I enjoyed the present day timeline in this book but wasn‘t invested in the past timeline, so it prevented me from really getting into the story. I enjoyed it but there wasn‘t anything surprising in it. And I feel like it ended abruptly.
I enjoyed the present day timeline in this book but wasn‘t invested in the past timeline, so it prevented me from really getting into the story. I enjoyed it but there wasn‘t anything surprising in it. And I feel like it ended abruptly.
The first half of this romance is a bit slow, and if it wasn‘t for our bookclub I likely wouldn‘t have finished it. However, the second half picks up and you start to root for Jasper and Drew to find their happily ever after. The beginning was a bit too tied up in family drama and the romance wasn‘t believable at first. But I became fans of it as it progressed. And it had a very sweet ending.
This book added dimension to the superhero world outside of what we‘ve seen in the superhero school. This book follows Titan after a fall from grace. He makes his way back as a superhero after laying low for so long. He is a likeable character and we meet a lot of other characters with strong personalities that you grow very attached to. I really enjoyed seeing that there‘s a life for supers besides super hero work like rescue workers.
Just finished year 3 of this series and it is branching out further from the safety of the super hero school, and we are being introduced to bad guys and forces outside of what we‘ve gotten used to in books 1 and 2. A bit slower than the first two books but still really well done and addictive. Especially for a 41 hour audiobook! We are learning more about Nick and other students families, so it‘s expanding the world in a positive direction.
Year 2 of the Super Powereds series was just as addicting as year 1! It‘s the longest audiobook I‘ve ever listened to at 32 hours, but it flew faster than some 6 hour audiobooks I‘ve listened to. I do feel like there were some chapters that were redundant or didn‘t push the storyline or character development along, but they were few and far between.
I really enjoyed Hannah Brown‘s memoir! I liked how she carried herself during the Bachelor and Bachelorette while also being unapologetically herself. She also experienced quite a lot by her early 20s, and it is definitely a reminder that there is more to a person than what meets the eye. I respect her a lot more after listening to her story, and she actually was a great storyteller and narrator. I‘ll give her rom-com a try this spring!
I‘m surprised but I‘m loving this series! It‘s not something I would‘ve picked up on my own as I don‘t read a lot of self-published, sci-fi series, or really long books. But it was recommended, & I‘m glad I gave it a chance. The most impressive part is Kyle McCarley the audiobook narrator uses a full list of characters & differentiates voices between the characters. I can hear a voice and know who is speaking by their unique sound!
This was my very first cozy mystery, and it was fun! A nice switch up from the holiday rom-coms, while still keeping me in the holiday spirit. The whodunnit aspect was a bit abrupt as it didn‘t have a lot of lead up, but it fit into the story. I‘d definitely try another cozy mystery in the future.
McCurdy is an engaging writer & it‘s difficult to read about all the trauma she suffered at the hands of her mom, grandma & Hollywood. I‘m so glad she‘s doing better & was brave enough to share her story. I listened to the audiobook read by her, & she does a phenomenal job with it. She‘s a natural storyteller & even got Miranda Cosgrove‘s voice down to the point that I wondered if those lines were read by Miranda.
I can‘t wait to read her fiction!
My first book of the year to round out the holiday season! I read a handful of holiday romance-coms this year, including a different “Faking Christmas” title, but this was a top pick!
Laurel‘s boss Gilbert mistakenly thinks that Laurel owns and runs a family farm with plenty of Christmas traditions, but it‘s her twin sister‘s. So she tries to fool him with a fake husband (her nemesis) to attempt to keep her job. It‘s romantic and really funny!
This is so much more than a rom-com! Yes, there‘s a romance to root for & plenty of steamy scenes, but it‘s also about the evolution of Anna & Quan. They have major life struggles to face, & they come to accept themselves throughout the process.
The book is heavier than Hoang‘s others as Anna has to care for an aging father and unsupportive family. But, these struggles were so important for Anna‘s growth.
This is one of my new favorites!
My last read of 2023! It‘s a cute Christmas romance, but it took too long to get to the heart of the story and plot. It definitely did not need to be over 10 hours long.
A cute premise about an insurance adjuster meeting a woman after her accident, and she and her sick uncle helps him see the joy of Christmas, but I didn‘t feel connected to the characters. A lot was going on, but nothing in depth enough to care about the outcome. It‘s a super short listen at about 5 hours on audiobook, so it was easy listening while cleaning.
I downloaded and finished Faking Christmas in one day on audio, & it is such a feel-good enemies to lovers! Yet it still tackles some deeper subject matter like grief without derailing the romantic momentum. The best part, there‘s no annoying communication issue break-up plot as is always the case with this trope. This definitely got me in the Christmas spirit, and I recommend for anyone wanting a young Hallmark-esque story. It‘s vanilla & sweet!
This is a fun Christmas romance to gear up for the holiday season! It‘s very steamy with sex scenes every few chapters, and I really liked the plot of a porn star trying to get her next opportunity in a wholesome Christmas movie, while costarring with a former boy band pop star she was obsessed with as a teen. The book went on a bit long and there wasn‘t a lot of build-up to the relationship as it kicked off early on, but I still enjoyed it!
This psychological thriller had an unexpected spin on it that kept me reading and needing to know more. There isn‘t a ton of motivation to explain the driving forces behind the plot, but if you take it at face value, it‘s an intriguing and entertaining book!
What happens when a one-night stand from your bachelorette party stalks you to your wedding and honeymoon?
Britney‘s memoir is short and a quick listen on audio, but it still covers what many people want to know most about—her relationships and the conservatorship. It‘s a bit repetitive in parts, but the chapters are sort and you feel as if you‘re listening to a friend thanks to Michelle‘s narration. Britney has lived such a tough life and I truly hope she has sunnier days ahead and is able to spend more time with her kids.
This was a fun rom-com about Dylan who is traveling to figure out what‘s next without family money, & he meets Addie who is managing the bed & breakfast. We see their love story unfold in “then” chapters & see why it ended in the “now” chapters when they inadvertently end up traveling to their friend‘s wedding together with her sister, his best friend who hates Addie, and a random guest.
Spicy & sweet & quite the adventurous road trip!
I‘m so excited about Spotify‘s new audiobook program for Premium users! Listening to Britney Spear‘s new memoir for free and available to download immediately with no holds! You get 15 hours a month of free listening and that‘s not too bad! 1-2 audiobooks a month depending on how long they are!
So many twists and a really strong debut novel! I am still thinking about the ending and have been researching all the fan theories. I do think the most straightforward viewpoint makes the most sense, but was shocked by the way it all played out.
This was surprisingly emotional for a rom-com. I listened to the audiobook and the last several chapters I had to hold back tears so I could keep driving. Hunting does a really nice job bringing the characters to life and Peyton, the 9 year old daughter, added higher stakes and emotion to a romance that you don‘t often see.
Incredible audiobook narrator that allows the listener to differentiate between the many characters easily thanks to her voice acting. In the vein of Big Little Lies, we have rich characters doing awful things, but you can‘t stop watching and wanting to know what happens.
This was an easy read that I sped through in a handful of hours. We have two polar opposite coworkers, both unreliable narrators, as you try to determine who is telling the truth. The “who” didn‘t surprise me, but the “how” & “why” was exciting to unfold. There are blurry lines and questions of morality, and McFadden does a good job of keeping it entertaining throughout. Although we could have pulled back on “turtles” as a personality trait!
This was a much darker read than I expected. It‘s quite graphic in many scenes and feels a bit more like horror than thriller in some moments. It kept me on the edge of my seat and my heart rate was elevated for much of it!
It was a bit too long and convoluted, but I still enjoyed it.
I‘m usually not into paranormal romance but this was just like every Colleen Hoover I‘ve read—fantastic! It was unexpected and thrilling, and I was surprised by the twist.
I had such high hopes for this book as everyone always seems to love it and recommend it. I‘ve been planning to read it for years and now that I finally got around to it, I was bummed out. It was not as endearing as Eleanor Oliphant or The Kiss Quotient, and a bit slower, too.
I was obsessed with Caroline B Cooney books as a kid so I was beyond excited to find out she had an adult novel! I met her at a conference just before the pandemic and she signed the galley for me. And a few years later I have finally read it. It‘s a thriller in an unexpected location — a gated retirement community. I loved Helen‘s strength and tenacity, but she is also a realistic character. A grandma just trying to live her life & stay alive.
Truly phenomenal and my favorite book of the year by far! It makes you think a little more deeply about life and death, and the characters are so well developed. I experienced every emotion while reading it. If you liked A Man Called Ove and The Midnight Library, I think you would love this one, too.
I read this a few months ago but truthfully can‘t remember much of it. So couldn‘t have been the strongest story. I remember being entertained but there were confusing moments and some plot holes.
Entertaining audiobook, but it didn‘t really feel like a thriller. More gossipy and not suspenseful until near the end.
An interesting memoir that really dives into the horrors of addiction and how it‘s not a choice, but a disease. Although it touches on Friends and his experiences in film and TV, it‘s more focused on how his addiction impacted those experiences. Always nice to listen to the audiobook with the author‘s own voice.
Every Finlay Donovan book has so much humor, suspense, and spice. Love this series so much, but wish I didn‘t have to wait for the spring to find out what happens after that cliffhanger!
The audiobooks are really well done and I finished it in just a few days!
I enjoyed this audiobook—another domestic thriller from Hendricks and Pekkanen—but it was a bit slow. It took a while for anything to be revealed and the twists weren‘t that shocking. The main character‘s actions also didn‘t align up properly with her motivation, so some storylines felt like they were specifically for shock value. But it was entertaining and enjoyable. I wanted to know how it all finished so it kept me engaged.
I liked this book, I really did. However, I think I‘m not as impressed as others because it received so much praise and love that it couldn‘t possibly be as good as I had envisioned in my mind. I was hoping it would be the best book of the year, and truthfully it was an entertaining story with a strong woman character, especially for the time period in which this was set, but it didn‘t stick with me.
A fictionalized telling of what really happened to Agatha Christie when she went missing. A fascinating take and loved the speculation and reveal! A bit slow in moments but a fantastic audiobook.
Started this book on our honeymoon in Lake Como & finished it early this morning, taking advantage of jet lag. The Block Party is the perfect summer read with plenty of gossip, drama, deceit, and murder. The relationships and dynamic of the neighborhood are multidimensional and it mostly feels like a women‘s fiction novel for the majority of the novel. But the last quarter is full of jaw-dropping revelations. I loved this start to finish!
I‘ve been MIA from Litsy the last several months as I‘ve been so focused on wedding planning, job stress, & I haven‘t been reading as much. Keeping up with book reviews started to feel more like work than fun, and then I got so behind with posting that it felt more stressful to try to catch up. But my book and fairytale wedding day is done (best day of my life!!) and I‘m ready to start fresh on Litsy and reconnect with you all! Missed you!
I waffled about giving this a so-so or pick. I did enjoy it. I listened to it in a couple days on audiobook (while dying sola wood flowers for my wedding!), & I was interested in where it would all lead. It was an adventure, mystery, and romance in one. With that said, the ultimate direction felt unrealistic and a bit toxic. I didn‘t like the games of the main characters so SPOILER ALERT
I didn‘t want them to end up together. It felt childish.
My second Alice Feeney read! I really enjoyed it and was shocked by the big twist. I didn‘t love the ending, but I loved the journey that got us there. I‘ll definitely read more of her stories. #bookspin #doublespin @TheAromaofBooks this was also my first read of the year and first book for book spin!
Starting #bookspin and #doublespin a bit late, but excited to participate for 2023 and hoping to cross more off the list this year! Thanks as always for hosting @TheAromaofBooks
Sadly the lowest number of books I‘ve read in a year since 2014. I have just fallen into the trap of doom scrolling and bingeing shows this year. But I did love what I made time for!
Favorites this year included Finlay Donovan is Killing It, The Midnight Library, and Daisy Darker.
Happy New Year Littens!
This was my first Alice Feeney book, and it definitely won‘t be my last. The mystery unravels methodically with the perfect balance of suspense and drama. There are a lot of characters in the Darker family story, but each one has their own development that aids the plot. I loved the way it all ties up in the end, but I didn‘t expect it at all!
Perhaps because I listened to this one on audio, but it was a bit hard to follow and the ending came out of nowhere and felt rushed. However, I did enjoy learning about deaf culture and thought the book brought up some really important issues. I also appreciated how the audiobook changed the sounds when character‘s were listening through their implants to make it more immersive.
Feels similar to The Kiss Quotient but stands apart as it‘s own unique rom-rom. A psych student trying to calculate the “Sizzle Paradox” (aka the chemistry in relationships) by dating various men and rating them on the scale. But if she can‘t figure it out, how does she have any right to have a thesis on the topic? Very steamy!!
This is a really weird and odd graphic novel. I‘m sure kids would love it though, but I‘m definitely not the target audience here.
I loved this graphic novel! There is so much fun word play for both kids and adult readers. The illustrations are bright and colorful, and I love the overarching message that being yourself is the best path to happiness and success.
Super cute rom-com with a bit of magic — perfect October read! (I‘m a bit behind updating my reviews!) It has a hate to love trope, which I always enjoy!
Better than book two, but the show is still so much better. As is the To All The Boys I‘ve Loved Before series. I did not expect the direction of this final book, but I was happy with the very end and how it was tied together.
The second book in Jenny Han‘s The Summer I Turned Pretty series, and it was very sad. It felt like a transitional book that will set up the third in the series and didn‘t have a strong plot on its own besides Belly still being unsure of her purpose without the summer house and Beck‘s boys. I‘ll still read the third, but this series overall isn‘t as strong as To All the Boys I‘ve Loved Before.
Definitely a cute enemies to lovers rom-com with some HGTV vibes. I enjoyed it but nothing too original.