This is a short story, but truthfully, there was still superfluous text. However, it lacked depth. It focuses a bit more on the romance versus the thriller angle. The resolution to the thriller aspect was also anticlimactic. It‘s nice to see Millie get a happy ending after all she‘s been through, but the story itself isn‘t really necessary.

On sale 2/3, this story is about finding courage. It‘s about selfless love & how there‘s more to people than what you see at a glance.
The only other MG book I‘ve read about WWII was DEVIL‘s ARITHMETIC when I was young. It was one of my favorites and so impactful at that age. This book doesn‘t show the same level of violence, so it would be the perfect intro to the war for sensitive kids. It leaves the reader feeling hopeful for the future.

I love Greer Hendricks as a writer, but I think this short story idea needed more pages to be fully fleshed out. Maybe it would have worked better as a novella? It was engaging and easy to read, but the “thriller” aspect seemed to come out of nowhere, and the resolution wasn‘t really clear. The stakes didn‘t feel high enough to warrant the actions of the protagonists. I was left scratching my head on what I just read.

My husband and I went to see the movie last night, and it was a great adaptation! Really close to the book minus some slight changes to the end to make it a bit more cinematic. Surprisingly funny in moments too. My husband had no clue what to expect but he enjoyed it and said he would return if there‘s a sequel! The last thriller book to movie adaptation he saw was Gone Girl and he didn‘t think this was as good, but still held its own!

I wanted to find every spare minute to read this. I forced myself to take a break from it as the raw emotion was so real that I became depressed myself. Not just a few tears, but no desire to get out of bed or do anything depression.
Hannah writes at a caliber all her own. The characters‘ personalities and motivations are molded from childhood trauma and experiences, and the story is deeply layered. This one will stick with me.

I adored this book! It publishes Jan 6th, & it‘s the first book I finished in 2026! It follows “America‘s Favorite Family” from a 1950s sitcom, but we get the real feelings of the family when they aren‘t on screen. Perhaps they aren‘t as perfect as America thinks, but they are doing what it takes to finish out the season despite Del, the dad, creator & director, ending up in a coma. It‘s up to wife Dinah, & she‘ll prove she‘s not just a housewife.

Last read of 2025 and it was SPICY! I watched Heated Rivals on HBO Max and decided to give the book series a try as well. This follows Scott Hunter and Kip, so you get a much more in depth story about those characters than you do in the show, but it follows the same storyline. There are spicy scenes almost every other chapter but it‘s super sweet, too.

I had to fit in at least one Christmas book this year while on break, and this was cute. The second half was stronger than the first half. I admittedly didn‘t love the dual-timeline storytelling about Patrick and Quinn‘s past, and I would have preferred if it stayed in the present leaning more into the Santa plot. The beginning also read exactly like Tim Allen‘s The Santa Clause so felt a bit unoriginal. But the world expanded as the book went on.

I actually liked this book even better than the first one! The mystery keeps you listening to chapters, and I loved seeing Millie continue to grow as a character. She is tough yet empathetic, and her dating life is a mess, so fun to unravel with her, ha!

I really liked the commentary on the struggles of motherhood in this book. It felt honest and so relatable. I think I would have made this a “pick” if the cannibalism angle wasn‘t so publicly promoted. It actually is more like a twist in the story that happens the last quarter of the book, but you‘re waiting for it to appear. Because of that, the book wasn‘t what I expected. It‘s less a thriller & more a commentary on feminism.

I loved this audiobook read by Tom Felton himself. There were fun insights into the filming of Harry Potter, but you also get to know Tom, his family, and his experiences. I didn‘t realize he was in The Borrowers before HP—I loved that movie as a kid! And he genuinely seems like a kind person. Any HP fan will love this!

I haven't read Garber's YA novels, but the cover & plot intrigued me. Garber has you desperate to know what's next & whom to trust. I wish there was more connection w/ the potential love interests (enemies?) as I wasn't invested. But as a series, I'm sure that will develop further. The resolution was fast after a long journey. I enjoyed the story as the premise is strong, & I was on the edge of my seat between the kidnapping, murder, & shootings.

This was a wild story! A seemingly simple domestic thriller with a housemaid, a mysterious gardener, a rich housewife, her alluring husband, and a bratty daughter.

Despite the meat of the story not coming to light until the last third of the book, I needed to know where the story was heading and kept listening desperate for answers. I also really liked the audiobook narrator for Millie. I'm excited to see the movie in a few months!

Overall I enjoyed this thriller! Three women went missing, all 30 years apart from each other. There‘s lake lore around it, and then we are in the midst of one of these disappearances. I wasn‘t the biggest fan of the final reveal but the lead up was good. I liked The Block Party a ton more than this book though.

This is the summer read for anyone who loves Sex and the City, fashion, body positivity and women empowerment (a main character who owns her own PR firm AND starts her own plus-size swimwear line!), and a hint of romance (#teampostman 📬 over here!). It‘s a super fast read and the audiobook narrator was the perfect voice for Sunny‘s character.

It‘s light, funny, and relatable!

Alyson shares their personal & professional struggles, & you can feel how genuine they are through every page. They‘re a terrific writer. I was rooting for them throughout, even knowing they didn‘t receive a role, I was still hoping for a different outcome for them.
There‘s an optimistic feeling at the end where it really seems like they are semi-well adjusted despite literally everything and have a path forward they are excited about.

Another reread/listen of this first book! My husband is not a huge reader but loved this series as a kid, so I convinced him to start the audiobook with me on a road trip. He really enjoyed it! Of course I couldn‘t wait for our next road trip to finish it (and him needing us to listen on 1x normal speed was killing me), so I listened to the rest on my own. Still holds up!

It took me over a year to finish this book. Hard to say why as I enjoyed it every time I picked it up, but I was seldom pressed to want to pick it up. The kids are witty and sweet, and I love the addition of David! I fell more in love with Lucy and the connection between Arthur & Linus. But it felt a bit too similar to the first book ‘s plot. I still felt that happily ever after glow though, so still a pick!

The author unveils the truth about executives at Facebook and it definitely makes you want to delete all Meta accounts. I don‘t find it surprising that there are deals with China that aren‘t in users‘ best interest, but it did disgust me to learn that Facebook capitalizes on teenage girls insecurities. For instance, it targets those that delete selfies with ads for weight loss and beauty products.

This was a fantastic listen on audiobook! I loved the addition of the podcast episodes throughout and the production/music that went into them. They were perfect for adding context, suspense, & additional twists, & I would look forward to them each time the music came on! The character development of Lucy & Savvy was perfectly paced to keep me turning the pages.

The final reveal was full of suspense, too! I loved it!

Multiple POV thriller w/ a full cast of characters & narrators. So you can start putting the pieces together alongside the characters. Most of the characters were unlikeable, but I don‘t mind that as there‘s motivation for their actions. I didn‘t love the final twist as it seemed far-fetched on top of everything else, but it was creative which is hard to do when there are so many thrillers on the market.

I read it in less than two days!

Really fun enemies to lovers rom-com, closed-door mystery! The love story is easy to root for and full of chemistry. I started it just after the holidays and it is really cozy! I rarely read physical books anymore so this took me a while to finish as I lean towards audio mostly. But I would read another Ally Carter!

I‘ve followed Shane and Hannah for a while now on YouTube, and their love and relationship is beautiful. I enjoyed hearing new anecdotes about their life, as well as meeting other interabled couples who had stories and messages to share.

I loved this childhood friends to lovers story. It was full of sweet, innocent romance and longing that you wanted to root for. The Italian setting added charm and character to the story. The book is also a bit deeper than you would expect and allows the reader to really feel for both characters as their childhood perspectives are shared.

A fun novella and origin story for Vero about what happened in Maryland, how she met Finlay, and setting the stage for why she‘s such a good sleuth! Worthwhile for any Finlay fans!

Another quick and funny listen in this series. The book has me laughing out loud but also excited to unravel the truth behind the mysteries. And see the romance evolve! Love learning more about Mrs. Haggerty, too!

This series is the best — so funny with plenty of action. I love how the characters have created such a mess for themselves, but are still able to take care of the kids & family in between chase & fight scenes, negotiations, dead bodies, & a sexy cop. There are a few loose ends that will definitely send us in a new direction for the next book. I highly recommend the audio, too. The narrator is amazing! Each character‘s voice is distinct.

Wow, this was such a great thriller. This was my second Freida McFadden and it‘s so much stronger. The pacing is great and had me listening every moment. I had run out of Spotify minutes on a massive cliffhanger and had to wait 12 days to continue it, but it was so worth the wait. I finished it 24 hours after getting access again. Perfect for anyone who loves romance and thriller as you get a bit of both!

This academic enemies to lovers romance was so much fun! It‘s a great concept where Rosie writes romance, Aiden writes literary fiction, and with all their bickering in their MFA class, their professor forces them to combine genres and write together. Through the characters they write, they begin to open up to each other. It‘s super spicy, but not until the second half. I had some complaints about the final conflict, but overall I loved it!

I tried a few times and made it about 30% into the book before I bailed. The concept was intriguing and I wanted to like it, but I just found my mind wandering every time I turned it on.

This was an easy listen and an entertaining story. The mystery of two lost boys hooked me from the beginning. Despite that, the story felt weak in moments. The world wasn‘t fleshed out, & we were at the conclusion before I had the chance to appreciate the world. The final battle was fast & anti-climatic. I rooted for the romance in the second half, but it felt like it came out of nowhere. But I liked the dynamic between Rafe, Jeremy, and Emilie.

This book was able to completely change my mindset on winter and fully appreciate the beauty and benefits of the cold season. Leibowitz takes a scientific yet entertaining approach to sharing how being miserable in winter is a choice, and a mindset shift is all you need. Finding rituals that make you excited for the late afternoon darkness, taking awe walks to notice the good, the benefits of baths, and much more!

A stronger showing than the last few years! And I read some long books this year when I completed the whole Super Powereds series. The fourth book was 1,981 pages 😳. Luckily it was audio otherwise I would have never picked it up haha. Probably couldn‘t even hold a book that thick 😂

Happy New Year all!

A slow burn and not your typical thriller. There are some elements that lean into fantastical and it was a bit hard to follow in moments.

Some behind the scenes of all that happened at Disney between the early 90s and the Mickey Mouse Club, all the way to the 2010s. I learned a lot of new information and Lalaine (Miranda from Lizzie McGuire) did a fantastic job narrating. It didn‘t have any bombshell information and won‘t ruin your idea of Disney the way other tell-alls are known to do.

I loved this thriller! Unexpected and kept me engaged the whole time. Although I loved the audio, I highly recommend reading the hard copy as there are pictures inside that are essential to the flow and eeriness of the story.

This was a cute and cozy read for fall. It‘s a bit slow, and I also didn‘t connect with the romance. It felt forced and unnecessary for the storyline since I thought the relationship with the three young witches and Mika was much more engaging. It picked up the last few chapters, and it was a sweet story overall.

An entertaining audiobook with great narrators. It‘s a simplistic/mundane writing style, but I didn‘t notice it in the audiobook format.

The characters are not smart and get themselves into all sorts of trouble. But I was engaged and needed to know the truth. I didn‘t love that the ending happened so quickly. When we do find the truth, there are questions remaining since we skip to six months later. But it‘s a fun fall read for back to school.

I have loved every TJR book & I‘ve read them all! I can‘t really describe why I enjoyed this book. Truthfully, Carrie is an unlikeable character, and I wouldn‘t have been rooting for her if it wasn‘t for her dad. Javier is a gem! The audiobook is stellar w/ multiple narrators. However, it‘s mostly a walk-through of multiple tennis matches. But TJR just has some sort of magic in her writing that just works even when it‘s simple.

This was a super sweet YA romance about Deepa‘s wish for a perfect bf which ensures he ends up right next store. And into the midst of their neighborhood prank war which she refuses to lose against her tormentor Vik. Love triangle and enemies to lovers all wrapped in one.

Read this immediately after seeing the movie for It Ends With Us, which was a nice refresher since I hadn‘t read it since it first published. I enjoyed reconnecting with the characters and seeing more of Lily and Atlas‘s story. I love the hope and happily ever after, despite it being a much more simplistic story than the first book.

Another brilliant book from Alice Feeney! With two unreliable narrators, an emerging serial killer in a small town, and a disturbing look at the past, Feeney keeps you guessing. This one felt a bit slower to start then some of her others, but I actually think that was an issue with the audiobook. The “murderer” narrator, while unique, had some audio quality issues. I never listen to books on regular speed & I had to for this one. Still a favorite!

I loved how this thriller had a different dynamic than most, focusing on the mother/daughter relationship where the reader learns about the truth before the characters do. Each chapter is short, alternating perspectives between the mom and daughter. It kept me on the edge of my seat wanting to understand the full story. Pekkanen also did a great job with character development so you care about both Ruth and Catherine throughout.

Reading this mother-daughter thriller while visiting my parents‘ and loving their new screen room and view! Truly heaven!

Book publishing meets rom-com meets Beauty and the Beast. This book took all the best Beauty and the Beast themes (beautiful library, talking bathtub, and amazing chef/staff—yes, please!), and created a story all its own. A recluse celebrity struggling to write his memoir due to past trauma and an editorial assistant tugging at his heartstrings and pulling it out of him, with a very sweet romance. I‘m excited to read the rest of Meant to Be!

Jiminez continues to be a must-read author. I love how her romances are so much more than that and always dive into a deeper emotional storyline.
But Daniel is such a good love interest, and I loved watching their story evolve in this big city girl meets small town boy book.

This was a fantastic read! It pulls you in immediately starting off with Alexandra‘s family murdered one night while they all slept. It slows down a bit after that, but it‘s only because there is so much content, mystery and intrigue to digest. From Alexandra‘s life when she was accused of the murder, to the defamation case against the police, avoiding the public and their obsession for true crime, & unraveling the truth behind it all.

Just started this today and it‘s addicting from the first minute. Tried listening during every spare moment today and about 3 hours in 😍. Can‘t wait to see where it leads.

Jiminez always does a fantastic job melding hard truths and traumatic experiences with romance, and this novel is no different.
Justin is a fantastic book boyfriend and perfect older brother and caretaker to his siblings. Emma‘s relationship with all of them is beyond sweet and had me tearing up several times.
I have to go back and read Part of Your World and Yours Truly as characters from those books make an appearance in this one.

A phenomenal book that reminds you there is always something beautiful to find in the world around you despite the hardships. It was beautiful watching the good two strangers in completely different life stages and tax brackets could bring out in each other. And plenty of humor, too.