readintowonderland's reviews
306 reviews

Smudges by Lauren Emerson

4.5

As a left-handed person, I feel so seen with this book. It is short and sweet with beautiful illustrations. I love how expressive Hayley is! The words are clear to read and simple enough for younger readers. I really love the left-handed scissor struggle that all of us lefties know so well! Overall this book does a great job at promoting uniqueness and demonstrating tools that help out left-handed people. The included discussion questions will make it a great addition to a classroom!

I received this as an arc from Booksirens. My review is honest and voluntary

So Not My Boss Crush by Evie Sterling

4.5

I will admit at first I was nervous about how quickly Gwen and Brock began to fall for each other. That said. the longer it went on, the more realistic it felt. 

Brock is so tone-deaf about how he comes off. How did he not notice how much of a jerk he sounded when talking to most people? It felt more like a caricature than an actual person when we first met him. It was like Gwen reminded him to act like a decent human being. 

There are so many wonderful meddling characters in this book. Among them are Brock's sister, Gwen's best friend, and even Gwen's mother. Knowing all of them were rooting for the duo made the book have a nice and comfy vibe.

The part of the book that really surprised me was the plot twist. It truly felt like it suddenly came out of left field. I would've loved to have seen a few foreshadowing moments leading up to the climax of the story. 

Overall, this story is a pretty lighthearted romance. There are some instalovey vibes but I do suggest you give it a chance. The side characters are what really made this story shine. Their meddling and genuine nature was a refreshing element to the story. 

Please see my blog for a more in-depth review:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/05/so-not-my-boss-crush.html 

I received this book as an arc and am part of the haylingsbookstorm street team for Evie Sterling. My review is honest and voluntary 

Geronimo Stilton: Books 4-6: #4: I'm Too Fond of My Fur; #5: Four Mice Deep in the Jungle; #6: Paws Off, Cheddarface! by Geronimo Stilton

3.75

I really did not like his narrator. His laugh irked me and me made Sally sound like a lady who chain-smoked for 50 years

Geronimo Stilton #15 & 16 - Audio by Geronimo Stilton

4.0

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

3.75

I chose this book on a whim and honestly it wasn’t what I expected. I wasn’t particularly wowed by the story. It definitely isn’t anything I would write home about. That said, I did find myself still reading till the end as opposed to dnfing. My favorite part by far is just watching the hotel do the absolute most to try to satisfy what they think Sasha wants. While it is literally falling about around them, they still try to source kale from far away. Sasha’s personality and mannerisms are just so dry it is hard to get through. Watching someone be so meh throughout all sorts of circumstances lacks the entertainment value I expect from picking up a book. Finn is such a semi-red flag because he never bothers to communicate. Terry is the best character in the book because he is a role model with fantastic advice. This story needed more of the side characters because they all had personalities. In the end, while both of them are hot messes, I’m glad they got along. 

Falling for my fake-kisser neighbor by Lila Marlow

slow-paced

3.75

Out of all the elements of the book, the little farm stand at the cheese festival was by far my favorite. It was a total meet cute moment and all of the baby goats were so adorable! I really want to visit this cheese festival myself.

This book is somehow both short and very slow-paced. It definitely had moments that felt like they were dragging on a good bit. The actual content of the book would've been better suited to a novella.

Oh my gosh, the wave of emotions I went through with Lucas. At first, I sympathized with him, wishing Maureen would at least give him the time of day. By the end of the book when I found out what he did, my views took a 180.

I had a love-hate relationship with Maureen. She was incredibly oblivious at times which was frustrating to read.  Her victim mentality is just, not it. That said, she is a romance reader girlie who has a lot of relatable moments.

This book truly read like a Hallmark movie. If that is your thing, you will love this one. I am not a big fan of that kind of storytelling and my rating reflects that. I was much more interested in the mystery elements of the story than the romance elements.

This book only contains implied sexual relations 

 I received this book as part of a haylingsbookstorm arc team. My review is honest and voluntary

Puck Money by Dani Galliaro

4.25

At first, I truly did not like Annie's character. She continued to stay in a relationship with a married man even after discovering he was married. I started to like her a lot more as the book went on and that aspect of her character became less irritating. 

I loved the little Scarlett Letter reference. It was the perfect little nod. Not too overt or forced but enough to be widely recognizable. 

Nick is one of the most pure characters I have seen in a spicy book. He well and truly had no idea how to please a woman and it somehow added to his charm. He was also a FANTASTIC babysitter which was heartwarming to see. 

If anything, I feel like this book could've been trimmed down a bit to be shorter. It felt like I was always wanting to fast-forward to the next plot point. 

A few of the dates Annie and Nick went on were so cute. Such as the Venice Beach-themed date or when they bonded over books. The moments they actually let themselves act like a couple flowed very well. 

This book is very spicy. It is the plot, not just a big part, it is honestly most of the plot.  If you are not comfortable with a healthy portion of open-door spice, this is not the book for you. 

Overall, this book was enjoyable if you like a spicy read that isn't dark. The hockey elements came into play at some points. I would've loved to see it be a tad bit shorter and to give Annie a redemption arc earlier on in the story. 

Please see my blog for a more in-depth review:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/05/puck-money.html 

I received this book as an arc through Happily Booked PR. My review is honest and voluntary. 

Fake Dating & Matchmaking 101: A Sweet Romance by Evie Sterling

4.5

I loved the little feature of Gemma in a podcast episode. This little nod is just the right level of callback to show that the books are set in the same universe but the characters do not have to know each other personally. It is a nice thing to see done right. 

The best part of this book by far is the goat. This adorable creature is named Blue. In the same way he snuck into all of the characters' hearts, he snuck into mine. Blue is a large part of the many funny moments in this book. A baby goat can cause a surprising amount of comical hijinks. This is my official petition for more authors to include baby goats in their work. 

I really like how the characters are written about in this book. Oliva is a curvy girl full of determination. Cole is much more reserved and is much less in tune with his feelings. Each of them has notable flaws that help add realism to the story. They aren't just perfect cookie-cutter characters. These flaws are a major component and are not ignored throughout the story. They also help ground both of them as they have to tackle their flaws head-on. 

I love how even though Cole is not the best communicator, he demonstrates his feelings through actions. He goes totally above and beyond for Oliva and Blue. I will not give specifics to avoid spoilers, but let's just say we would all be lucky to have a Cole take an interest in us. 

The one thing I thought was really missing was Oliva's brother Trent's reaction to them getting together officially and admitting their feelings. There is a lot of hype up throughout the book about his obliviousness for it not to be resolved. The perfect time to reveal it all is cut short and the book proceeds to the epilogue. I would've also adored to see Blue's further hijinks at the wedding as the ring bearer. Evie, girl, you held out on us which I am upset by. 

Overall if you are looking for a clean romance with a cute goat and characters with flaws, this is definitely a book to check out. I would've loved a few more moments described above but even without them, the story is endearing. 

For a  more in-depth review please see my blog:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/05/fake-dating-and-matchmaking-101.html 
 
I received this book as an arc and am part of the haylingsbookstorm street team for Evie Sterling. My review is honest and voluntary 

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

4.75

This book wonderfully balances comedy, science, and romance in such a way that kept me entranced from beginning to end. 

Hazelwood does an excellent job of covering the challenges involved with being a BIPOC woman in science. Olive struggles to be taken seriously and constantly has to prove herself worthy of being in the field with many white older men. This book is excellent at the concept of being a mirror for some and a window for others. 

The tension Hazelwood is able to create feels palpable. I truly adored the moments when Olive and Adam were forced together.  Seeing the moments where Anh encourages them to act lovey-dovey was incredibly hilarious. Particularly the sunscreen scene (I seriously almost listened to that one twice, it is just that good). 

Every character in this book was fantastically written. From best friends to the antagonist, they all contributed to the plot and entertainment value of the story. I wish I could've seen even more of them and how their presence and meddling impacted things for the fake couple.  

The one area I thought was lacking was more of Adam's feelings. There is a lot of getting to know Adam with everything except for how he feels about things. 

This book had way more actual plot than I was expecting. I love that Olive and Adam had to really go through some trials and tribulations to get to the point where they knew they needed to address everything.  

One of my favorite parts was the great roasting of Tom by all of the characters. I found myself quite literally laughing and fist-pumping because all of it was so well-deserved.

This book does contain open-door spice. That said, it can be skipped without missing anything particularly important to the plot. 

Overall, this is one of the top romances in my eyes. While not quite at the level of giving me that 5-star feeling, I highly highly recommend it. All of the characters are fantastic and there is so much plot for readers to immerse themselves in. It is also genuinely funny a lot of the time which adds to the appeal!

Please see my blog for a more in-depth review:  https://readintowonderland.blogspot.com/2024/05/the-love-hypothesis.html  

You Will Get Through This Night by Daniel Howell

5.0

This book was super helpful and encouraging. I love how it is well-researched and provides real psychological information. It is obvious how much time and care Dan took into creating this. It is the first book I have ever properly annotated and I will say that process added so much to my reading experience. I was able to relate to many parts of the book and pick up lots of valuable advice along the way. I highly recommend this psychological guide that is realistic and down to earth.