adogmomsbookishlife's reviews
451 reviews

With Any Luck by Ashley Poston

adventurous funny mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

• This is definitely one of my favorites of the series! I loved the enemies-to-lovers and the celebrity/normal tropes. There are two love stories at play here, and I absolutely need the full version of each! This novella flowed perfectly as it stands, but a full length novel (or two) would be everything my heart desires from these sweet couples! This is another spicy one and it’s so well done! 

Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory

emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This was the spiciest of the series by far! I loved the enemies-to-lovers and grumpy/sunshine tropes! This is another one that I wish was longer. It felt like the spice came up a little too abruptly but with a more of a buildup utilizing my two favorite tropes, this would have been a knock out! Don’t get me wrong, I still liked it a lot. I just wanted more! 

Rosie and The Dreamboat by Sally Thorne

adventurous funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

• This is a very short and very quick read! I absolutely love the witty banter and cute nicknames Leo and Rosie gave each other. It was a little bit too much instant love for my normal preference, but it was absolutely adorable for a Valentine’s read! Plus, who doesn’t love a firefighter in uniform?! 

Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

• I loved how much heart this story had. They were also some very funny “LOL” moments and several important quotes about life. Holly‘s job has to be one of the hardest ones out there (hospice nurse). To take on what she did is truly an act of love. The way John met his puppy, Doobie, broke my heart. But I adored that John kept him without hesitation. I would love to have had a full length story of this one!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Infidelity and Murder

The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren

funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

• The first half of this book is told entirely through email correspondence. For that reason I would not recommend this one on audio, but the story itself is adorable. An accidental email turns into a once a year, decade long, email friendship. The way these two finally meet in person is hilarious. It is the perfect start to kick off this Valentine series! 

Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade

hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for this advanced copy.

Ship Wrecked can be read as a standalone novel from the Spoiler Alert series, but I believe I enjoyed it a lot more having read the first and second books in the series, prior to reading this one.  There were a lot of characters and a lot of scenes referenced from other storylines that a new reader (to this universe) would not pick up on.

Out of the three books, this one is my favorite. I love that both the lead female and lead male characters were both plus size. I love the confidence the MFC exhibited. I felt like she had a lot of independence already and didn’t require as much growth as the other MFC’s in this universe. And I especially loved how the trope went from lovers to enemies to friends and back to lovers.

The only thing I didn’t love about the main characters’ relationship was how unwilling they were to admit and discuss their feelings for each other. They spent so many years pining for each other that could’ve been spent together, but then they might not have ended up such good friends. 

Although I am done with this series, I have plenty more to read by Olivia Dade. I’m looking forward to seeing what’s next.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.

adventurous informative mysterious tense medium-paced

I had to put this one down 120 pages in. I was skimming way too much of the science content. I loved the action part of the story line but it was a little too physics heavy for my liking. I read Artemis by Andy Weir and loved it though!!

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for this advanced copy.

Bright Lights, Big Christmas is the perfect holiday read! It takes place on the Tolliver family’s Christmas tree stand in NYC. Their Christmas tree farm is in NC, so this story has a big city setting with a small town feel.

I liked the main female character, Kerry. She has a big heart and is trying to find her way in life. However, Murphy, her brother, is an insufferable pain in the ass. His story (assuming there will be one) will have quite the character arc I’m sure, but he was way too grumpy (with not enough redeeming qualities) for me to like him. But I adored his English Setter, Queenie!! 

I didn’t love the romance between Kerry and Patrick. I love their characters, but the emotional and physical connection fell flat for me. I did like the shared custody arrangement he had with his ex wife and how they handled co-parenting their son, Austin. 

Then, there’s Heinz. The grumpy, old man of the bunch who wandered into their lives and was adopted first by the dog, Queenie, and then by the young boy, Austin. What’s his story? Is he homeless? Does he have family? By the end of the story you learn the answer to those questions, but I would absolutely love to hear his story from his point of view. 

That leads me to my favorite part of the book. I loved the found family theme, and even though Kerry’s “real family” is front and center on the page, she seemed to have way more connection to her found family in comparison to the blood relatives. The friendship between Kerry, Austin, Queenie, and Heinz is perfection! They are the most random group of individuals and yet they are family. They take care of each other, and it’s so beautiful! 

This is my first Mary Kay Andrews book but it will not be my last! I highly recommend this one to bring your soul a little bit of joy.

Since the Day We Danced by Kerk Murray

hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This is Kerk’s debut romance novel, and it is so good! It’s a true five star for me. I related to the female main character, Emma, in so many ways! Her vegan representation is something I’ve not come across in a book before, and I found it to be very thought provoking. (Side Note: There are vegan recipes in the back of the book that I’m excited to try out.) The male main character, Luke, has ALL of the golden retriever energy I love in a sweet, book boyfriend! He reminds me of my real life boyfriend A LOT. I’m blessed to have found “my Luke,” and I loved being a part of Emma’s journey to find hers. And Riley … the ACTUAL sweet, golden retriever who is as energetic and goofy as you would expect this breed to be. I loved him so much! Oh!!!! The scum ex-husband, Chad …. Well, I won’t spoil it, but he gets what he deserves. 

I completely appreciated this was a second chance romance in a non-traditional sense of the term. The same goes for the 3rd act breakup and how all of it unfolded. I loved the time I spent in Hadley Cove, and I can’t wait for this series to continue. 

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advanced copy.

I was not prepared for this emotional roller coaster, although I should have been. Katherine Center has done it again! She gave us the perfect example of a romcom! She simultaneously brought me joy and broke my heart without fear of losing the happily ever after. I will trust her with my heart every time! She can do no wrong! This story is pure delightful perfection! It played out in my mind like a movie, and I think I would be fabulous on the big screen! 

I’ll share more details closer to pub date, but be sure to pre-order this beauty so you don’t lose a minute getting started on it! It’s so worth it!!