(free review copy) I adored this book so much. Patrick won my heart immediately, Maisie and Grant were perfectly adorable, and the message about livin(free review copy) I adored this book so much. Patrick won my heart immediately, Maisie and Grant were perfectly adorable, and the message about living after and despite grief was so heartfelt. Love, love, love. ...more
(free review copy) What a unique story and setting! It did take a little bit of time for me to fall in love with this book, but once I did, I was all (free review copy) What a unique story and setting! It did take a little bit of time for me to fall in love with this book, but once I did, I was all in with the characters and the island itself. Anything that features a simpler form of living is something I want to read about. Recommended to anyone who likes quirky characters, small town stories, and stories about overcoming grief.
CW: death of a husband, mentions of possible suicide...more
(free review copy) What genre is this? I have NO idea, but it was smart and highly entertaining so it was a win for me. If pushed to classify, I’d cal(free review copy) What genre is this? I have NO idea, but it was smart and highly entertaining so it was a win for me. If pushed to classify, I’d call it a comedic mystery ...more
(free review copy) I loved this fresh and modern culinary cozy mystery! There is so much delectable food description and the family ties are just love(free review copy) I loved this fresh and modern culinary cozy mystery! There is so much delectable food description and the family ties are just lovely. Please please let this be the beginning of a long series I can depend on because I definitely need more Lila and her world in my life....more
(free review copy) ❤️ FAVORITE READ OF 2021 (so far) I can’t even describe how much I love this book. So I won’t try. Just know it made me sublimely h(free review copy) ❤️ FAVORITE READ OF 2021 (so far) I can’t even describe how much I love this book. So I won’t try. Just know it made me sublimely happy reading it and it’s the most sex positive book I’ve read in a long long time. Also I want to marry Beau in an alternate life.
I wish I could say everyone should read this book, but what I’ll say instead is that everyone who is very very comfortable reading about lots and lots of sex with many different partners should read this book because it’s absolutely delightful ❤️...more
(free review copy) Haven’t I always said married romance is the best romance?? This book touched me in a profound way - not just because of the love b(free review copy) Haven’t I always said married romance is the best romance?? This book touched me in a profound way - not just because of the love between the main couple but because of the phenomenal friend love throughout the story. Also, the mental health issues woven into the characters gave me so much to think about. And the gut wrenching loneliness - SOB. This is such a unique book - not a regular romance, certainly not a romcom, but so deeply romantic in its own way. BUT not necessarily only about romantic love, as I mentioned. There is friend love and family love and the overarching storyline about finding a place in a world and profession that isn’t made for your gender / race / body / queerness.
(free audio review copy from Libro.fm) 3.5 stars. So. Well. Let’s see. First of all, this isn’t a book I would have chosen on my own, so I always feel(free audio review copy from Libro.fm) 3.5 stars. So. Well. Let’s see. First of all, this isn’t a book I would have chosen on my own, so I always feel a bit unfair reviewing books outside of my usual genres. But since there are a few other books by comedians that I’ve enjoyed, I thought I’d give it a try.
I thought my biggest struggle was just how totally up and down and disconnected it was, but that’s almost always true of collections of essays. So maybe that’s not it. Maybe the reason I’m so conflicted is because of the super light raunchy humor sliding right into traumatic and graphic stories of infertility and miscarriage. I’m so aware of how triggering this can be for so many readers - even me who has never lost a baby, but have close family members and friends who have.
Also, there’s a lot of wrestling with feelings about the Catholic Church and its stance on queer relationships as well as you know, the whole pedophilia thing. It was very open of the author to expose this grappling on the page but it was hard for me to understand it given the fact that I’m not Catholic and have no issues condemning the Church for these things - I get that it’s not so clear cut for people who have been raised and steeped in the faith.
If you love this actor, you might love this book. Just be VERY aware of the triggers regarding infertility and miscarriage. ...more
(free audio review copy from Libro.fm) Phenomenal on audio - definitely choose this format if you can! I love Jenny Lawson and this newest book is ful(free audio review copy from Libro.fm) Phenomenal on audio - definitely choose this format if you can! I love Jenny Lawson and this newest book is full of ups and downs. Raw and raunchy. Hilarious and heartbreaking. I teared up at her descriptions of pain and mental illness and the evils of insurance companies, but also laughed so hard I cried at other chapters. An absolute treat to have in my ears....more
(audio review copy from Libro.fm) I feel like my opinion of this book was completely influenced by my love of the book “The Island of Sea Women” by Li(audio review copy from Libro.fm) I feel like my opinion of this book was completely influenced by my love of the book “The Island of Sea Women” by Lisa See. I saw “mermaid” and “Jeju” and wanted to read another book about the haenyeo of Jeju! After reading See’s book I did a major nonfiction deep dive (I’m sorry I couldn’t help it ) into the topic and was so fascinated.
Okay, now to THIS book. I listened to it and liked the female narrator, but not the male. I was all in on the story for the first 75%, despite it not actually being about haenyeo besides as a background item. And then. And then for me it all fell completely apart and I got lost listening and also couldn’t make myself care about any of the ghost and shaman stuff. I just felt like there were two books in the author’s head and they didn’t get meshed together well enough - I want the right ending for the first part of the book! The author’s note tells why she went where she did, but I feel better editing could have brought it all together in a more satisfying and logical way.
There are lots of books out there about Korea, many many more than I’ve ever read and there are many people more suited to recommend them than I am. However, two I enjoyed more than this one are Pachinko and The Island of Sea Women....more
(free review copy) Okay, so being the very first Goodreads rating and review for a book is SO MUCH PRESSURE. The good thing though is that Lauren K. D(free review copy) Okay, so being the very first Goodreads rating and review for a book is SO MUCH PRESSURE. The good thing though is that Lauren K. Denton is one of my very favorite authors and I’ve loved every single one of her books. I moved this to the top of my TBR the minute I got a digital galley from Edelweiss and I’m so glad I did.
The One You’re With is family fiction, contemporary fiction, marriage fiction - whatever you want to call it. The primary focus is a happy marriage rocked by the consequences of a summer 20 years prior, and oh it did my heart good to see a marriage portrayed the way it is in this story. Marriage requires choosing your spouse over and over and over again. It’s not a one and done situation - marriage requires commitment and a constant reminder of why you stay. I love all of the conversations and rumination in this book about marriage itself. It’s a quiet book and one ultimately one that asks, “What would happen if I’d made a different choice back at the beginning?”.
This is a book for readers who enjoy quiet and contemplative fiction without a lot of drama. It’s published by a Christian publisher (as all of Denton’s books are) but there is zero religious content. It’s inherently a marriage romance but there is zero sex on the page.
I’m writing this review so early prior to publication that things will probably change between the early version I read and the final published manuscript. However, I’m sure my overall love of the story and author wouldn’t be changed by any alterations. And yes this is a gushing review, but Denton has earned my gushing after every single one of her books have become favorites of mine. I’d read her shopping list, her to do list and a letter to her aunt - she can do no wrong ❤️...more
(free review copy) YAY!!! A fresh and unique story in my favorite genre - I didn’t know if it was even possible anymore! Loved the Greek family and cu(free review copy) YAY!!! A fresh and unique story in my favorite genre - I didn’t know if it was even possible anymore! Loved the Greek family and culture, loved the music, loved Zoë being over 30. This is a standout to me and I’m so happy I grabbed it off my stack of ARCs yesterday- I finished it in one day.
Just one tiny quibble I had with the story I think someone should have caught - there’s a pretty momentous event in the story that it made zero sense for Zoë’s family not to have attended and been there for her through. A small thing but it wouldn’t leave my mind....more
I was sad to find that this book is written time-wise alongside book 2 in the series, from Law and Maya’s perspective this time. That never works for I was sad to find that this book is written time-wise alongside book 2 in the series, from Law and Maya’s perspective this time. That never works for me because a lot of the events are the same as the other book and also we don’t get to see the couple from that book grow together. I was sad to DNF, but this structure doesn’t work for me....more
3.5 rounded up (free audio review copy from Libro.fm)
Here’s what made me stick with this audiobook instead of DNF: * The crossover of the Modern Love a3.5 rounded up (free audio review copy from Libro.fm)
Here’s what made me stick with this audiobook instead of DNF: * The crossover of the Modern Love and Forbidden Hearts series - I loved all of those other books and kept aching for MORE MORE MORE of their characters and was excited every time they appeared * the way Rai incorporated the lasting trauma of COVID without ever actually ever mentioning COVID. It’s hard to make stories undated and I think Rai did that here - anyone who lived through this will know she’s referring to COVID but anyone who didn’t won’t immediately place the book in 2020.
What made me want to quit: * The narration just didn’t work for me at all - so breathless (if that makes sense) * the romance and catfishing and all of that - I just feel like the whole story would have worked better with no catfishing and I struggled to understand much of the motivation for all of the charades. * I kept finding myself wanting more of the roommates and family members and less of Jia and Dev
I adore Rai and will continue to read everything she has written - this once just wasn’t a favorite of mine. If you haven’t read her work before, do her a favor and start somewhere else!
(free review copy) Adored the friendship, adored the travel and I adored the romance. The part that made me really love this book though is Poppy’s re(free review copy) Adored the friendship, adored the travel and I adored the romance. The part that made me really love this book though is Poppy’s relationship with and conflicted feelings about her family and hometown. I almost cried at how she defended her parents and home at all turns because lots of people out there just SUCK and don’t realize that every family and home is different and appearances and quirkiness don’t deserve judgement. Loved this one even more than Beach Read and I can’t wait to see what she writes next!...more
I will say though that I wish there had been a bit more content about the actual B&B and Eve’s role ther(free review copy) What an adorable couple ❤️
I will say though that I wish there had been a bit more content about the actual B&B and Eve’s role there - I would have loved reading more about her interactions with the guests and all of her yummy food! I got a little impatient with the pacing and pages and pages and pages of one small time period but that’s true of me reading any book, and it’s what knocked this from a 5 to a 4 for me. The relationship and characters were a 5 and I wish we could see more of them - maybe a spin off for Mont and his sisters????...more
Adored the setting and the cast of characters ~ I’m so excited that I came to this one a bit late so I can devour the whole series immediately! Oh, anAdored the setting and the cast of characters ~ I’m so excited that I came to this one a bit late so I can devour the whole series immediately! Oh, and this is a steamy one ~ just a heads up if that’s not your thing.
I just have one tiny issue with the book - this is NOT a Christmas story. It’s barely even Christmas-adjacent. Maybe the title should have been “An Alaskan Rescue”? “An Alaskan Holiday”? “An Alaskan Winter?” “An Alaskan Vacation?” “An Alaskan Small Town Sex Romp”? If you’re looking for a steamy adventure-packed romance - this was amazing. If you’re looking for Christmas you’ll be disappointed....more
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