Not me hiding my Kindle during the steamy parts &hiding my tears during the serious moments while on a plane (the laughter I figured I could get away w/). This book has it all.

I originally grabbed this for the cover. 2nd chance romances are hit &miss for me, but I like fake dating so was curious how much I‘d enjoy it. I loved it! The handling of both tropes was done so well &every character had rich &complex personalities along w/growth.

Didn‘t see the first twist. Guessed the second fairly quickly after that. Really enjoyed the first half but felt the second half wasn‘t as satisfying.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#botm

I am officially hooked on Gillian McAllister‘s writing. As my second book by her, this kept me glued to the pages and trying (and failing) to guess all of the twists and figure out exactly what the truth was. I think the synopsis gives just enough to whet your appetite, but it is just a nibble of what the story fleshes out to be.

I love learning about all sorts of animals especially the unique or rarer ones. Rundell does a great job at introducing us to many creatures and giving an overview of their history and personalities. I only wish the book would have been longer to get more depth and information about each animal.

#arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I definitely recommend revisiting Shakespeare‘s Macbeth before reading this novella or at least have a good understanding of it. McDermid‘s retelling is short but does not lack substance. I love when we get a more fleshed out character (particularly the women) in a retelling of a classic. Added bonus here for the more historically accurate story as well.

#arc

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

I loved Hopkins‘ Crank & hoped Sync would pack the same emotional punch. While definitely a tragic story, I felt the novel told in verse would have been better told in prose. The verses here were sometimes more like sparse paragraphs & unfortunately what seemed missing to me was the feeling behind the words.

Storm & Lake have been dealt a tough hand more difficulties find them. At times it gets bleak, but it ends on a note of hope which I liked.

Went through the emotions on this one. Such an important and eye-opening read.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#arc

After Kagan &Hazel‘s mom dies under suspicious circumstances, they‘re surprised 2learn they‘re not in the will. They begin 2suspect their mom‘s 2nd husband, & a game of cat &mouse begins. There‘s plenty of twists.
While I enjoyed having a book full of unlikeable characters (H&K are spoiled &ungrateful more concerned about free money than their mom), I found it difficult 2believe that K&H were around 40. Both personalities made them seem early 20s.

I feel bad I didn‘t like this more. Well-written, but maybe too many POVs? Also, I didn‘t get this epic love story that was supposedly between Joseph and Evelyn.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#botm

Secret societies, mysterious deaths, relationship issues…there‘s a lot of suspense and unknown piled into this novel. I liked the depth in which race and privilege was examined and how it tied into the main story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#arc

I love romances that occur later in life, such as after a divorce. It‘s refreshing &real. This is a slow burn romance w/plenty of chemistry. Sasha &Ethan are both divorced w/kids, making this enemies-to-lovers even more complicated yet intriguing.

I didn‘t like Kaitlin‘s POV. Her commentary about Sasha is stalkerish &obsessed. Sasha could have given us those details &still had Kaitlin play the role she needed to w/out getting into her head.

W/ mult POVs &mult timelines, this pulls out twists &turns to shock you &keep you turning the pages. There were times I felt it a little over the top, but that just ended up making me enjoy it more.

Jemma &Adam are an affluent married couple who look like they have it all from the outside, but inside their lives are broken &deteriorating &Chloe has a view to see it all. Both Jemma and Adam have secrets &they‘ll both do what they can to keep them.

I always enjoy a little mystery with my historical romance, although I didn‘t quite feel the chemistry between the two main characters.

2.5⭐️

#netgalley #arc

After seeing so many mixed reviews, I was hesitant to read The Husbands, but I ended up enjoying this a lot. I do wish we got to spend more time with some of the husbands, but I also thought that the frequency and reasons why Lauren changed them so often made sense. I found this both humorous and a little bit thought-provoking.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#botm

I should have known this was going to be a heavier novel by the synopsis, but I was still surprised by how much it hit me. The complexity of emotions Kate experiences throughout the book is so well written. I loved the depth and intention put into it. I consider this a novel about a woman who experiences a great loss and learns to become whole again. Really well done by the author (and the acknowledgements make it all the more poignant).

McMahon created a wonderful character in FBI agent Gardner Camden. It‘s clear he is neurodivergent w/ a high IQ & trouble w/ social situations. He‘s part of a team of misfits called PAR (Patterns & Rec) who get assigned a case to find the killer murdering serial killers.

The case has Camden &his crew crossing the US in order to find &stop a killer who taunts them w/clues &phone calls. Each side character is well-developed &plays an integral role.

I felt for a while that many of Collins‘ poems read almost like mini-vignettes and nowhere is it more exemplified than here in Water, Water.

My favorite poems were:
“When a Man Loves Something”
“Addressing the Heart”
“The Guardian”
“Display Case”
“Fire in the Movies”

I‘ve had this ARC since 2019 &just hadn‘t gotten around to it. On a short road trip w/ a friend, I decided to check out the audiobook as I knew this is a topic he‘d be interested in. Imagine my surprise when my friend, a non-reader, became completely engrossed &when we got home, purchased the audiobook so he could finish reading it.

This covers a wide range of people &events surrounding the 1996 Olympic bombing. It‘s well researched &informative.

It was refreshing to have the protagonist of a romance novel be a late 30s divorcee with two kids, a career, and a younger love interest. Anna was incredibly real and relatable being both the mature adult and ocasional hot mess that we all are. This ended up being my favorite type of romance with the perfect blend of humor, depth, and a little bit of enemies-to-lovers.

This is a hard one to review. While I enjoyed the mystery (what happened to Liam, who was sending threatening messages to Faith), I really didn‘t like Faith as a character. Her constant disregard for safety & listening to the police and her lawyer‘s advice, & her excessive drinking and self-medicating, I wanted to shake her & tell her to make better choices. However, I did go back & forth between who could be behind it all & that was a lot of fun.

I was a latecomer to watching Ted Lasso, but when I finally did I binged the whole series.

What a treat it was to receive this ARC &gain more insight as well as a heavy dose of nostalgia. I loved learning about why certain decisions were made &seeing how intentional every storyline &personality trait was.

I highly recommend this for any fan of the series. & if you haven‘t watched it yet, go watch &then grab this book as a companion to the show.

I went into this not expecting much and so was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. A good character development plot about becoming your own person, standing up to your family while still loving them, and discovering romance is found unexpectedly and with an unexpected person.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#botm

This is a story that‘s very much “in a capsule of time,” as the pandemic plays a role in the novel. While romance is in the title, I‘d say this is romance light or at least an incredible slow burn. I didn‘t really feel the chemistry between Sally and Noah but I loved the platonic parts of it

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#botm

A little outside my normal sci-fi read, but I really liked this first book in a series. The characters and their relationships were a highlight.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Really enjoyed this book of poetry that examines trauma, the body, and more, investigating each topic like an anthropological dig into the truth.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

#arc #poetry

I love romance that‘s full of friendship, depth, and humor, and Gilmore delivers all three. Not quite a second chance romance, but close enough, Josie‘s and Will‘s backstory created some history but allowed for present day matters to take center stage. I liked the independence and maturity both displayed especially in times of vulnerability. There was a realness to it all that was refreshing. Overall, a slow burn, endearing romance.

If you are a fan of paleontology and natural history, then this is a must read. Brusatte‘s passion on the subject shines through.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting, informative, and even entertaining.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a twisted, addicting novel. My first by John Marrs but definitely not my last. Marrs took two things I actively avoid (AI and reality TV) and made a compelling novel that starts out innocuous enough but grows in depth and darkness.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#arc #scifi

I‘ve been culling my bookshelves and have a few books I‘d like to give away.

How to be an Antiracist: I received with a mangled cover. The bookstore sent me a new one, but I don‘t want to throw away a book of I don‘t have to!

Volume 0- BOTM short story pamphlet

Ellie as well as Isaac Dahl are ARC copies.

Let me know if anyone is interested in one or more of these and I‘ll provide my email address!

#freebooks #arc

My 2nd Ashton book &while I can see many loving this book, it fell a little short 4 me. My problem was not being able 2 connect 2 Mickey or the characters. Ashton writes stories similar 2 Andy Weir, but where Weir‘s stories are infused w/ humor & humanity, Ashton‘s has the humor but is missing that depth that I love so much in this genre.
Still, I would recommend his books 2 those who enjoy speculative sci-fi that doesn‘t take itself 2 seriously.

After loving the bk 1, I was excited 2 get my hands on bk 2. This time we get Harry‘s POV as he &Van head 2 NE Minn 2 work a brutal murder which may be connected 2 a serial killer who‘s been incapacitated for yrs.
The great development of side characters along w/a unique plot makes this bk hard 2 put down. As with book 1, I also loved seeing Harry & Van work together, their personalities complementing each other in the way all great crime duos do.

3.5⭐️

#burundi

Interesting, and would be great for people who don‘t normally read about psychology. I enjoyed it but didn‘t feel I really learned anything new.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not quite as good as the first two, but still a satisfying end to the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Meredith and Ashton are two influencers, one-time BFFs, and current self-involved moms. After Mer and Ashton have a falling out, Mer decides to mess with Ashton‘s perfect online life all the while using Ashton‘s losses for her gains. Ashton at first struggles to understand how these mishaps keep occurring, and as she‘s piecing it altogether, Meredith goes missing and all eyes turn to her.

3.5⭐️

#arc

I know Maggie was going through a difficult time (recent separation) & I should be sympathetic to the impact that has on someone, but she was insufferable & selfish for the majority of this book. I struggled to connect & she was oblivious to how she affected people & had no self-awareness. Unfortunately, I think that was supposed to be be humorous, but that largely missed the mark for me. I do think it had strong writing (despite not enjoying it).

The only reason I was able to finish this many books was b/c I can speed through romances and I neglected all other responsibilities! It was a month of escapism and catching up on my backlog of #botm purchases and old arcs.

15 Romances
8 ARCs
5 BOTMs

#julyrecap

I loved this short memoir of essays about a first generation Cuban-American who explores race, family, and identity.

4⭐️

#arc

How many of us would rent a stranger 2 fill a void (a parent, a friend, a partner) that would make us appear 2 the world as whole or complete?

Stranger believes he is meeting this need while staying unattached until his carefully plotted out world begins 2 crumble when 1 renter threatens to expose him to another (a child). He must reconcile his past w/ this present & come to terms with the reality of why he chose to take on the role of Stranger.

Christina Lauren books are hit and miss for me and unfortunately, this one was more miss than hit. The chemistry between the characters is missing. I didn‘t believe they were attracted to each other and the romance felt forced.

I can totally believe that this fictional “behind the scenes” look at couples who do home renovation shows is similar to reality so that part was fun to read through.

2.5⭐️

I wanted 2 like this more than I did but something was missing. There were so many mentions of Inspector Yuan (a character Claudia was obsessed w/) that at 1 point I wondered if this was going to turn into a weird hallucination/it‘s all in her head where the whole thing was actually a book or movie Claudia was reading &thought she was in.

I enjoyed the parts w/Claudia‘s family &wonder if this would be more successful if the mystery was taken out.

For fans of reality tv, revenge, and selfish characters. I found this entertaining although I did get annoyed with the characters at time as they were so self-centered (I think that was the point though). Slightly predictable, but it didn‘t take away from the enjoyment of reading it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#arc

Listened to in my quest to read all things TJR. An amazing writer, but I‘m not sure this was necessary to publish. Too short and the letters make you too removed from the story.

2.75⭐️

A great, character-driven novel about Nina, a single cookbook author and daughter, who we follow through her 32nd year as she navigates a relationship, her father‘s tough diagnosis, and her friendships changing as they become married or with children. There were many moments of introspection for Nina but plenty of comedic moments as well.

3.5⭐️

There‘s no question this is a searing and timely novel, however maybe it was the translation but the writing felt disjointed and stilted and was hard to follow. It‘s largely internal dialogue and a whole lot of telling the audience, not showing. I was not sure how the beginning of the novel linked to the end, as the beginning storyline sort of disappeared unresolved halfway through the book.

#southkorea

Entertaining and even though it spanned many genres, it didn‘t feel messy or not fleshed out. It‘s definitely sci-fi light, but that works well for me. Great characters, and I especially loved Graham.

3.25 ⭐️

#botm

Interesting and informative.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#science

Pekkanen does a great job here making you wade through the lies and half truths to try and figure out what really happened to Tina, Rose‘s nanny who fell out a third floor window, and who, if any, of the Barclay‘s should be trusted. Stella knows they‘re all lying or hiding something, but I was right along with her trying to figure out exactly what that was.

Everyone on Koh Santa has secrets &while untrustworthy characters are great, here there are 2 many &you are 2 far removed from them (this is told from 2 main POVs) that it doesn‘t have the impact it otherwise could. Most of the time we‘re listening 2 Cass question what is truth &watching Brooke act like an amateur PI as they both try 2 figure out what really happened to Lucy, who was discovered dead. Neither were particularly exciting characters.