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noa_ashley_'s reviews
510 reviews
Sweetness and Madness: The Mad Love Series by Alyssa Green
4.0
"Mia’s presence was threaded through every corner of my world." - Ethan
"Spending the night sitting next to my best friend, I found comfort in just being." - Mia
This book is full of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, Ethan and Mia are best friend and coworkers since a long time. They both work in the music industry. Mia finds out that she is sick at the start of this book (I will tell you what sickness in the last part of my review and Spoilers that I want to talk about) her world changes completely from that point, she needs to focus on getting better. Eventually she tells Ethan that she is sick and he temporarily moves in with her to help her. They both struggle with their feelings for each other. It's written so beautifully and with a lot of care. I love how the romance was part of this book but wasn't the main focus, it fit amazingly in this their story.
⚠️ Spoilers, you can stop reading now ⚠️
Mia has cancer, I'm writing this in my review because I as a reader and person that has seen this sickness closer by, would want to know this before starting a book. It is in the trigger warnings, make sure to check those. Ethan helps her with her treatments and is always there for her. Ethan lost a son (stillborn) and I really appreciate how thoughtful that was written. His son will always have a place in his heart and his family with Mia.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author! Thank you so much, this was the first book I've read by her and I'm excited to read more in the future.
"Spending the night sitting next to my best friend, I found comfort in just being." - Mia
This book is full of heartwarming and heartbreaking moments, Ethan and Mia are best friend and coworkers since a long time. They both work in the music industry. Mia finds out that she is sick at the start of this book (I will tell you what sickness in the last part of my review and Spoilers that I want to talk about) her world changes completely from that point, she needs to focus on getting better. Eventually she tells Ethan that she is sick and he temporarily moves in with her to help her. They both struggle with their feelings for each other. It's written so beautifully and with a lot of care. I love how the romance was part of this book but wasn't the main focus, it fit amazingly in this their story.
⚠️ Spoilers, you can stop reading now ⚠️
Mia has cancer, I'm writing this in my review because I as a reader and person that has seen this sickness closer by, would want to know this before starting a book. It is in the trigger warnings, make sure to check those. Ethan helps her with her treatments and is always there for her. Ethan lost a son (stillborn) and I really appreciate how thoughtful that was written. His son will always have a place in his heart and his family with Mia.
I received an ARC copy of this book from the author! Thank you so much, this was the first book I've read by her and I'm excited to read more in the future.
Mine by Riley Hart
5.0
"It’s the complete acceptance that means so much, and he’s the only person in the world I get that from." - JT
"He is what I hadn’t known I’d been waiting for. He is what I’ve been missing." - Marshall
I really love respect and talking about boundaries and this book did that in the most perfect and beautiful way! JT's parents try to push him in a future that they want for him, his parents just don't understand that he is happy and that he makes his own decisions (JT is 22) and his dad's best friend Marshall (he is 40) is the only one that understood from the start. This book is very important to me, maybe because I know from own experience how it is to be treated like JT about my own future.
Marshal understands himself and others so well. He pays attention to their feelings, expressions and body language. It feels so good to read about a character that just understands feelings sometimes even better than JT knows his own feelings and where they are coming from. And of course was this book spicy but it made it so much more meaningful because they could try new things with someone that they trust, because they had a deep connection, they could talk about everything and most importantly they accepted each other for who they truly are. Marshall and John have been best friends since before JT was born, Marshall lived somewhere else so he didn't see JT a lot and they never saw each as family but as dad's best friend/best friend's son, in a way Marshall is family just not as an uncle!
Marshall was scared to lose John (JT's dad), it's the only family he has, the conversations between Marshall and John were a lot about John not accepting that JT has his own life and makes his own decisions. It's just very painful to read. This book has a lot of conversations between Marshall & John with moments were they look back at their friendship. I understand that John wants the best for his son but on the other side, JT's parents didn't see JT, they didn't show interest in the most important parts of JT's life, in his interests. Marshall did, he always shows him that he cares, that he sees JT's wants and needs.
“Loving someone is the best thing you can do for them. It’s not some magic fix, but it makes us stronger, and from that strength, anything is possible.” - Reggie
It was good that JT could talk about his relationship with Reggie, his best friend. Even if their not into the same stuff, they can still talk about their differences without judgement and with respect.
I received an ARC copy of this book. Thank you so much!!!
"He is what I hadn’t known I’d been waiting for. He is what I’ve been missing." - Marshall
I really love respect and talking about boundaries and this book did that in the most perfect and beautiful way! JT's parents try to push him in a future that they want for him, his parents just don't understand that he is happy and that he makes his own decisions (JT is 22) and his dad's best friend Marshall (he is 40) is the only one that understood from the start. This book is very important to me, maybe because I know from own experience how it is to be treated like JT about my own future.
Marshal understands himself and others so well. He pays attention to their feelings, expressions and body language. It feels so good to read about a character that just understands feelings sometimes even better than JT knows his own feelings and where they are coming from. And of course was this book spicy but it made it so much more meaningful because they could try new things with someone that they trust, because they had a deep connection, they could talk about everything and most importantly they accepted each other for who they truly are. Marshall and John have been best friends since before JT was born, Marshall lived somewhere else so he didn't see JT a lot and they never saw each as family but as dad's best friend/best friend's son, in a way Marshall is family just not as an uncle!
Marshall was scared to lose John (JT's dad), it's the only family he has, the conversations between Marshall and John were a lot about John not accepting that JT has his own life and makes his own decisions. It's just very painful to read. This book has a lot of conversations between Marshall & John with moments were they look back at their friendship. I understand that John wants the best for his son but on the other side, JT's parents didn't see JT, they didn't show interest in the most important parts of JT's life, in his interests. Marshall did, he always shows him that he cares, that he sees JT's wants and needs.
“Loving someone is the best thing you can do for them. It’s not some magic fix, but it makes us stronger, and from that strength, anything is possible.” - Reggie
It was good that JT could talk about his relationship with Reggie, his best friend. Even if their not into the same stuff, they can still talk about their differences without judgement and with respect.
I received an ARC copy of this book. Thank you so much!!!
Restrictions by N. Brown
4.0
“I think you deserve the time to find out who you are, Asher Sterling.” - Vivienne
“I think you deserve the same damn thing, Vivienne Crenshaw.” - Asher
It's the way I really love this serie but it's stressing me out at the same time! A family member died and in this serie you follow the Sterlings finding love while grieving that person at the time. It's important to read this Serie in order. There is a cliffhanger in this book.
Vivienne does everything for her son Sebastian, and to give her more time to also be herself and explore she lives with Asher who is Sebastian's uncle. Vivienne and Asher both had a difficult childhood where their parents expected them to be "perfect" or "like" their sibling. There is a lot of pain and self sabotaging in this book. Especially Asher doesn't let himself be happy. Even though his family is very loving and does everything for each other, they are all hurting and toxic which has a lot to do with grief. I'm looking forward to the next books and I really hope that they all can heal and treat each other a lot nicer! Because this was a roller-coaster. I'm also glad that they all have Sebastian in their lives! He is the sunshine in the family, everyone loves him so much!
This book is republished under the name N. Brown (Nicole Dykes her pen name). I received an ARC copy of this book.
“I think you deserve the same damn thing, Vivienne Crenshaw.” - Asher
It's the way I really love this serie but it's stressing me out at the same time! A family member died and in this serie you follow the Sterlings finding love while grieving that person at the time. It's important to read this Serie in order. There is a cliffhanger in this book.
Vivienne does everything for her son Sebastian, and to give her more time to also be herself and explore she lives with Asher who is Sebastian's uncle. Vivienne and Asher both had a difficult childhood where their parents expected them to be "perfect" or "like" their sibling. There is a lot of pain and self sabotaging in this book. Especially Asher doesn't let himself be happy. Even though his family is very loving and does everything for each other, they are all hurting and toxic which has a lot to do with grief. I'm looking forward to the next books and I really hope that they all can heal and treat each other a lot nicer! Because this was a roller-coaster. I'm also glad that they all have Sebastian in their lives! He is the sunshine in the family, everyone loves him so much!
This book is republished under the name N. Brown (Nicole Dykes her pen name). I received an ARC copy of this book.
The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose
3.0
This is a Christmas holiday novella where we follow Molly and Juan Manuel, they have already been in a relationship and loving together for a few years now. Juan Manuel has some secrets in this novella and all the people around Molly are acting suspicious. She doesn't understand why until she gets her present!!! I'm really loving this couple and this serie
The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
4.0
This is the second book in The Molly The Maid serie. This book takes place a few years after the first book. The famous writer (J. D Grimthorpe) was supposed to tell his fans a secret in the Regency Grand hotel but he died before he could tell everyone his secret. And Detective Stark thinks Molly has something to do with it. Molly helps her find the killer. This book has chapters in the past (where Molly and her grandma clean a house from people that the story is about in the present, Molly's grandma is very special to her, her favorite person and I'm glad there was moments between Molly and her grandma) and the present (where they find the killer.) Molly really grew as a person and she understands people more in this book (she has autism) and I'm glad that Juan Manual is still in her life and I wished that he was more in this book in the background, I really would have loved that.
Loving Leo by Cora Rose, Nicole Dykes
4.0
"He's changed me in very small ways, but I feel like I'm finally coming into myself. For the first time in forever." - Heath
"Who knew that the grumpy guy who caught me on day one was going to be a repeat?" - Leo
Heath and Leo grew up in different worlds, Leo didn't have money growing up and Heath did have money growing up, has a sister and they had a lot of rules. Heath is used to routine and being "perfect." Leo totally disturbed that. And that turned out to be really good for them both, they even started filming together. I really loved Heath's sister (Selena) and Leo's best friend (Asher) and mother. They could talk very openly about their feelings and always made sure that they were okay, they were there for each other in hard moments and never judged each other for being different. This was an age gap of 13 years (Leo 22 & Heath 35) and I didn't even notice it and in my opinion those are the best ones. It was also very beautiful to read about Heath his bi-awakening moment, he is so much happier with Leo!
"I want him to make me smile, to make me happy again." - Heath
They are just so good together, their lives fit together perfectly, they are different and they made it work.
I received an ARC copy of this book. Thank you so much!
"Who knew that the grumpy guy who caught me on day one was going to be a repeat?" - Leo
Heath and Leo grew up in different worlds, Leo didn't have money growing up and Heath did have money growing up, has a sister and they had a lot of rules. Heath is used to routine and being "perfect." Leo totally disturbed that. And that turned out to be really good for them both, they even started filming together. I really loved Heath's sister (Selena) and Leo's best friend (Asher) and mother. They could talk very openly about their feelings and always made sure that they were okay, they were there for each other in hard moments and never judged each other for being different. This was an age gap of 13 years (Leo 22 & Heath 35) and I didn't even notice it and in my opinion those are the best ones. It was also very beautiful to read about Heath his bi-awakening moment, he is so much happier with Leo!
"I want him to make me smile, to make me happy again." - Heath
They are just so good together, their lives fit together perfectly, they are different and they made it work.
I received an ARC copy of this book. Thank you so much!
The Maid by Nita Prose
4.0
I listened to the audiobook version of this book. In this book we follow Molly who is a maid in a hotel, she loves her job. She has autism and because of that she doesn't understand what people say and how they mean it. Words can have different meanings and people used her, she didn't know that until later in the book. I'm glad that there were people looking out for her in the end. She lived with her grandmother and I loved how she had a part in Molly's life. I think the author wrote about autism with respect and it felt realistic. This book was easy to understand.
Blaze & Ajax by Courtney W. Dixon
5.0
"I screamed for attention, but no one could hear me." - Blaze (Ajax)
"Despite all our shit, Blaze chose me to help him when he could've found anyone else." - Ajax (Jaxon)
Blaze has been g00med, there are flashbacks and thoughts about that time and person throughout the book, make sure to check the trigger warnings. In the beginning he didn't see it that way, it took him some time and conversations with others to realize that. Because of that, he has a hard time showing/accepting love and believing that people want to be and stay with him because they really want too, there are a lot of things that he struggles with, eventually he starts to open up to Ajax and their friends. Blaze just wanted to be seen and loved. I'm glad that he has Cueball who looks after him and makes sure that Ajax understands what Blaze needs and how he needs/wants to be treated.
"Understand your boundaries and his. Create safe words and have a safe space." - Cueball to Ajax about Blaze
Ajax is struggling with his mental health, especially in the second half of this book. It was hard to read but also beautiful that when he was told that he had bipolar disorder, that there was hope, people could help him and he could understand himself better and also parts of his childhood. And yes, I cried a lot in the second half of the book.This book was written with so much respect and care.
The mental health, found family and hurt/comfort (I'm always looking for those tropes) were so beautiful and made me emotional! Even though a lot of people abandoned them, they still have each other. Ajax and Blaze understood each other so well, they were vulnerable with each other and they slowly opened up. They had a lot of fun and important meaningful moments. I just loved how they talked about doubts they had and how they reassured each other in those moments, they help each other heal parts that they didn't break.They have each other and a lot of loving friends that will help them in difficult times.
I found a new author that I want to read more books from! I received a copy of this book. Thank you so much.
"Despite all our shit, Blaze chose me to help him when he could've found anyone else." - Ajax (Jaxon)
Blaze has been g00med, there are flashbacks and thoughts about that time and person throughout the book, make sure to check the trigger warnings. In the beginning he didn't see it that way, it took him some time and conversations with others to realize that. Because of that, he has a hard time showing/accepting love and believing that people want to be and stay with him because they really want too, there are a lot of things that he struggles with, eventually he starts to open up to Ajax and their friends. Blaze just wanted to be seen and loved. I'm glad that he has Cueball who looks after him and makes sure that Ajax understands what Blaze needs and how he needs/wants to be treated.
"Understand your boundaries and his. Create safe words and have a safe space." - Cueball to Ajax about Blaze
Ajax is struggling with his mental health, especially in the second half of this book. It was hard to read but also beautiful that when he was told that he had bipolar disorder, that there was hope, people could help him and he could understand himself better and also parts of his childhood. And yes, I cried a lot in the second half of the book.This book was written with so much respect and care.
The mental health, found family and hurt/comfort (I'm always looking for those tropes) were so beautiful and made me emotional! Even though a lot of people abandoned them, they still have each other. Ajax and Blaze understood each other so well, they were vulnerable with each other and they slowly opened up. They had a lot of fun and important meaningful moments. I just loved how they talked about doubts they had and how they reassured each other in those moments, they help each other heal parts that they didn't break.They have each other and a lot of loving friends that will help them in difficult times.
I found a new author that I want to read more books from! I received a copy of this book. Thank you so much.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware
2.0
This book it felt very messy and following this book was different for me. I listened to the audiobook version of the book. I didn't feel the Thriller part, to me this book felt unnecessary too long. This book was more about family drama, there are a lot of questions and it took so long for them to be answered. I probably should have giving it a DNF.
Wrecked Guard by Renn Wells
4.0
"I’m about to meet my girlfriend's mom. I may walk in on something amazing, or I’ll have to put Tessa back together." - Julian
"I deserve things like Julian and his heart." - Tessa
Tessa is in danger and Julian is the bodyguard that is the one to keep her safe, he's also the one that she already knew. This is a hate to love because they had a "situation" a few years ago that didn't end well. He "hates" her so much but makes sure that there always is a prescription inhaler for her.
They both have their own past and trauma. Because of that, they to communicate in order to understand each other and be what the other needs. They are there for each other in the hard and beautiful moments. Tessa her mother has dementia and Tessa carried that on her own for a long time until she opened up to Julian. There were also lots of moments with friends and family. With lots of action!
I received an ARC copy of this book by the author.
"I deserve things like Julian and his heart." - Tessa
Tessa is in danger and Julian is the bodyguard that is the one to keep her safe, he's also the one that she already knew. This is a hate to love because they had a "situation" a few years ago that didn't end well. He "hates" her so much but makes sure that there always is a prescription inhaler for her.
They both have their own past and trauma. Because of that, they to communicate in order to understand each other and be what the other needs. They are there for each other in the hard and beautiful moments. Tessa her mother has dementia and Tessa carried that on her own for a long time until she opened up to Julian. There were also lots of moments with friends and family. With lots of action!
I received an ARC copy of this book by the author.