bookstobarbellsbabe's reviews
158 reviews

The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory

Go to review page

5.0

Alexa and Drew meet in the elevator malfunction. After making small talk, Drew chases her down and asks her to be his date at a wedding he’s attending.
.
I loved how this book switched from Alexa to Drew's POV. I love knowing what each character is thinking and I feel like I get a better feel of what is going on. They were so different and that made it so great because you don't really expect them to work out, but they do. 
.
Alexa agrees to help him out because he is dateless to his ex-girlfriends wedding, they realize what a great time they have together and they have some steamy great sex.
.
Having their relationship unfold was the best and funniest thing. What I really enjoyed is they could eat. I love it. Isnt that the best, though? New relationship, always eating out and getting to know each other then coming home to have some awesome sex. I found myself jealous of all the eating they were doing. They really were enjoying each others company and it seemed like nothing could go wrong.
.
One thing I do want to mention is how relatable I found Alexa to be. She laid out so many insecuriteues that I know for one that I have felt and I'm sure many girls have felt, like body insecurities and things like that. That really made me fall in love with  her and I just wanted everything to work out for her. The fact that she was a strong, spunky and career driven black woman made her and even more lovable heroine of the story. 
.
I adored their strong connection and was so happy with how this story turned out after the falling out they had that I actually cried. Like, no joke. I let out some tears because I was so happy. This was such a great, feel good novel that I really enjoyed every minute that I spent reading it. From the meet cute, to the early butterflies of a new relationship to the first fight, this book has it all and I'm living for it . Alexa and Drew's love story is not something you find everyday and that's why I love it so much.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
American Royals by Katharine McGee

Go to review page

4.0

The British Royal family has always intrigued me so when I stumbled across this title on BOOKSTAGRAM , it spiked my interest. The book follows 4 different women that are all in or around the royal family of America, if we had a royal family. The different dynamic of monarchy in American, led by descendants of George Washington was very refreshing me. While I was very excited to read this book, once I started it, I found myself putting it down a lot. In the beginning, I found it hard to get into the characters. Beatrice seemed like she had a lot of layers to peel back and I didn't feel like she was giving us anything. From the bat, I felt bad for Samantha, but I enjoyed her character. Nina....I was drawn to her from the very beginning because she was a Hispanic character in a dominantly white setting. Daphne from the very beginning was a manipulative bitch. I think what I really felt was missing early on was a plot, like where is this going? We start off with a lot of the characters crisscrossing each other, which i can totally see because I think that any royal monarch would generally be a small circle. I will say this. McGee did an excellent job creating these characters and I am very invested in them. Poor Beatrice being forced to attend a party to find a suitable husband is something I cant even imagine. When reading all of this take place, I'm reminded of a particular episode of my all time favorite show, Gilmore Girls. If you are a Gilmore Girls fan, you know what I am talking about. Rory grandparents, Emily and Richard host a party for Rory of all boys to try to lure Rory away from her current boyfriend. Only difference is Rory was heir to the throne of America. I have to say, I did enjoy the drama. The story may have been slow, but the drama and the way everyone was connected kept me drawn in. I found myself wishing I had a Prince Jefferson poster to hang in my teenage bedroom


Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
Wonderland by Jennifer Hillier

Go to review page

5.0

Have you ever have a book that was sooo good it made you forget all your adult responsibilities just do you could finish it? That was “Wonderland” was for me. I literally finished it in one day and couldn’t put it down till I was done. It follows some people start disappearing at the amusement park, you can’t help but think something creepy is going on. Especially with that scary creepy clown attraction. I am NOT a fan of clowns . I love a fast paced thriller and of course , she delivers. She’s one of top favorite thriller authors.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
He Started It by Samantha Downing

Go to review page

3.0

Let me start by saying this book was difficult for me to rate. I say that because the ending was very “unrealistic” for me and I was left very unsatisfied. Reading this , I was really intrigued with the siblings. The story line and the road trip was very interesting to me. Being estranged and being forced to go on this road trip for their grandfather brought up a lot of memories that kept me hooked. But like I said, the build up for entire book and was excellent . The plot twist was great, but the final ending scene was not satisfying and I was left with “WTFFFFFF “ feelings.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

Go to review page

5.0

I really enjoyed Ms. Guillory’s first novel , so I was super excited to start on the second book in this series. And I have to say this one maybe my favorite to date.
.
In “The Wedding Date” , we got to know Alexa and Drew and their amazing love story. Now we dig deeper and and get to know Drew’s best friend Carlos.
.
In the first book, I really liked Carlos. In this one, I LOVE him!
.
Carlos is a (ewww) Dodgers baseball game when he sees a Jumbotron proposal gone wrong. Nikole is beyond embarrassed. I mean, she hasn’t even been dating this guy for that long.
.
Carlos, being the great guy that he is, swoops in and saves her from all the embarrassment that is starting since the paparazzi is having a field day with this.
.
He saves her then offers her a ride home, which she accepts but they end up going to a bar instead to meet some of her friends. Chemistry between the 2 is painfully obvious and they start a beautiful friendship.
.
This is a romance book, right….so, obviously this friendship leads to more, but since Nik just came out of a publicly humiliating relationship and Carlos being a successful but busy doctor, neither one of the want to fall in love.
.
Friends to lovers book are always so much fun and I loved Carlos’s character so much. I really recommend this book. It’s such a feel good romance fthat is very satisfying for the soul.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
The Swap by Robyn Harding

Go to review page

3.0

Low Morrison is not your average teen. So many things in her life can contribute to that. Hippie parents, looming height, or her secluded hometown. She just doesn’t fit.

So, when she signs up for a pottery class with the beautiful , once-famous Freya, it won’t be too bad, right ?

Freya and Low quickly develop a friendship. Maybe you would say , an unhealthy adoration of Freya on Low, almost as she falls in love with Freya. Freya then becomes friends with Jamie and her husband, as does Freya’s husband, and once again Low doesn’t fit.

After a drunken night with the adults that result in swapping partners, Freya and Jamie are faced with some life changing choices. But that also gives the jealous Low a perfect chance to showcase her bitterness.

This book had me alternating between 3 and 4 stars, so I ultimately decided on 3.5 stars. It’s gives you everything! Thrilling, mystery, sex… it actually reads very fast paced and I did enjoy the ending, which I did not see coming. Low’s actions couldn’t have me turning the pages fast enough and me thinking…”What’s going to happen next?”

You know, when you see a car accident, and you can’t just look away? That’s what this psychological thriller was. In the end, I did truly enjoy it.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover

Go to review page

4.0

My second @colleenhoover book, and I must say….COLLEEN HOOVER IS A MFing QUEEN!!! My heart can’t handle it. Also, isn’t this cover GORGEOUS!!
.
Beyah and Samson’s summer romance is so heartbreaking but so pure. I immediately felt connected to this story because it takes place in a very close beach town near me, Galveston, TX.
.
Both of these characters have such a hard life and for them to find each other seems like fate. Such a heartbreaking story and Colleen tells it so well. If you want a story that will leave you in tears with its works of loyalty, love and very interesting characters (side characters included), pick this one up as soon as possible. You will not be disappointed.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

Go to review page

4.0

***BOOK REVIEW***
“Pretty Little Wife”
By : Darby Kane
MY RATING : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5
.
When’s the last time that you read a debut novel that kept you on the edge of your seat the entire time? That’s what “Pretty Little Wife” was to me.
.
After careful planning and preparation, Lila has the perfect murder and cover up for her husband , High School teacher Aaron. But things don’t go right when himself and his SUV are missing. What happened to her carefully detailed plan?
.
But why would she want to kill off her “perfect” husband and ruin her “perfect” life?
Perhaps maybe Aaron is a sexual predator after Lila finds Incriminating videos of him and young girls?
.
There are so many secrets that come out during the duration of this novel and all the plot twists happen at the perfect time to get everything in place. Lila and her journey took me on a wild ride and I can’t wait to read more by this author, especially since this was a debut novel.

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
Not the Marrying Kind by Kathryn Nolan

Go to review page

5.0

I love this book. Max and Fiona are to die for! Their love affair is so beautiful and I cried at the end. They make me so happy. I’ll admit, I was getting a little frustrated. It took more than half the book for them to get it on, but I absolutely loved the wait. Great job, Kathryn !

Follow me on IG @bookstobarbellsbabe
Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

Go to review page

4.0

What’s better than a hot HGTV inspired book? Not much, although it did take me a minute to get fully captivated with the story line, I loved all the angles it took and the relationship with the main characters was very cute. I would recommend