really enjoyed this! Great characters.❤
Reminds me of a few truths I've come to believe. 1-everyone has a story, all we see when we meet people is the tip of an iceberg
2-some people come into our lives when we need them most
3-life contains magic, mysteries that we can't explain
4-living has it's ups and downs, the bravest thing to to persevere through the dark times to get to the light

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is not my usual 5 star read. I always try to mix up my reading with some mystery/psychological thrillers so I don't get burned out with the rom coms and fantasy/magic reads. This was so hard to put down. It hooked me from the beginning with the stories behind 3 young girls under the care of their deranged foster mother. The ending, more specifically, the last chapter - was absolutely great. Recommend! Bonus is that it's in Kindle Unlimited.

This was trippy. I didn't even know how to rate it! It is a fast read, and started to feel like a weird freaky horror movie. Towards the end, I was super confused as to who was narrating. The pronouns were changing and then..well, I had to turn to Google to have the book explained to me. Decided on 4 stars. It did suck me in and did not turn out how I thought it would.

Since I've had such great luck with Christina Lauren, I'm going to try out this series! Let me know if you've read them and what you thought! Looks like the perfect easy summer read. 🌞🏖📚

This was too ick for me. I'm a substitute teacher for high school/jr high and this made me feel physically sick. A grown ass man who works with teenaged children needs to control himself or work in a different environment. Or both. Just no. I should never of even started reading this. ?? I suggest skipping this "psychological thriller" if you have any triggers around married adults in a position of power/trust going after teen girls.

I went into this blind. All I knew was that a lot of people have read this and a lot of people were recommending it. I naively assumed from the title, that this was a generational story about women. Nope. This was a intense, heavy, scary at times, sad story about a woman who was a nurse in the Vietnam War. Her experience there and her experience afterwards trying to survive after arriving home. I'm so glad I read this. Such an important story.⭐⭐⭐⭐

Really enjoyed this! Abby Jimenez falls into the same category (for me) as Ali Hazelwood, Christina Lauren, Colleen Hoover, and Emily Henry. When I'm looking for a romance...these authors don't disappoint. I would say this probably is my favorite of Abby Jimenez's books that I've read. Has all the right elements and I really enjoyed the characters and their journey. Wasn't sure how it was going to end, kept my fingers crossed the whole time. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was so bad it was good. It's exactly like those Lifetime movies where everyone is crazy and there's a lot of screaming and accusations getting thrown around. Just look at the cover. Maybe it actually is a Lifetime movie.
If you need a very easy book to read at the end of those days that your brain is fried, this fits the bill. Entertaining and not very long. Not my fav of Frieda McFadden's but I'll give it 4 stars.

A really entertaining book centered around the idea that if Lauren can get her husband to climb up into the attic, a new husband climbs back down. Her world instantly shifts with each new husband. Her job changes, the decor in her house changes, her bank account changes. Her relationships with family and friends changes. Sometimes she lives with the husband for a few days, a few weeks, or sometimes it's minutes. A good 3.5 star read.

Whoa. This was so good!!! Disturbing at the end for sure, but such a great read. A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world terrorized by angels. I should not of put off reading this. It's been one of my kindle unlimited books that that I've marked to read for a long time and kept passing over. I don't recommend the audio version. I switched over to try it out, and immediately switched back to reading.
A quick one day fast-paced read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Loved this one! Another cozy fantasy read full of magic and that witty bantering between characters that I enjoy. Imagine putting Emily Wilde in the Bridgerton world.
I'm looking forward to reading more of this series!

So many pages in which nothing actually is happening. That's my major angst with this book. There lot of interesting character developments throughout. A few are HIGHLY interesting. I see what is coming and can't wait until it happens. By the end, it gets so good and then it stops. 😐 Like, why?! I obviously know why..it's a rhetorical question. You have to wait until the next book. 😩
4.5 stars
A few hundred more pages would of bumped it to 5!

Excellent. Highly recommend. Beautifully written, unforgettable characters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ All the stars

This was unlike any book I've read in a while. I didn't really know where it was going and was constantly guessing at the outcome. 5 of the 6 child stars of a wildly popular children's program 'Mister Magic' reunite to do a reunion podcast 30 years later. There's no record of the show or evidence of it even airing although there is speculation of it and what happened the 6th member of the cast deep in the depths of internet chat groups.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm thinking the audiobook version was def not the way to go for me. The constant angst - the yelling, cursing, anger. Ugh. It was too much. I experienced ptsd. Aunt Nadine was pretty hilarious. I had to laugh at some of the insults she was throwing around. It was much needed comedic relief in this ocean of negativity and anger. What menopausal women has Nat Cassidy been around to write these characters? Who hurt him? 😅
This wasn't for me. ⭐⭐

I feel like I've been reading this book for months. It's never going to end.

ETA: Okay, you're right! The last part was very good. It was enough to make me happy I stuck with this. But it was a JOURNEY. ⭐⭐⭐

A nice easy book to get sucked into! The idea of two baby girls born on the same day going home from the hospital with the wrong family is definitely not a new one. But I needed an audiobook and it sounded interesting. Luckily, this was on Kindle Unlimited and after starting it, I immediately switched to reading it. Much faster. I really enjoyed it and the ending was not what I expected but exactly right for these eclectic characters! ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I love the Emily Wilde world filled with fantastical creatures, magical charm, and new adventures! The first book hooked me immediately and this second book did not disappoint. I always fall the hardest for the first book in the series, but this was one of the better 2nd books. I'm 100% reading the next because I'm invested in Emily and Wendell. Such a unique relationship and I'm here to see how it ends! ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

These books are addictive. I feel like I'm one of the last to the Zodiac Academy party. Unless they start getting bad, I'm going to do nothing but go from book to book. These books get enormous. 😳 Actually it's the 8th book that has me shook at how big it is.
Book 1-436 pgs||Book 2-475pgs||Book 3-561pgs||Book 4-724pgs||Book 5-886pgs||Book 6-823pgs||Book 7-716pgs||Book 8-1242pgs||Book 9-to be released in April
Currently on Book 3. Wish me well..

So much better than I expected! I read much of the Shatter Me series and knew the author was excellent. I've had this book for a while and kept putting off reading it because I wasn't in the right mood to tackle such a large book. I started it yesterday, and finished today. Couldn't put it down! I neeed the next one. I wish I could go right into it. Ugh. So sad. Now I have to do things I put off yesterday when all I wanted to do was to read. 5⭐

If you loved the vibes of Legends & Lattes and/or The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches you will love this as well. It's a cozy fantasy with whimsy, magic, and comedy. All the good things! It's a bit long (658 pgs), and that is why I was fluctuating between a 4-5 star read. But I went with 5 stars because of how delightful of an escape I felt it gave me. I will definitely be reading the next one. Def noticing a theme of my 2024 fav reads!

Breen is a middle school teacher not loving her dull boring life and very controlling mother. She discovers her mother has been keeping a lot of secrets from her. She finds out the truth about her father and herself after going to Ireland for the summer.
Very unusual for me to rate TWO books five stars only 7 days into the year. Maybe my goal this year should be to read more slowly and to choose even more books about magic? Such a fun world here!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I really really liked this! 🤗
I just love books with magic in them. Finding out that there is another book in the series coming out in a week or two is so exciting. I may have to buy that one.

#bestof2023 📚
9 books out 268 got a five star rating this year!

The ending was excellent! Really looking forward to the next book. I couldn't give it 5 stars because it was difficult to get into this one. Maybe it was the timing of trying to read it during a busy holiday season? Not sure. However the ending was very good and made up for the sluggish first portion. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've been on a lucky streak with books lately. This is one I listened to on audio and really liked. Sally is a sketch writer for a tv show (exactly like SNL) who falls in love with a famous singer who is a guest host. One of the most realistic, relatable, funny love stories I've come across. It made my cooking and cleaning for Christmas fly by! I hope this gets made into a movie because it would be so good. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What an experience! The world that Sanderson has built here is a bit insane. Seas of different colored spores that react to water in (sometimes) horrifying ways? The humor in this book is constant, something that took me by surprise for some reason. It's quite fun! The whole book. I think it's a little long and wordy but I'm glad for the experience once I got used to the style. If you loved fairy-tales as a kid, you will love this.
3.5/4 stars

This would make a great book club book. So much to discuss! I really enjoy books about complicated families and the beautiful up/down relationships between people as they navigate life. Everyone has a story. Everyone has a multitude of reasons for why they are the way they are.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This isn't a thriller or a mystery exactly, more of a love story with a LOT of twists and turns! I would say it is a solid 4 ⭐ read. I had to keep reading to find out exactly what Emma's story was. The characters were interesting. I knew the love that Emma and her husband Leo had for each other was true. I was hoping that the story wasn't going to be a clichéd mess by the end, that's always a disappointment. Some beautiful writing, I enjoyed it!

Super cute and enjoyable Christmas romance. I'm trying to enjoy more light-hearted holiday reads this month to help get more in the spirit of Christmas. This was exactly what I hoped it would be. I liked the characters and the humor.

"Maybe, in the end, that‘s all that love was—doing the hard thing. Not roses and valentines and walks on the beach, but simply being present, day after ordinary day. The extraordinary romanticism of ordinary life."
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Such an empowering book! A group of women discover they have powers once they are middle aged, find out that there are quite a few girls that have gone missing in their town. They band together to find who is at fault. I loved these strong female characters! Such badasses. Very inspirational story that I will recommend especially to women 40+.

I loved this! I haven't read a book I couldn't put down for a while. I missed that feeling. This was a great way to spend my Saturday. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

So very good! I've heard a lot of great things about this book and they are all correct. I loved it. A quick and satisfyingly delightful read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was a nice change of pace after reading quite a few psychological thrillers and darker books in the spirit of Halloween. A sweet romantic comedy that reminded me of turning on a Hallmark movie and getting sucked into the story and rooting for a happy ending for the main characters. I def know how it feels to come from a small town and feeling judged by who you were at 17 every time you're back. This is a chunky book at 532 pgs but worth it!

There are so many 5 star reviews of this book. So many. Did I like it? No. And that's okay. Everyone is different. We all can like what we like. That's the beauty of life. I thought this book would be right up my alley. Sounded interesting. Yet I did not like anything about it. The bulimia, the abuse, the sexual depravity. I'm fascinated to read all the positive posts. It's as though we all read different books. Oh well, on to the next.

I absolutely loved Station Eleven so was excited to read this. It was such a different reading experience. Like waking up from a dream over and over. It all came together at the end in a way that made me want to reread the book for clues.
I didn't see the forest for the trees.
Prob not for everyone, but I liked it because people seem to talk about simulation all the time these days. The peek into the future and time travel aspect was fun as well.

Violent, confusing, powerful, and creative. I don't really know what to think about this book. I really liked parts of it. Other parts I really didn't like. The little bit of romance thrown in was not enough, and seemed almost disjointed. Something didn't flow correctly throughout. The ending threw everything off. Then again, nothing about this world was making sense. So it didn't really surprise me. I kind of want to know what happens next.