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!

I always enjoy audiobooks set in Australia & this performance is no exception! Mary‘s recently moved to Sydney with her childhood best friend, looking for a fresh start after getting out of a bad relationship. When she welcomes a new flatmate, Rachel, Mary feels an instant connection despite the wariness of her other friends. Fast-paced & incorporating journal entries, it certainly held some surprises in the plot though they‘re not all plausible!

After their Corny-O commercial‘s success, the twins are invited to audition for a real Hollywood movie! The competition is steep—& ready to play dirty! It comes down to the Wakefields versus the Parker twins, with plenty of attempts to take one another out! Plus, the star of the movie is set to be Jessica‘s latest muse, soap star Connie Boyer! Definitely a fun one from start to finish! I would‘ve loved this one when I was younger but had fun now!

It‘s been almost 3 years since I read & loved Wilkerson‘s debut novel! Her latest centers around the after-effects of trauma. The wealthy Freeman family has a long history, but for Ebby in particular, she feels defined by the tragedy that took her 15 year old brother. Multiple perspectives, covering modern & historical time periods, I‘m not surprised to see this as a #BOTM pick! I didn‘t love it as much as her first, but can‘t wait for her third!

The movie is probably my favorite of Hitchcock‘s & I enjoy the other movies & books it has inspired so much that our dog is named Owen after Danny Devito‘s character in Throw Momma From The Train, so I am thankful to @JenlovesJT47 for organizing the #HitchToScreen to finally get my copy off of my TBR! I didn‘t love the audio performance here and I think the tension would have been more pronounced physically reading it but still what a debut novel!

SVMS spends a week out of school camping at the Bannerman Estate. Liz can‘t wait for outdoorsy fun, roasted marshmallows & some romantic time with Todd. Jess hopes for romance, too, but Aaron Dallas is more concerned with pranking everyone by crying, “Bear!” Plus, the Unicorns all look awful roughing it. Jess decides new 7th grader Dennis Asher is the one for her, but since Liz looks better, she pulls a reverse twin-switch to try to snag him!

My first experience with the author, I enjoyed this more than I expected! It‘s a fun enemies to lovers romance set between college freshmen who have always known each other. Seb & Sadie‘s parents are best friends— but Sadie is thrilled to be on her own at Maple Ride to be free from the expectations of being the responsible & quiet Brighton. Seb‘s sudden appearance takes her back to their competitive days. PG-rated & reminds me of Modern Family!

When only Lila gets a feature profile in CALIFORNIA GIRL magazine, Jessica‘s determined to get back to being the center of attention. An open casting call for identical twins to star in a commercial for Corny-O‘s cereal is the perfect chance! Reluctant at first, Liz still wants the money for the Sixers‘ new desktop publishing system. They promise their parents they won‘t fight… but when out of sight of Alice & Ned, the gloves come off! So fun!

A bit ridiculous and opens a bit slowly, but this one actually winds up being a lot of fun! Imagine if Dexter had a murderous wife & together they hunted across Europe for bad people to kill & that‘s what Hazel & husband, Fox, do. Until they have a baby. Now Hazel struggles against the no killing rule, Fox starts keeping secrets of his own & while one good conversation pretty much resolves it all, this still is a fun read that had me giggling!

The first 2 weeks of summer are devoted to internships & Jessica wanted to give makeovers but she lands a coveted position at the Sweet Valley Zoo alongside her twin, Melissa McCormick & Bruce Patman. Bruce is terrified of birds but has a crush on Melissa so he tries to not let her know as they work in the aviary. Liz heads to the monkey house where Spanky teaches her a lesson on intelligence & Jessica reluctantly falls in love with bear cub, Gus!

I‘ve loved Marshall‘s adult thrillers, & was all the more excited to see this as a January #BOTM pick! It‘s a solidly performed #audiobook that had me doing extra laundry & chores to quickly finish. Adopted at a young age, Theo‘s Before life is a mystery only hinted at in her nightmares but when her fiancé takes her to the family‘s isolated mountain estate, she starts to feel like she has been there before… a gripping listen with plenty of twists!

It‘s nearly the first #SweetValleyStPatricksDay & Jessica‘s convinced herself that her punishment essay on the myth of the pot o‘ gold will actually result in her finding riches. Liz enjoys Maggie Sullivan‘s writings from Great Aunt Helen while Steven is in a fitness kick. But the siblings tease each other so much that they concoct revenge schemes around a treasure map. It‘s silly & fun with plenty of pranks & laughs! Fun to see Liz get tricky!

This has been on my wishlist to read for a while & my #2025ReadingGoal is to finally make time for my own shelves! Unfortunately, this cult book drags a bit & while I usually love a dual-timeline, not even the brief chapters could help bring the pacing up! Saskia‘s secrets weren‘t enough of a surprise & I just wanted this to be something more. The constant second-person to refer to her younger brother was a style choice that I didn‘t care for!

It‘s the 4th #SweetValleyValentinesDay & naturally, there will be another dance to celebrate! But this time it‘s a “street dance” open to the high school too. Unfortunately, the basketball team has an away game & all the best boys won‘t be there! Jessica hears about visiting cousins the right ages & tries to snag them while Steven decides to “play the field” & date shallow Jill Hale again! Luckily, love is in the air & all ends well after schemes!

Unfortunately, the final installment of this series is my least favorite! Ice melting on the other side of the world has opened another new ancient world where huge sea creatures are slipping out & into modern oceans. Sonya, hell-bent on revenge for the sharks eating her beloved, kidnaps her friends so they will help her kill the sharks & stop them from eating anyone else. Once again, they are underprepared for the destruction the animals cause!

Picking up two years after the conclusion of FATHOMLESS, Cate still feels unsettled at the possibility that more carcharodon megalodons are out there as she continues to track monster shark stories. But sound blasting by an oil company turns deadly, the rescue mission needs a rescue deeper than anyone‘s gone before— revealing new creatures & of course, more monster sharks! Plenty of gore but it‘s a shame the scientists want to kill the shark!

It‘s been ages since I last indulged in my love of shark stories, so I decided to re-listen to this one in preparation to finish the trilogy! I probably didn‘t need to listen to this one again, but it‘s quick & fun— plus, I get a kick out of the narrator‘s voice when sped up sounding a lot like Robert Stack! It‘s not exactly an original story, but littering is quickly punished by becoming food & the side stories add new dangers than the shark!

To win a free desktop publishing system, THE SIXERS needs an advice column. Amy & Maria talk up “Dear Elizabeth” and how easily she solved their problems so that everyone starts writing in— even detractors like Janet Howell. Though Liz knocked out a great gift idea for Amy‘s grandmother, recently moved in from Chicago, her advice for the other problems that crop up falls flat. Naturally, Liz feels overly responsible but Amy saves the day!

Whew…what a genuinely gripping read! I couldn‘t put this one down at all & definitely stayed up way too late to breathlessly finish it! Charlotte, a former etiquette writer, is pregnant with her second child at the opening of this book when she learns that her babysitter unexpectedly died four days earlier. And while her elder daughter, Stella, is a difficult child, after Blanka‘s death she seems to start changing…dual timelines & lots of tension!

This one feels like a departure from the series— Todd & Elizabeth no longer are “sort-of” dating & barely seem to know each other! Mr. Bowman‘s the homeroom/English teacher & Bruce is in 6th grade classes! Otherwise, it‘s fun when a hypnotist comes to school & the twins take opposing sides on believing in it. Jessica naturally dives in to trying her hand at hypnotizing her friends. Lila being hypnotized into quacking by the principal is the best!