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erinbrings's reviews
280 reviews
Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Published Feb 25, 2025
Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh is one of those books that keeps you hooked from start to end. The picture perfect family, Austin and Kate Yates and daughter Mia, but they are far from perfect. Kate wants to be that perfect wife, in her perfect house and neighborhood with her perfect husband and daughter. Austin, a cold, distant and overly stressed husband, who Kate believes he is cheating on her. Their daughter Mia got caught up in a school scandal involving two boys, a picture taken at a party that was circulating around. Everyone in this family has secrets, but are learning just how far they will go to protect eachothers secrets, they have no limit just how far they will go.
The suspense kept building from start to finish and more and more secrets came out. I really liked the dual timeline, which was easy to follow and helped lay the bricks for everything else in the book. i really enjoyed Nicola Marsh’s writing style and the pacing that. The narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and really making this audiobook addictive. I could not stop listening to this audiobook. I can’t wait to check out more of Nicola Marsh’s work in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and Dreamscape First for the ALC audiobook.
Our Perfect Family by Nicola Marsh is one of those books that keeps you hooked from start to end. The picture perfect family, Austin and Kate Yates and daughter Mia, but they are far from perfect. Kate wants to be that perfect wife, in her perfect house and neighborhood with her perfect husband and daughter. Austin, a cold, distant and overly stressed husband, who Kate believes he is cheating on her. Their daughter Mia got caught up in a school scandal involving two boys, a picture taken at a party that was circulating around. Everyone in this family has secrets, but are learning just how far they will go to protect eachothers secrets, they have no limit just how far they will go.
The suspense kept building from start to finish and more and more secrets came out. I really liked the dual timeline, which was easy to follow and helped lay the bricks for everything else in the book. i really enjoyed Nicola Marsh’s writing style and the pacing that. The narrators did an amazing job bringing the characters to life and really making this audiobook addictive. I could not stop listening to this audiobook. I can’t wait to check out more of Nicola Marsh’s work in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media and Dreamscape First for the ALC audiobook.
Meet Me at Midnight by Max Monroe
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Meet Me at Midnight
Published March 4, 2025
Meet Me at Midnight by Max Monroe was, beautiful, raw, powerful, real, inspiring and heart breaking all the same time.
Juniper and Avery are best friends, Juniper spends a lot of time with Avery’s family. Juniper has always had a crush on Avery’s brother Beau. Juniper was such a relatable character with how she was able to handle her feelings for Beau while still being professional at work. But the chemistry between Juniper and Beau is off the charts and had me hooked from the start of the book till the end. I loved that Juniper was able to have conversations with Beau without him knowing who it was behind the phone, I really think it made their bond stronger. However, Avery really pissed me off, she’s a spoiled entitled princess who gets everything she wants and barely has to do anything to get it all. I didn’t understand why everyone just let Avery get away without doing anything to earn the things she had in life. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t stop listening because I needed to know what happened next.
If you like these Tropes:
Office Romance
Best Friends Brother
Hidden Identity
She falls first, he falls harder
Found family
Slow burn
Dual POV
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC audiobook.
This is a voluntary review and all my own words.
Published March 4, 2025
Meet Me at Midnight by Max Monroe was, beautiful, raw, powerful, real, inspiring and heart breaking all the same time.
Juniper and Avery are best friends, Juniper spends a lot of time with Avery’s family. Juniper has always had a crush on Avery’s brother Beau. Juniper was such a relatable character with how she was able to handle her feelings for Beau while still being professional at work. But the chemistry between Juniper and Beau is off the charts and had me hooked from the start of the book till the end. I loved that Juniper was able to have conversations with Beau without him knowing who it was behind the phone, I really think it made their bond stronger. However, Avery really pissed me off, she’s a spoiled entitled princess who gets everything she wants and barely has to do anything to get it all. I didn’t understand why everyone just let Avery get away without doing anything to earn the things she had in life. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I couldn’t stop listening because I needed to know what happened next.
If you like these Tropes:
Office Romance
Best Friends Brother
Hidden Identity
She falls first, he falls harder
Found family
Slow burn
Dual POV
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC audiobook.
This is a voluntary review and all my own words.
Unlikely Neighbors: A Spicy Black Romance by Renee Daniel Flagler
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-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
4.0
Unlikely Neighbors publish April 1, 2025
Holland goes to New York when she inherits her estranged biological great aunts brownstone after being notified of her passing. Holland who was adopted really didn’t know much about her biological family and this was an opening to learning all about them but also makes her sad that she never got to know them. Holland meets her handsome new neighbor Nobel, a man looking for a new start. They had instant chemistry and sparks were flying. The only problem with this new love is that they are both dealing with personal issues that need to be resolved before being able to focus on someone else in their life. Holland moved away from her family, found out secrets her adoptive mother was keeping from her about her biological family. Can you say narcissist much?!
I really enjoyed this romance and all the other plots such as career change, grief, reconciliation and family. The story really flowed well. This was such quick read and so wholesome. The author did a really good job not making the grief and anxiety not super heavy which can make it hard for some readers to finish a book.
If you like:
Black Romance
Steamy Scenes
Opposites attract
Family and belonging theme
CEO mmc
New beginnings
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC Audiobook.
This review was voluntary and of my own wordsI’m
Holland goes to New York when she inherits her estranged biological great aunts brownstone after being notified of her passing. Holland who was adopted really didn’t know much about her biological family and this was an opening to learning all about them but also makes her sad that she never got to know them. Holland meets her handsome new neighbor Nobel, a man looking for a new start. They had instant chemistry and sparks were flying. The only problem with this new love is that they are both dealing with personal issues that need to be resolved before being able to focus on someone else in their life. Holland moved away from her family, found out secrets her adoptive mother was keeping from her about her biological family. Can you say narcissist much?!
I really enjoyed this romance and all the other plots such as career change, grief, reconciliation and family. The story really flowed well. This was such quick read and so wholesome. The author did a really good job not making the grief and anxiety not super heavy which can make it hard for some readers to finish a book.
If you like:
Black Romance
Steamy Scenes
Opposites attract
Family and belonging theme
CEO mmc
New beginnings
Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for this ARC Audiobook.
This review was voluntary and of my own wordsI’m
Counting Backwards by Jacqueline Friedland
challenging
emotional
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Trigger Warning: Miscarriage, Fertility issues, Women’s rights, immigration, deportation, forced sterilization, motherhood, eugenics
Counting backwards is written in dual POV and dual timeline. Present day timeline focuses on Jessa who is lawyer with relationship issues among issues with fertility after her miscarriage, she focuses a lot on trying to conceive and really becomes obsessive over trying to conceive. The other timeline focuses on Carrie Buck and the true events that happened to her.
I found this to be very well paced and really grabs your attention. Jessa as a lawyer took on an immigration case pro bono, where she stumbled upon a horrific pattern of medical malpractice inside the walls of a ICE detention center. Jessa’s investigation to the horrible things being done in this facility leads her to learning more about her family history involved with Carrie Buck.
I could not stop listening to this book. It was really horrifying what was happening to these women. It is a brilliant portrayal of the eugenics movement in the United States and how it really still remains relevant today.
This was released March 11, 2025
Thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks and Netgalley for the advance listening copy. This is my voluntary reviewed of this book and all words are my own.
Counting backwards is written in dual POV and dual timeline. Present day timeline focuses on Jessa who is lawyer with relationship issues among issues with fertility after her miscarriage, she focuses a lot on trying to conceive and really becomes obsessive over trying to conceive. The other timeline focuses on Carrie Buck and the true events that happened to her.
I found this to be very well paced and really grabs your attention. Jessa as a lawyer took on an immigration case pro bono, where she stumbled upon a horrific pattern of medical malpractice inside the walls of a ICE detention center. Jessa’s investigation to the horrible things being done in this facility leads her to learning more about her family history involved with Carrie Buck.
I could not stop listening to this book. It was really horrifying what was happening to these women. It is a brilliant portrayal of the eugenics movement in the United States and how it really still remains relevant today.
This was released March 11, 2025
Thank you Harper Muse Audiobooks and Netgalley for the advance listening copy. This is my voluntary reviewed of this book and all words are my own.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Racism, Medical trauma, Deportation
Little Threats by Emily Schultz
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Little Threats by Emily Schultz
This book just wasn’t it for me. I was bored and kept wanting to check out and DNF but I finished it. I enjoyed the nostalgia of early 90’s trends, the Doc Martens, grunge music, floral peasant dresses, Kurt Cobain. That’s about all I liked of this book unfortunately because it had high reviews.
Brain Damage by Freida McFadden
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Freida does it again. She grabbed my attention from the very start of this book. It was twisty and suspenseful. I really enjoyed a character having a feeding tube, even if it was because she was shot in the head. This was really well written, and the narrator was amazing. Im slowly completing the last few Freida books i haven't read yet! If you like twists and turns, and then love this books for you!
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-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
The Happy Ever After Playlist, book two in “The Friend Zone” series tore apart my heart and wrecked me emotionally and then pulled my heart back together at the end. We already knew Sloan from The Friend Zone for being Kristen’s bestie, and I loved her. My heart broke for her when she lost her fiancé. This book is all about Sloan, her life after her fiancé was in a motorcycle accident that killed him. She was rebuilding her life trying to get herself back after the crushing loss. That is when she’s driving down the road and she finds a dog, this dog is what leads her to meeting Jason. Jason, a musician is in Australia on tour and making music, he finally has cell service and has many calls from Sloan about his dog. Sloan agrees to keep the dog till Jason is back in the United States, but they talk every single day. Jason asks Sloan a new question daily to try to learn more about this woman he is getting feelings for despite not even knowing what she looks like. Jason is perfect, patient, kind, respectful in every way.
Sloan and Jason begin dating after they were supposed to meet to exchange the dog, but she was late and called, she had a pipe burst. Jason being perfect ran to help, and he fell in love with her all soggy and wet stressed trying to stop the water. They start dating and Jason has to go back out on tour, Sloan didn’t know who he actually was as he uses a stage name. Eventually Jason goes on tour and Sloan uproots her whole life and goes on tour with him. Jason made sure that Sloan could still follow her dreams and do the things she wants despite being out on tour with him. The tour did put some hiccups I their relationship, but I think in the end it just made them stronger.
The ending of he book ripped my heart up and stomped all over it and then picked up the pieces and has me swooning all over again. The way Jason saw Sloan in the audience at his show, left the stage to get her back made my heart explode. I really hope that Abby writes a follow up to this series because I need to know what Sloan and Jasons life is like and Kristen and Josh since they all live so close by now.
I have no read a single book from Abby I didn’t like.
Sloan and Jason begin dating after they were supposed to meet to exchange the dog, but she was late and called, she had a pipe burst. Jason being perfect ran to help, and he fell in love with her all soggy and wet stressed trying to stop the water. They start dating and Jason has to go back out on tour, Sloan didn’t know who he actually was as he uses a stage name. Eventually Jason goes on tour and Sloan uproots her whole life and goes on tour with him. Jason made sure that Sloan could still follow her dreams and do the things she wants despite being out on tour with him. The tour did put some hiccups I their relationship, but I think in the end it just made them stronger.
The ending of he book ripped my heart up and stomped all over it and then picked up the pieces and has me swooning all over again. The way Jason saw Sloan in the audience at his show, left the stage to get her back made my heart explode. I really hope that Abby writes a follow up to this series because I need to know what Sloan and Jasons life is like and Kristen and Josh since they all live so close by now.
I have no read a single book from Abby I didn’t like.
Another Fine Mess by Lindy Ryan
emotional
- 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? It's complicated
4.0
Another Fine Mess
This Book will be available April 15, 2025
“Making sure dead things stay buried is the family business…”
The Evans women are back in another Bless your Heart novel, working on recovering from events that took place in the first book. Set in a small town, this novel feels like a cozy mystery with some horror and gore elements. The Evans family are the towns undertakers, Lenore and her granddaughter Luna are attempting to rebuild their lives after the events that took place in the first book. They Evans facing difficulty in rebuilding because disturbing event continue to happen. Trouble is still lurking and causing issues in their small southeastern Texas town. The Evans girls are trying to figure what or who is behind these attacks with the help of the newly appointed sheriff.
Lindy Ryan has created a novel that is so vivid that you can picture the small southern town setting. All of her characters are likely and some even relatable. I don’t usually like gore but even with the graphic descriptions the audiobook is very easy to listen to. I love the strong female characters that are just trying to help the town by stopping these attacks. During all this Luna is trying to figure out who she is, besides just a teenager since her mother’s passing. Lenore, who lost both her mother and daughter in the last book takes over the responsibilities of running the mortuary. I really enjoyed seeing how this close knit family learns and begins to let other people into their circle.
I really enjoyed the narrator Stephanie Nemeth Parker and the voices she gave to the characters. This book is face paced, and filled with dark humor. The Evans women are the type of people you keep your distance from while still rooting for them from afar. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio as well as Lindy Ryan for the Advance Listening Copy of this book. This review is written voluntarily and my own words.
This Book will be available April 15, 2025
“Making sure dead things stay buried is the family business…”
The Evans women are back in another Bless your Heart novel, working on recovering from events that took place in the first book. Set in a small town, this novel feels like a cozy mystery with some horror and gore elements. The Evans family are the towns undertakers, Lenore and her granddaughter Luna are attempting to rebuild their lives after the events that took place in the first book. They Evans facing difficulty in rebuilding because disturbing event continue to happen. Trouble is still lurking and causing issues in their small southeastern Texas town. The Evans girls are trying to figure what or who is behind these attacks with the help of the newly appointed sheriff.
Lindy Ryan has created a novel that is so vivid that you can picture the small southern town setting. All of her characters are likely and some even relatable. I don’t usually like gore but even with the graphic descriptions the audiobook is very easy to listen to. I love the strong female characters that are just trying to help the town by stopping these attacks. During all this Luna is trying to figure out who she is, besides just a teenager since her mother’s passing. Lenore, who lost both her mother and daughter in the last book takes over the responsibilities of running the mortuary. I really enjoyed seeing how this close knit family learns and begins to let other people into their circle.
I really enjoyed the narrator Stephanie Nemeth Parker and the voices she gave to the characters. This book is face paced, and filled with dark humor. The Evans women are the type of people you keep your distance from while still rooting for them from afar. I can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio as well as Lindy Ryan for the Advance Listening Copy of this book. This review is written voluntarily and my own words.
Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Make Yourself at Home by Wendy Clarke was absolutely amazing and now available. Hook line and sinker, she caught me. I listened to this in one sitting because I just had to know what happened next. It is addictive, so many twists and it is fast-paced. I thought I had figured out what was happening and who was behind it another twist came and threw a wrench in my thoughts on it,
Schoolteacher Catherine becomes a mentor and takes pity on the newest English professor in training at her school. She definitely didn’t know that Lisa claimed to be Gary (Catherines Husbands) sister or so they thought. Catherine invites Lisa to stay with them when she finds her sleeping in the school because she was kicked out of her parents allegedly. Gary did not like one bit that Lisa was staying at their home and the tension was rising rapidly in that home.
The tension between Gary and Lisa gets ramped up when Catherine finds more out about Gary’s family and his so called sister. Catherine speaks to Garys parents who is estranged from them, and what she learned was horrifying, leading her to not be able to trust anyone, not even Gary.
The Narrator Lucy Paterson did an amazing job and really put the emotion in Catherine especially, you could feel what she was feeling. This is a solid book, and is a perfect quick (because you got hooked and couldn’t stop) read. Perfect for after reading something really heavy. I can’t wait to read more from Wendy Clarke!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this Advance listener copy. I reviewed this on my own using all my own words.
Schoolteacher Catherine becomes a mentor and takes pity on the newest English professor in training at her school. She definitely didn’t know that Lisa claimed to be Gary (Catherines Husbands) sister or so they thought. Catherine invites Lisa to stay with them when she finds her sleeping in the school because she was kicked out of her parents allegedly. Gary did not like one bit that Lisa was staying at their home and the tension was rising rapidly in that home.
The tension between Gary and Lisa gets ramped up when Catherine finds more out about Gary’s family and his so called sister. Catherine speaks to Garys parents who is estranged from them, and what she learned was horrifying, leading her to not be able to trust anyone, not even Gary.
The Narrator Lucy Paterson did an amazing job and really put the emotion in Catherine especially, you could feel what she was feeling. This is a solid book, and is a perfect quick (because you got hooked and couldn’t stop) read. Perfect for after reading something really heavy. I can’t wait to read more from Wendy Clarke!
Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this Advance listener copy. I reviewed this on my own using all my own words.
The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-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
The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller is so well written, and an amazing story. This book comes out March 11. It follows two sisters, Margaret and Evelyn as they learn what life is and how to navigate it after the Tulsa Race Massacre which took place in Tulsa Greenwood which was also known as “Black Wall Street”. I remember learning about this in school but the way that Miller writes it, you truly feel all the emotions that all the characters feel. This book extremely well researched which really took me back in time and place when this all happened. I really enjoyed the quotes at the start of each chapter it helps in providing context since its from the time when massacre happened. I plan to read more books by Vanessa Miller because the way she writes her novels is beautiful and attention grabbing, it flows and really makes you feel the emotions the characters have.
Thank you NetGalley and Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio for this advance listener copy. Special thanks to Vanessa Miller for making this possible.