Scrivenor‘s second novel may be even better than her first!! I couldn‘t stop listening to this one set both before & after a fatal climbing incident. Finn‘s met the love of her life in Magdu but wishes that her childhood best friend, Daphne, would make more of an effort to make friends with her. What‘s supposed to be a bonding day adventure in the NSW mountains changes their lives forever. Well-performed & genuinely riveting— can‘t wait for more!

What an emotional roller coaster of a US debut! I absolutely loved this heart wrenching drama set mostly in the 1960s in a small English village. A love triangle with fatal consequences told in a dual timeline quickly becomes impossible to put down! Beth‘s literary dreams turn into a fulfilling life on a farm until her first love returns home & all of their lives change forever. Some surprises are easy to see but some jaw-dropping ones remain!

I‘m not sure how this #TeamSweetValleySeries was originally advertised because there wasn‘t even a blurb about it within the #SweetValleyTwins books published around it in 1996, but it‘s set during 6th grade biennial California Games. Jessica leads the girl‘s gymnastics team but makes an enemy of Dawn Maven, a girl from a less wealthy town who has made gymnastics her whole life. The rivalry gets out of hand & forges an unexpected friendship!

Set in a small town in the Arkansas Ozarks, Dovie doesn‘t believe in magic, despite her own talent for feeling buried bones sing to her. In three years, Dovie has helped the sheriff locate 24 bodies of missing hikers. With no real leads, it falls to Dovie & her best friend to find the culprit, alongside mountain myths, magic & supernatural & natural dangers. It‘s a quick & fun YA thriller! It follows some familiar paths but with surprises too!

I love this fun series! Picking up with the 4th book‘s cliffhanger, they‘ve returned from their Atlantic City adventure to a corpse uncovered in the one-woman neighborhood watch‘s yard. And when Finlay‘s ex falls under suspicion, it‘s in everyone‘s best interests if Finlay & Vero can quickly prove his innocence before the cops dig any deeper! Fun & with nosy Mrs. Haggerty stealing scenes, this is another quick read leaving me anxious for the 6th!

Well, my British collection steered me a bit wrong with ending with this 12th #SweetValleyTwinsSuperEdition— it skips over all of their 7th grade & opens up with them worrying over who will be staying at SVMS and who will go to the new Sweet Valley Junior High. The twins fight because Liz wants to be a part of the accelerated program while Jess wants to be with as many Unicorns as possible. They throw a summer party & get supernatural guidance!

I loved ONCE THERE WERE WOLVES, so I was thrilled to dive into the audio of McConaghy‘s latest and one of this month‘s #BOTM selections. It‘s a riveting premise— a woman washes up on Shearwater Island near Antarctica where the seed bank there and island is crumbling into the rising seas. A father & his three children remain— along with their secrets, as it all comes to light in the wake of their new arrival. Heartbreaking yet beautifully written!

Such a fun romantic comedy!! Ali returns to Baltimore, instigating her third career change in a decade. With her reputation in her family as the fun but flighty sister, she‘s determined to succeed in her new event planning career without any distractions. But when someone walks back into her life that she hasn‘t seen since her semester abroad, everything changes! Sweet & with fun supporting characters, this second chance romance had me laughing!

It‘s the last field trip for the 6th grade—& the last numbered book in the #SVT series!! Before spelunking in the Cruz Caverns 3 hours away, students must attend a safety lecture & take a quiz to determine where they‘ll be placed. But a new store with glow-in-the-dark cosmetics opens the same day, so Jessica & Lila get two of the 7th grade Unicorns to take their quiz so they can shop—but disaster strikes leaving them with only fashion to help!

This SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE-inspired rom-com makes for a cute (though there a few steamy scenes!) listen. Single mother Lucie is shocked when her pre-teen daughter calls a local radio station‘s love-line with host Aiden Valentine for dates on her mother‘s behalf. Soon Lucie‘s on the air with her new co-host but there are more sparks between them than the callers! Their hurdles to romance fall a bit flat, but they make an easy-to-root-for pair!

What a gripping #BOTM for this month! Though not my favorite of McAllister‘s, this still makes for a fun read! I may have guessed the main twist early on, but there are still some surprises! The book opens with introverted, book loving Cam and her first day back to work as a literary agent when she‘s called away by the police. Hostage negotiator Niall provides the other perspective here with the storyline spanning years with secrets & betrayals!

It‘s nearly the end of the school year & Janet Howell‘s making everyone miserable as she prepares for a year-end speech & a fabulous party. She‘s not sparing a single expense… but also not a single feeling! After blowing up at Lois Waller (Lois once again spills her spaghetti in the lunchroom), Elizabeth encourages her to throw a rival party the same night as Janet‘s! With more reminders of books in the past, this one is almost bittersweet!

I absolutely loved this!! My book club read THE SNOW CHILD ages ago, but I didn‘t expect to stay up so late to finish this in practically one sitting! I‘m so glad this was a #BOTM pick for the month! I found this emotional, tragic fairytale set mostly in Alaska to be a completely riveting read! I loved the characters, the setting & the aura of magic surrounding it all! Some may find this to be Beauty & The Beast-ish, but it‘s selkie-ish to me!

Set in a small village in 1989, this spooky novel spans a UK heatwave with strange happenings centering around a young girl. Newly graduated, Mina needs experience using her adolescent psychology degree & in a grief support group, journalist Sam finds an opportunity for both of them both professionally but also in the hope of contacting their lost loved ones. Eerie, with some predictable turns along with chilling scenes, I couldn‘t put it down!

In Project Outreach, SVMS requires students to spend a week volunteering through the mayor. Assigned randomly, both Lila & Jessica want the ease of filing in the mayor‘s office while Liz wants something more hands-on. Not even twin loyalty stops her from accepting Lila‘s offer of switching for the soup kitchen plus $200 to donate! But when the cash goes missing, Jessica may have been too quick to point out the culprit! Liz‘s saintliness runs high!

I loved EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER, so I had some high hopes diving into this one! And while I certainly found myself listening at every chance, I just didn‘t find it to be quite as enjoyable as I‘d hoped… Laurie, in the wake of breaking off her engagement, takes time off to return to her ME hometown to sort through her beloved great-aunt‘s belongings. The quest for the story surrounding a wood duck decoy provides the highlight of the book for sure!

This third installment in the #HavensRockSeries includes some of the most dramatic scenes not only of the series, but all books! Nearing her due date, Casey‘s at first thankful for the distraction of an attempted crime until leaving their remote Yukon town for the birth. But weather intervenes… also providing cover for an even more horrific crime! Thrilling & hard to put down, I‘m looking forward to more in the series!

It‘s the 2nd #SweetValleyMothersDay with a mother/daughter fashion show fundraiser for the local women‘s shelter as the highlight. Bored in Mr. Bowman‘s class, Lila skims the Sixers article about it & signs up without realizing she needs her mom… Jessica‘s furious to miss the signup & suspicious about Mrs. Fowler‘s convenient return. Lila hires a woman at the shelter but Jess spends the smoked oyster money for her own mother to uncover her secret!

Though published five years later, this sequel to #TheRoyalWe starts a mere few weeks after the conclusion of the first book. Hiding out in #Wigtown, Bex & Nick try to put the scandal that broke on their royal wedding behind them— but they can‘t stay away forever… Returning to the spotlight, they both work on repairing relationships & their future. Queen Eleanor really steals the show here & I loved her scenes the most! Such a fun duology!

Hard to believe this one came out ten years ago! Since its release in 2015, with the sequel out 5 years later, I decided to re-read this one to fully enjoy the whole duology! And I‘m so glad— while I clearly remembered the central, larger than life romance of an Iowan foreign exchange student meeting and falling in love with a prince, I had forgotten the side dramas between the friends & her twin that added so much more to this romance! So fun!

The end of school picnic‘s approaches & everyone‘s pairing off— except Janet‘s furious with Denny for lying & taking it out on the rest of the Unicorns. Jessica‘s own loose relationship with the truth comes into focus as she tries to come out on top & wishes for Elizabeth to learn a lesson through all-truths & then all-lies! It‘s silly & fun as Jessica gets wound deeper into trouble but a heroic dog-rescue straightens everything out in the end!

Set in #SouthAfrica, this bodyguard thriller starts off a series with plenty of action. Lemmer‘s client recognized her brother on a TV but he‘s been presumed dead for 20 years. And soon it seems someone is after Emma as they start uncovering hidden truths. Abrupt transitions make the audio feel a little convoluted at times, & some of the relationship details feel rough… I couldn‘t connect with the characters enough to want to continue the series!

This month‘s book club pick wasn‘t a favorite for anyone, unfortunately! The enticing blurb had us all expecting much more of a rom com, & while moments of cubicle drudgery were familiar, there was a bit too much vitriol overall. I liked the twist on a fake engagement & appreciated Jolene‘s overall character arc, but there have been more successful versions of a depressed, alcoholic & anxious MC come out of arrested development than this one!

Picking up right from where THE BOYFRIEND GAME left off, it‘s the 5th #SweetValleyValentinesDay and the winning couples are headed to Dizzy Planet while the rest of the school prepares for the dance that night. Still twin-switched, Liz overhears a Young Love employee mention cheating, so she sneaks into the park (Sophia Rizzo separately does the same!) to warn that their schemes may have been uncovered & will ruin the dance! More fights & fun!

I‘ve been a fan of Kingsolver‘s writing for a long time, so I have been looking forward to reading (well in this case, listening) to this Appalachian David Copperfield since I first heard about it! Heartbreaking, but powerfully written, I couldn‘t stop listening to this one. I loved the performance & thought each character really came to life. Definitely the kind of book that will stick with me—& one of the few to live up to the hype from friends!

With a closed setting, six mystery/thriller authors, three staff members & a total Clue vibe, Pliego packs this debut full of genre tropes, books within books & twists. Unfortunately the multiple perspectives don‘t allow for the deeper character development that would strengthen the motivations here to a more convincing level. I had a hard time connecting with the characters & while I love the premise, this just has too much crammed in for me!

The Dating Game for middle schoolers, Young Love, is looking for schools for their Valentines special & all of SVMS wants their school to be selected! After groups from The Unicorns to the science club write essays & Liz does her best for the school photograph, candidates & contestants are secretly selected. Liz instigated a twin switch to avoid the nasty but handsome host but once the new couples form for the Dizzy Planet prize, fights erupt!

Ashton‘s latest makes for a quick & fun listen! Dalton Greaves left a lonely life in WV to work for the Unity a space initiative run by a snail-like species looking for other intelligent beings. The book opens when they land on a planet with giant insect-like creatures at the same time as their space rivals, stick-bug like aliens. With humor & heart, this is a genuinely fun & well-performed listen! Can‘t wait for more from Ashton!

After adoring ALL THE COLORS IN THE DARK, I immediately got my hands on all of Whitaker‘s earlier novels! This one opens a bit slowly as the characters & setting solidify, but by the end, I didn‘t want to say goodbye to anyone! 13-yr-old Duchess certainly is quite the scene stealer & I loved her outlaw ways & loyalty. The weight of the past, loyalty & deep friendships all make this one a gripping & heartfelt read covering similar themes to ATCITD.

It‘s the first #SweetValleyNewYear & resolutions are in the air— starting with the twins needing to prove to their parents that they won‘t fight for a whole week so they can go on a ski trip with their cousins. But their friends get in on this, turning it into a diaper-wearing punishment as Steven avoids TV, Lila can‘t brag, Janet can‘t eat sweets, Amy must be on time, Joe avoids Casey‘s & Maria stays away from mirrors! Sabotage abounds for all!

I loved Woods‘ debut, but I think I love this latest even more! Woods blends together Cinderella and The Little Mermaid here against the backdrop of the 18th century French coast. Luce lives a sheltered life as the youngest daughter of one of the town‘s wealthiest merchants— but she yearns for her own adventures. An illicit friendship helps spur her fantasies until the day she rescues a handsome stranger & everything changes. Beautifully written!

This nonfiction book kept one hand over my mouth in horror as I read. Though I haven‘t read any of Dunlop‘s novels, or listened to her podcast, I couldn‘t tear my eyes away from her work with a Texas detective as they provide depth & details to three Munchausen By Proxy cases in Tarrant County — Hope Ybarra, Stephanie Phillips & Mary Welch. The similarities & differences are surprising but I wish there had been more national/international detail.

In this Groundhog Day-ish 8th #SweetValleyChristmas, Jessica must learn once again about the joy of giving & not being a selfish brat for the holidays! The twins host a Christmas Eve party & Jessica wants it to be a modern, formal soirée while Elizabeth‘s more traditional ideas win out over their parents. Wanting revenge, Jessica steals Liz‘s thoughtful Secret Santa gift & passes it off as her own while not even getting her twin anything at all!

I think this family‘s story will make a great discussion starter for book clubs! The Ewerike family‘s fortune has spiraled down & the past weighs heavily on the present when the father, Fidelis, cannot look at his teenage daughter without seeing his younger sister, lost in Nigeria. Set in Florida, this character study shows all sides of a few months within the family‘s lives. I really didn‘t know what to expect & am looking forward to discussing!

This husband/wife duo is a quick listen that hooked me in about a murderous opening weekend for an exclusive club for the elitist of celebrities. With multiple perspectives, plus news coverage this sparkles with cinematic flair. Some of the twists genuinely surprised me, though a few were more expected. I wish that the ending had a bit more of a satisfying sense of justice though… The audio is well-performed! Available through #KindleUnlimited!

Somehow, this is the first #SweetValleyThanksgiving for the #SVT series (I think there were 6 in SVK!)! It‘s also Cousin Kelly‘s series debut, and a return for cousins Robin & Stacey. Here all the sisters— the twins, Robin & Stacey & even Alice, Nancy & Laura— constantly bicker & fight. Steven wants family gossip & we learn where Jessica‘s scheming side really comes from! Oddly, Kelly used to live in #SweetValley, though she didn‘t in 2nd grade!

Set mainly in the late 1990s, the pop culture background adds to the fun & thrills with a fantastic audio performance! The book opens with Ramona & her 5th-grade bestie, Grace, getting the acting break they have long dreamed of… acceptance into the elite & exclusive titular academy that uses the old Hollywood studio system as a model to keep everything in-house as it launches the best entertainment but harbors dark truths about the price of fame.

With a fun Victorian style, this gruesome little horror novel makes for a quick & darkly entertaining read! Winifred Notty arrives at Ensor House to act as the governess for the two Pounds children— but it‘s quickly clear her past may hide the real reason she took the job. It‘s a dark story with some black humor & a “naughty” sense of fun. Some parts follow predictable paths & it‘s filled with deaths (including infants, so beware) but original!

It‘s the 5th #SweetValleyHalloween & Mr. Clark announces the school‘s trip fund is low, so they need the prize from the Pumpkin Growers Association as the school with the most pumpkin spirit! Elizabeth comes up with the idea to crown a Halloween king & queen by voting using carved jack-o-lanterns! Jessica feels jealous & then takes credit for Liz‘s acorn pumpkin earrings, bringing the pumpkin spotlight back to her! Liz gets justice through Poe!

Happy Publication Day!! I can see why this one garnered so much pre-publication buzz plus its spot chosen by GMA and Aardvark! I couldn‘t put this debut down! Opening just before the Civil War, the titular character has never left the Alabaman plantation she was born on. Junie works as a lady‘s maid but has always thought of Violet as a friend, the two often reading & giggling together. The death of Junie‘s sister sparks changes— a riveting read!

I can‘t remember not being fascinated by the ocean & all of its creatures! Here the author focuses on the transition from the public perception of genuine fear of orcas to one of love & admiration. The second orca to be held in captivity, dubbed Moby-Doll, changed history, in this story that is both heartbreaking & lovely at times. A perfect listen if you just finished watching Blackfish & want something along the same lines! Read by the author!

It‘s the (5th) start of summer & while Jessica‘s looking forward to a summer free from plans & school, Liz applied for them to do a 2 week campus experience at SVU! With Steven in basketball camp, & Alice & Ned taking a camping trip in the Grand Canyon, Jessica can‘t wiggle out of it! She takes ceramics, meets a cute boy & a strange old woman who inspires some creative revenge on her vile roommate, Susan— a curse pot! Then, Susan disappears!

Such a fun January #BOTM! With a similar faux-documentary style like DAISY JONES & THE SIX, the central figures here are ice dancing modernizations of WUTHERING HEIGHTS. With great Illinois detail (minus the impossibility of Lake County property tax), this high-drama & sequin-filled read is impossible to put down! Totally entertaining & enjoyable, I hope the screen optioning rights pan out well because this definitely has cinematic flair! So fun!

I‘ve liked Koontz‘s books & the striking cover had me hoping this #KindleUnlimited title‘d be fun, but this listen fell flat to me. I wasn‘t expecting it to be quite so fantastical. Vida lives in a remote property, making her living illegally mining for gemstones & is so in tune with nature she‘s never had so much as a mosquito bite. Her BFF is a half wolf/half shepherd leader of a pack but when a billionaire murders her fiancé, she seeks justice.

Strapped for cash again, the Wakefield twins decide that after disastrously babysitting the Riccolis, they‘re better off house-sitting. Their first client is none other than their principal, Mr. Clark, who leaves town in a rush. After some accidental snooping on Jessica‘s part, she finds a bloody knife, a suspicious stain & hair clump & Liz‘s warning from Mr. Clark to stay out of the basement. Now they need proof that Mr. Clark murdered his wife!

I‘m not sure why I finished this one… I wanted to set it aside, but I guess I wasn‘t ready to have my first DNF of the year… This romance just didn‘t do anything for me. Melody and Zac grew up together—he‘s her twin brother‘s BFF, but he ghosted her in high school & now it‘s been ten years & Melody returns to her hometown after a breakup with Connor, who she somehow managed to not see was controlling… drawn out & with repetitive words, not for me!

When a British family wins Q9 million, their lives change forever… proving that the TLC show THE LOTTERY RUINED MY LIFE isn‘t solely an American phenomenon. For 15 years, Lexi & Jake played the same numbers along with their two best couple friends. A fight breaks out between them… one week before Lexi buys the winning ticket. The ugly side of greed is on full display here, though the predictable plot gets bogged down with descriptions of wealth.

Randy Mason & Cammi Adams are tied to win the Scholar of the Semester award (a home ec brookie mishap disqualified St. Elizabeth!) & the 6th grade will be awarded a day without school if one of them wins. Master manipulator Jessica knows they can‘t get that day off without her— especially with two of the strictest subs handing out failing grades! Cammi suggests matchmaking to improve the lives of these singles, while catching feelings of her own!

Here‘s the missing page 14! Let me know if you need any other pages, @JenlovesJT47 — this is a good one!

What a strong debut novel! I literally couldn‘t put this one down, staying up way too late to finish in one sitting! The book opens with a terrible family tragedy & though the plot‘s turns are not unexpected, it‘s a satisfying read that‘s sure to stir great conversations amongst readers! I can see why this is a #BOTM option for February! It reminds me of early Jodi Picoult but before she got all info-dumpy & preachy! Definitely recommend this one!