This novel mixes mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction with a touch of cozy. My book club chose this during a very quick book store visit. However, unpopular opinion here- this slow-paced tale didn‘t quite resonate with me, despite its unique premise. Ultimately, this book didn‘t hit the mark for me and I just didn‘t connect with the characters. Many readers have loved it, including all of the other members of my book club. ⭐⭐⭐/5 stars. ❤️📚

Going into this one blind is the way to go, so I‘ll keep this vague and short. Molloy takes you on a wild ride, flipping the story on its head just when you think you know what‘s happening. It‘s twisty and fast-paced, part mystery, part love story, and part psychological thriller. I listened to the audiobook, and it added so much to the experience with multiple narrators and entertaining performances. ❤️📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Popcorn thriller, fast paced with super short chapters, perfect follow up to my last read which was slower paced. Plus, it‘s Labor Day weekend, just before the start of school here, which makes the timing of this read pretty perfect.

I am going into this one completely blind, except for the recommendation from a bookish bestie who loaned it to me. ❤️📚

Enjoyed reading this one on the beach on vacation. The settings couldn‘t be more different though…. 😆❤️📚🌊❄️

The second in Ruiz's mega yacht series, this story follows the chief stew and chef. It falls short of the first book. The main character's choices feel forced and situations contrived. However, as a light escape, it succeeds. The setting keeps you engaged, even if attempts at depth miss the mark. It's a quick, entertaining read that serves as a good palate cleanser. Not memorable, but fulfills its purpose as easy entertainment. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

The second in Yarros' Empyrean series, continues Xaden and Violet's thrilling journey. Seamlessly blending adventure, romance, and intrigue, it's as unputdownable as Fourth Wing. Yarros expands this rich world and deepens character relationships, keeping readers enthralled. While the ending left me wishing for a different choice, it doesn't diminish my excitement for the series. I'm eager for the next installment. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

Romantasy with dragons! What more can I say? Everyone has already talked about this book and said it all. I didn‘t expect to like it as much as I did. I absolutely loved it! I couldn‘t turn the pages fast enough and dove right into the next book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

First in a romance series set in the world of private yachts - think "Below Deck" with a dash of rom-com flavor. Our protagonist, a yacht stewardess fresh off charter season, grapples with personal loss while attempting to tick off items on her 30th birthday bucket list. Despite typical romance tropes, character choices that didn't quite ring true and a predictable plot, the story kept me engaged enough to see it through to the end. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/3 ❤️?

A heart-wrenching tale of motherhood, friendship, love, and the strength of women set in the 1970s. The story follows Ginny and Ab, a couple whose seemingly perfect life masks deeper issues. When Ginny gives birth to a daughter with Downs Syndrome, the child is whisked away and placed in an institution. Years later, when Ginny discovers the institution may be unsafe, a fierce maternal instinct drives her to action. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

An unexpected gem! This fast-paced, beautiful story explores imagination, the human experience, and love in all its forms. It follows Megs as she seeks answers about 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' for her sick brother, leading her to C.S. Lewis himself. Her quest becomes a journey of self-discovery, unexpected friendships, and the magic of losing oneself in a good book. It'll remind you why we fall in love with books. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ❤️📚

Deeply moving novel that explores themes of loss, betrayal, family, childhood trauma, friendship, motherhood, coming of age, self-discovery, forgiveness and the healing power of books. Set against the serene backdrop of a sleepy South Carolina town by the water's edge, this book makes for a perfect summer read, seamlessly blending family drama with a gripping missing person mystery. Loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

We are vacationing with two other families this year, and almost all of the readers going have read this and the second book in the series. My BFF, my sis in law, my BFF‘s daughter and my two bonus daughters (my sons‘ GFs). I don‘t want to feel left out! I borrowed my daughter‘s copy - she hasn‘t read it yet. Hoping I can finish both before we go on vacation. Was slow to start for me, but it‘s picking up. ❤️📚

Started this one on audio a few days ago. Heartbreaking and bringing out fierce Mama vibes. ❤️📚

Book club pick! We are meeting Wednesday night. I better get reading!! ❤️📚

Outstanding addition to the China Thrillers series, and my favorite so far. A dark, gripping mystery that intertwines dramatic personal conflicts with the intensity of a chilling investigation. Lead detective, Li Yan, is called to Shanghai to assist in the investigation of a mass grave filled with dismembered bodies. He teams up again with American pathologist Margaret Campbell to discover who is behind the killings. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

This novel merges the intensity of a thriller with the emotional resonance of a love story, delivering a reading experience that is compelling and emotionally rich. The fast pace and propulsive writing create tension. The slow burn on the reveals adds layers of intrigue and suspense without sacrificing emotional depth and an underlying sense of hopefulness. Walsh has created a story that is both suspenseful and moving. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

A gripping, dark psychological thriller with morally ambiguous characters. Swanson's writing is propulsive & easily readable. The plot has just enough twists & surprise reveals without feeling over-the-top. I didn't realize until after that it‘s part of a series (noted as book # 1). I was satisfied with the ending and not sure how to feel about it being part of a broader story arc. Regardless, the book works well on its own. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

Currently reading - Peter May is so good at suspenseful police procedural thrillers! Forever grateful to @Crazeedi and @EadieB for the introduction to him! ❤️📚

I need to update my Litsy account with reviews! I‘ve gotten behind. So busy with house projects and my visiting MIL, I haven‘t had much time to read, let alone write reviews. She‘s going to be with us through the end of the year, so I‘m hoping to settle into more of a routine soon. 💕

Cara is in midlife and has been laid off. As a requirement of her unemployment benefits, she attends sessions with an employment counselor. This is the account of those visits, interspersed with the paperwork she completes. Cara is a good human to her soul. She loves fiercely, takes care of everyone around her to her own detriment. She doesn‘t always make the best decisions, but her heart is what matters. Excellent on audio. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 ❤️📚

I listened to this on audio while I was painting doors. (We are in the midst of some renovations.) It‘s a novella set in rural Ireland about a little girl sent to live with another family for a summer. She doesn‘t know when she‘ll return home, but finds that this home is full of love, much different from the house she came from. I didn‘t want the story to end, much like the little girl felt at the end of her summer. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

Exploring themes of grief, starting over, finding oneself & family, this novel follows a woman rebuilding her life by running a family bookstore after a loss. It‘s a sweet, tender story with likable characters, but fell flat for me. Reading in short spurts contributed to a sense of detachment. The mystery of a family treasure felt underdeveloped & the story resolved too conveniently. Overall, a charming tale & an enjoyable read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 /5 ❤️📚

This novel follows Advika, an aspiring screenwriter, and her whirlwind romance with Julian Zelding, an "A-list" producer. Their relationship takes a turn when Advika discovers that Julian is concealing his past and has a hidden agenda. An intriguing premise, but it fails to deliver on its potential because the novel lacks depth. This story could have been much more compelling. ⭐️⭐️.5/5 ❤️?

Up next! ❤️📚 A friend passed this on after she finished it. Looking for a bit of a cozy read after the emotional toll of my last read.

How does John Boyne make you laugh, rage and feel like crying all on the same page? This character driven novel follows the life of Cyril Avery. Cyril is funny, smart, and lovable. He‘s flawed, but not as much as the world in which he lives. This book is heartbreaking yet hopeful, and showcases a point in history of both Ireland and the US that is not very favorable. Cyril will stay with me for a long time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ /5 ❤️📚

My next audiobook. This one gets mixed reviews. So far, I‘m enjoying it. ❤️📚

This one wasn‘t for me. Told in a meandering way between the present and the past, when a person from her past is brought up in conversation, Rachel remembers her formative years in her early 20s. I found Rachel to be insufferable. The decisions she made, the lack of any personal responsibility for her own situation, her deception…it was all too over the top. I kept listening to see how it would all end, and that was unsatisfying, too. ⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

Fantastic read! This was my book club‘s choice and my #bookspin for March. Told in a dual timeline between current day and the late 1700s, with three narrators (one present and two past), this story has twists and turns and a puzzle to solve. Caroline discovers a vial that takes her on a historical journey to uncover an apothecary‘s secrets. Strong female characters, self discovery and mystery, woven together into a fast paced novel. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Started this on audio today. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I‘m about 30% in, and I don‘t really like any of the characters. 🤷‍♀️ I am going to keep going because I don‘t hate it, but I already know this one won‘t be a 4⭐️ or 5⭐️ read. ❤️📚

What a fun romp this was! High fantasy meets cozy, with a little romance. Viv is an Orc who is done with the bounty life and is looking to settle down. She wants to open a coffee shop - the first one in the city of Thune. She meets a quirky, lovable cast of characters along the way. Funny, hopeful, sweet. This is fantastic on audio - Travis Baldree is a voice talent turned author and voices his own book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

#freebiefriday #litsylove

Favorite chunkster….I love a good chunkster! Favorites include the Outlander series, Paradise…probably my most recent favorite chunkster read was Johnathan Strange & Mr. Norrel. It was about 1,000 pages, a book club pick, and I didn‘t expect to like it. I ended up loving it! ❤️📚

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Read4life @TieDyeDude

#freebiefriday #litsylove

It is hard to choose just one, but my favorite female author might be Sarah Addison Allen. I‘ve read almost every one of her books and have loved all of them. Tagging my favorite. ❤️📚

@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @TieDyeDude @Read4life

I started this one on audio a couple of days ago. I got attached to the characters in the prequel, so I‘m hoping I didn‘t ruin my experience with this book by reading that one first. This one takes place several decades later. It‘s fun so far and the narration is excellent. The author is a voice talent and lends his voice to his own work with these books. ❤️📚🎧

Started this one tonight. It is my Book Club‘s current pick. It hooked me right away, and seems like it will be a fast read. ❤️📚

This one is not for me. I gave it 20% - 173 pages and I just can‘t. On to the rest of my mountainous TBR. This one is headed for my friend‘s Little Free Library. ❤️📚 #hailthebail

#Bookspinbingo for March! The Lost Apothecary is my Book Club book! So excited that it's also the #bookspin! With the #doublespin and two free spaces in the same row, maybe I will actually get a Bingo. I think it's possible! I finished a book for a FREE space last night, and It Didn't Start With You is a short, non-fiction/self help - although my aunt, who lent me the book, said there's lots of work involved while reading. Let's Go! ❤️📚

I‘m really struggling with this one…I‘m on page 173, which is 20% in (820 page book). The main character has aged from 4 to 8 years old. There‘s a lot of sexual content; way more than is okay with a main character that‘s only 8. I‘m grossed out. I really don‘t want to read this 8 year old‘s thoughts about what his body does, much less his actions. Those who have read this book, tell me, is it worth it to continue? 😒

What an entertaining, lively, cozy, sweet, fun read! I had not heard of “cozy fantasy” before listening to the Reading Glasses podcast, where host Mallory has talked about her love of the book Legends & Lattes often. This is the prequel and I thoroughly enjoyed it! I loved the quirky characters and even got choked up a little at the end. I‘m listening to Legends & Lattes next, but suggest starting with that one as it was pub‘d first. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

March #bookspin list. Let's Go! ❤️📚

I read six books in February, but didn't form a bingo. 🤦‍♀️🤷‍♀️ Maybe I will choose the books I read more wisely this month. That #bookspinbingo is so elusive for me.

My #doublespin for February. This chunkster will have to push into my March reading. 😉❤️📚 #clearmyshelves2024

This is a dark story about sexual abuse. Kaeleigh & Raeanne are twins from a prominent family. The secrets in this family run deep. The twins are the victims of their parent‘s abuse and neglect. How does a 16 year old girl cope with so much trauma in her life? Ellen Hopkins uses verse powerfully to tell their story. Fast paced and disturbing, this book will stay with you. Check trigger warnings - there are many. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

I may have just figured out something about this book. 🤔🧐 Will have to keep reading to find out if I‘m right. About 25% in - it‘s dark and gritty, and full of potential triggers, but I love the way the author uses the verse. When the chapters change from one twin‘s perspective to the other, there are matching words on the opposing pages separated from the rest of the verse. So creative. It must have taken so much time and thought. ❤️📚

Started this one on audio this morning. Another podcast recommendation, sort of. The sequel to this book, Legends and Lattes, was recommended on one of my favorite bookish podcasts “Reading Glasses.” If I recall, they said you didn‘t have to read this first, but I‘m weird about reading series books in order, even if they can be standalone. 🤷‍♀️❤️📚🎧

I listened to this on audio. The narrator was fantastic. The book - not for me. #unpopularopinion It was fast paced, but the voice is so incredibly unlikable. I understand that this is the point, but it just wasn‘t for me. It is also a scathing look at the publishing industry. It hits you so hard over the head making its point, it wasn‘t enjoyable or funny. It was a truly interesting idea for a story, that just didn‘t work for me. ⭐️.5 /5 ❤️📚

This novel opens with 3 women, all stood up by the same man. Told from their perspectives in dedicated chapters, this is a story of love, friendship, self love, loss and personal growth. I almost gave up on this because it dabbled in infidelity. If you find yourself in that place, just stick it out and trust the author to tell the story and bring it to a satisfying conclusion. It‘s creative and has more depth than the cover alludes. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ❤️📚

This year, I‘m trying something new by having a physical/e-book and an audiobook going at the same time. I‘ve heard this one is good on audio. A few weeks ago, I placed a hold through Libby on the audiobook from the library, but there was a 12 week wait. Today, I thought I‘d check Hoopla and it was there! Downloaded it and started it today! ❤️📚🎧

Reading a rom-com I picked up from the library this week. Ready for something light after my last read. I‘ve never read Beth O‘Leary before, but have heard her mentioned on a couple of bookish podcasts I listen to. ❤️📚

A beautifully written story about Count Alexander Rostov and his quiet, but full, life under house arrest at a hotel in Moscow. It‘s about making the most from your circumstances, finding purpose, found family. This novel is quiet, but full of lovable characters. The slow pace was hard for me. My rating is not a reflection of the book, but of where this book came to me in my reading life. I highly recommend it, and am glad I read it. ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 ❤️📚

Picked up my mug for completing my local library‘s Winter Reading Program, and a few books, because they have those and I can‘t resist. I might have a problem. 😉❤️📚 #library #libraryprogram #librarybooks

This is the 2nd book in the China Thrillers series. There have been a series of related gruesome murders that the main characters, a Chinese police detective and an American pathologist, need to solve. Not as good as the first, this is still a solid mystery, if a bit predictable. There is a lot of ancient Chinese history here that did not particularly interest me - it might interest some, but it just wasn‘t my cup of tea. ⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 ❤️📚

Thank you @EadieB for the surprise Valentine‘s #bookmail! You are always so thoughtful and generous with your book mail! 💕❤️💕 So excited to add these to my shelves! #bookmailisthebestmail