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morgan_is_reading's reviews
538 reviews
Where the Library Hides by Isabel Ibañez
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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
The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
3.75
Okaaaay, so I maybe ended up really enjoying this, even if the first couple of pages had me going "wait, what?!" about the decision-making abilities of our FMC. 🤣 This ended up being a cute, very true to your standard Christmas romance love story, but with more depth, character-development, and spice 🌶️.
Kira ends up in Dream Harbor to start over, and somehow ends up buying an abandoned tree farm without realizing it was a tree farm (I know). Bennett is in town visiting his sister, but his life is in San Francisco. The two inevitably meet, and there's some strong grumpy/sunshine, black cat/golden retriever, or whatever variation of this you want to go with, happening between the two.
Each character's back story was fairly interesting and made their motivations believable, which made the overall story much better than your standard Hallmark movie, and each of them was a whole person on their own, which is a bare minimum in a romance novel for me. I found Bennett very endearing and Kira really grew on me.
If you're looking for sweet, fluffy, but also including some spice, this book will be an enjoyable, quick read!
Kira ends up in Dream Harbor to start over, and somehow ends up buying an abandoned tree farm without realizing it was a tree farm (I know). Bennett is in town visiting his sister, but his life is in San Francisco. The two inevitably meet, and there's some strong grumpy/sunshine, black cat/golden retriever, or whatever variation of this you want to go with, happening between the two.
Each character's back story was fairly interesting and made their motivations believable, which made the overall story much better than your standard Hallmark movie, and each of them was a whole person on their own, which is a bare minimum in a romance novel for me. I found Bennett very endearing and Kira really grew on me.
If you're looking for sweet, fluffy, but also including some spice, this book will be an enjoyable, quick read!
Flopping in a Winter Wonderland by Jason June
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
This book was so much fun! I'm not usually a fan of true YA, but this one really hooked me with its full commitment to the Christmas vibes and being realistic fiction, while also being a bit over the top in the best possible ways.
The idea of a Christmas theme park and people who live there year round to keep it running was so original, and the concept was thoroughly thought out, including the logistics of how a company like that would run. I really appreciated the takes on true Christmas spirit versus the manufactured Christmas joy, and why some people go so hard for presenting a perfect holiday picture for themselves.
Now, for the romance. Kris and Aaron were such well-written and believable older teenagers trying to figure out life and relationships. Both are jaded in their own way, but ultimately have hearts of gold and want to do right by their family members. I loved how their romance is written, and don't want to spoil anything, but really felt it was true to their ages and was very natural.
This book doesn't shy away from societal issues or challenging family dynamics either, so it has something for everyone. Definitely a great Christmas read!
The idea of a Christmas theme park and people who live there year round to keep it running was so original, and the concept was thoroughly thought out, including the logistics of how a company like that would run. I really appreciated the takes on true Christmas spirit versus the manufactured Christmas joy, and why some people go so hard for presenting a perfect holiday picture for themselves.
Now, for the romance. Kris and Aaron were such well-written and believable older teenagers trying to figure out life and relationships. Both are jaded in their own way, but ultimately have hearts of gold and want to do right by their family members. I loved how their romance is written, and don't want to spoil anything, but really felt it was true to their ages and was very natural.
This book doesn't shy away from societal issues or challenging family dynamics either, so it has something for everyone. Definitely a great Christmas read!
I'll Be Gone for Christmas by Georgia K. Boone
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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? Yes
4.5
This home swap Christmas story is a beautiful story of self-discovery, self-love, and, some holiday romance! This book was a delightful read, with a dual-pov narrative, lovable main and side characters, and incredibly relatable conflicts the characters struggled with. The representation in this book was fantastic and felt very true to the communities each woman was living in. Whether you like Christmas books or not, this book is worth a read any time of year! bookstagram
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Oh, this book made me feel so many things! It's a second chance romance centered around the Christmas season, but not so Christmassy that my non-holiday readers won't enjoy it!
Brighton and Charlotte have known each other since they were 13, when they became next door neighbors and met on the shores of Lake Michigan. They become inseparable, until a fateful Christmas day 10 years later when everything changes between them.
Now, at 28, they happen to end up at the same home in Colorado for Christmas, and as they are forced to confront their past they must also decide if they have a future.
This book presented a very complex relationship, and I at times struggled with if they really should get back together or if they could make it work based on their personalities and individual needs. I loved the setting and supporting characters, and that plot revolved around music.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book, but had some reservations about the relationship between the main characters for most of the book, although the resolution left me satisfied.
Brighton and Charlotte have known each other since they were 13, when they became next door neighbors and met on the shores of Lake Michigan. They become inseparable, until a fateful Christmas day 10 years later when everything changes between them.
Now, at 28, they happen to end up at the same home in Colorado for Christmas, and as they are forced to confront their past they must also decide if they have a future.
This book presented a very complex relationship, and I at times struggled with if they really should get back together or if they could make it work based on their personalities and individual needs. I loved the setting and supporting characters, and that plot revolved around music.
Ultimately, I really enjoyed this book, but had some reservations about the relationship between the main characters for most of the book, although the resolution left me satisfied.
Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A Five-Letter Word for Love by Amy James
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A Five-Letter Word for Love absolutely surprised me in some great ways. While on its surface a Wordle-themed rom-com, this book really explores finding oneself and learning to find the value of life's ordinary beauty.
Emily is a woman in her late twenties whose life is not at all what she imagined post-college. She is a dreamer and idealist, yet she finds herself working as a receptionist at an auto shop, applying for a "real job". While constantly optimistic, she also finds herself lonely and grappling with navigating the changing and having friendships of her university days and trying to find new relationships on her current life situation.
Enter John, a mechanic of few words who is perfectly (mostly) content with his life working at the auto shop he and Emily both work at on Price Edward Island. He rarely has interacted with her until a car mishap forces an interaction, which leads to more. They soon discover that what they each saw on the surface of the other was not all there was.
Meanwhile, this book also explores the value of the elderly and local history, storytelling, and recognizing that you can take many paths on life, but eventually have to choose one. Choosing isn't always settling, sometimes it's just knowing your heart.
I could have done with a little less Wordle and a little more personality from John, but the local museum subplot and the elderly people that are so well developed in this book really make this a solid read. Ultimately, this book celebrates the ordinary, and how exceptional each ordinary, well-lived life is.
Emily is a woman in her late twenties whose life is not at all what she imagined post-college. She is a dreamer and idealist, yet she finds herself working as a receptionist at an auto shop, applying for a "real job". While constantly optimistic, she also finds herself lonely and grappling with navigating the changing and having friendships of her university days and trying to find new relationships on her current life situation.
Enter John, a mechanic of few words who is perfectly (mostly) content with his life working at the auto shop he and Emily both work at on Price Edward Island. He rarely has interacted with her until a car mishap forces an interaction, which leads to more. They soon discover that what they each saw on the surface of the other was not all there was.
Meanwhile, this book also explores the value of the elderly and local history, storytelling, and recognizing that you can take many paths on life, but eventually have to choose one. Choosing isn't always settling, sometimes it's just knowing your heart.
I could have done with a little less Wordle and a little more personality from John, but the local museum subplot and the elderly people that are so well developed in this book really make this a solid read. Ultimately, this book celebrates the ordinary, and how exceptional each ordinary, well-lived life is.
The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Did I totally cave to the hype of this series? Yup. Are these covers so cozy I wish they were a Mary Poppins chalk drawing I could jump into and wander indefinitely? Also yes.
This book was cute, cozy, and just like eating a cinnamon bun. It was yummy, sweet, and filled me up, but it was not a full meal of a book either.
Hazel and Noah were an adorable couple, this was a true romance novel with character development for each MC that did have depth, and the friendships and vibe of the town were all well thought out and developed, including some diversity with the supporting characters.
I like my romances to have a bit more of a sub plot that addresses a larger issue, which this one doesn't, but that also wasn't the point of this book, and I can respect that if was written to be a sweet book with romance for the sake of romance.
Will I read more books in this series? Oh, yes! I have the Christmas Tree Farm book sitting on my nightstand ready for Christmas season and will definitely be making it part of my holiday reads!
This book was cute, cozy, and just like eating a cinnamon bun. It was yummy, sweet, and filled me up, but it was not a full meal of a book either.
Hazel and Noah were an adorable couple, this was a true romance novel with character development for each MC that did have depth, and the friendships and vibe of the town were all well thought out and developed, including some diversity with the supporting characters.
I like my romances to have a bit more of a sub plot that addresses a larger issue, which this one doesn't, but that also wasn't the point of this book, and I can respect that if was written to be a sweet book with romance for the sake of romance.
Will I read more books in this series? Oh, yes! I have the Christmas Tree Farm book sitting on my nightstand ready for Christmas season and will definitely be making it part of my holiday reads!