readswithnatalieb's reviews
503 reviews

The Women by Kristin Hannah

5.0

 

This might be my favorite Kristin Hannah book so far. I haven’t read them all, but have read enough to catapult this book to the top of my ranking. I was completely engrossed in this story, captivated by the writing because I felt like I was inside the book. 

 

Even though this story falls within the historical fiction genre, it is obvious that Hannah did her research as so many storylines are true. 

 

For how heavy and sad it is, I wasn’t overly shocked on how many topics Hannah hit on. And they weren’t just thrown in to fill the space, they very much had a purpose which tied everything together. Between the horrors of war, PTSD, women living in a mans world, love, death, and so much more, I think it’ll be hard for me to convince readers just how well done everything was. 

 

I went on an emotional rollercoaster and loved every step of the way. 

 

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ALC! 

 

Content warnings: War, death, violence, miscarriage, addiction, Alcoholism, infidelity 

The Fury by Alex Michaelides

2.0

 

Man, another Michaelides books bites the dust for me. The premise sounded so good, but I think it’s the style of writing that doesn’t do it for me. Maybe it’s me or the time I read it, but I thought being optimistic about the book being set in Greece would help. Nope, I was wrong. 

 

The first half of the book is pretty snail paced, slowly introducing you to a bunch of characters who really dislike each other. Drama? Yes please. There were so many little twists that kept me intrigued especially when Michaelides began to peel back the layers of each person, but in doing so, the pacing was a rollercoaster. 

 

Our MC, Elliott, isn’t a reliable guy. We learn so much from his POV, but then you see learn the scene from a holistic point of view, giving the readers a more accurate sequence of events. While I typically like this, it was a tad confusing. 

 

Reading this book became a chore and I don’t like that in books. 

 

If you give this a try, I’d love to know your thoughts. Big thank you to Celadon and Netgalley for the gifted copy. 

 

Content warnings: murder, gun violence, death, child abuse, infidelity, domestic abuse 

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

4.0

 

Katherine Center can do no wrong. I love her books because I know what to expect. Safe to say, they’re my comfort stories! While she’s perfected the HEA, she brings to light harder hitting topics that can be quite educational. 

 

The dynamic was fascinating. Enemies to lovers? Under one roof? Family drama states away? I don’t know if we’ve got a classified romance trope but either way, I was cheering Emma and Charlie on to just kiss already. It didn’t disappoint, but the build sort of did. It took a while to get there, but also, Emma is the only character to overhear SO much in such a short time. Had it not been for everything she overheard, would this story have happened!? LOL JK yes it would have. But for real, she overhears a lot. 

 

I think my biggest peeve was how the “reveal” came so close to the end, when as readers, you know it wasn’t going to be the actual end and there would be one more twist. Had it been a little more drawn out, I think it would have been a little more satisfying. Also, the dialogue at times was a bit unnatural? There were definitely conversations that felt too formal given the setting. 

 

Don’t let my peeves distract you from THE Katherine Center and all her glory. I still recommend this book as I do all her books because they’re just pure warm fuzzies. 

 

Big thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for this ARC. This will be available on June 11, 2024! 
 

Content warnings: cancer, death, grief 

The Many Lives of Mama Love: A Memoir of Lying, Stealing, Writing, and Healing by Lara Love Hardin

5.0

 

Easily one of the best memoirs I’ve read in a long time. Hardin is a prime example of how someone can turn their life around and not letting one (or a lot) of bad decisions define you. 

 

Did Hardin hit rock bottom? Yes. Was she given more grace than most inmates are after they’re released? Most definitely. Now, with me saying that, I don’t want to belittle her post-jail experience. Needing to be in court, working at the jail, drug tests, meetings, etc, all with no job or car is an accomplishment of her own. By explaining everything she needed to do after she was released, it’s so clear why folks end up back in jail because our judicial system makes it really difficult to not have a probation violation. 

 

Hardin explains how she had it all, then she didn’t and takes you on a journey to fight for her life. To read about all the different paths she walked in life is astounding and heartbreaking all at the same time. 

 

I’ll never get all my thoughts out as I could write an essay on this one, but the main message I took away from this story is how messed up our judicial system is (I already knew this but it reinforced it). Hardin says something along the lines of “a one-year sentence might as well be a life sentence due to the check-in’s, paranoia, and shame.” It put a lot into perspective for me and I can’t stop thinking about it. 

 

Content warnings: addiction, drug abuse, drug use, suicidal thoughts, infidelity, toxic relationship, dementia, death 

Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

3.5

 

While I ended up liking the twists and turns at the end of the book, I’m not sure I it outweighed the journey to get there. Willingham’s writing is always powerful and super addictive, but the build in this story was too much of a slow burn for my liking. 

 

By me saying that, I don’t think it’s a bad story! I just like a little more action to keep me super hooked. Sure, there were a lot of clues and codes I was able to crack on my own that kept me turning the pages, but I needed more rewards as I was reading. 

 

If you are okay very slow burns, I think you’ll like this thriller. If you need a bit more action like I do, you might be annoyed while reading, but satisfied with how everything ends. 

 

Big thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC! This is available on Tuesday, January 16, 2024. 

 

Content warnings: murder, death, toxic friendship, sexual assault, infidelity, stalking, abuse 

Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

4.0

I’m not going to lie, this book was incredibly painful to read after the passing of Perry. I’ve never been one to not recommend a book, but if I did, it might be this one. Not because the book was bad or his stories aren’t interesting, but purely because you already know the ending of the epilogue he didn’t write.

Perry details his life in such a way you would have never known. From when he became famous and the lack of social media, I think it’s pretty safe to say you didn’t know him like you thought you did, especially if you kept up with his latest and greatest. I think the toughest part of this read was not knowing he passed, but the amount of times he tried to quit drugs and how his words and pleas ultimately made you cheer for him. While I had the empathy to cheer him on, the reality is a gut punch.

It was so sad to learn the amount of times he tried to quit and how much he wanted to help otherwise, but ultimately, he couldn’t help himself.

He shares lighter, happier stories that are pretty vague, mainly to keep anonymity of the people involved. His stories are a bit repetitive and bounce around a lot from stories of his life, but I think it reflects his mind and how it was constantly whirring. 

Without babbling on too much more, just know, it’s sad.

Content warnings: addition, drug use, alcoholism, mental illness, infidelity, medical content, suicidal ideation 

The Last Love Note by Emma Grey

5.0

I’m not one to get emotional when reading books, but this story had me close to tears. Don’t let this pretty cover fool you! It’s deeper than I anticipated with many themes of grief, love, and life after loss.

Maybe it’s because I’ve experienced a lot of grief with people around me passing close to my age, because this story cut deep for me. Due to the losses my husband and I have experienced, I am riddled with anxiety in thoughts of losing him, but typically books about losing your spouse don’t strike a nerve quite like this one did. Perhaps it was the writing and how I felt the emotion through words Grey used, but this book had me in my absolute feels.

While I highly recommend this story, please take care of yourself and check out other reviews first to see if you’re in a place to read a story with this content.

Big thank you to LibroFM for the gifted ALC.

Content warnings: grief, death, Alzheimer’s, miscarriage, suicidal ideation, infertility 

10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis Hall

4.0

This might be might second favorite Alexis Hall book (behind BOYFRIEND MATERIAL of course). While I thought the synopsis would bring quite a bit of cheesiness, while cheesy, it was very heartfelt. It made my smile grow as I kept reading the book getting to know the characters as well as I did.

I think there’s something to books where characters have amnesia. Even though Sam was faking it after he fell, there was something sort of mysterious to the story. We, as readers, knew a little about Sam, but because he doesn’t want to let him guard down in front of Jonathan. Because Sam’s guard is up, the reader is sort of in a similar boat as Jonathan. 

There’s so much to unpack and a lot of the story revolves around trauma. Handling trauma, figuring out how you heal best, and of course, life as you begin to grow and learn to live with this new trauma. While the cover may not scream this, it’s definitely a major theme.

I really enjoyed this one and I’m glad it’s out in the world. Big thank you to LibroFM for the ALC and Sourcebooks/NetGalley for the ARC!

Content warnings: toxic relationships, bullying, death, car accident, grief

Congratulations, The Best Is Over! by R. Eric Thomas

5.0

It’s safe to say that whatever R. Eric Thomas writes, I’m going to read. I can always count on laughs while being educated and seen all at the same time. I appreciate his humility and vulnerability because while I couldn’t and won’t ever related to all his stories, it kept me very engaged. I felt as if I was catching up with an old friend who I hadn’t seen in a while.

I do have one issue with this book though…  It was too short! I could have used so much more.

Between laughing at the frogs in his pond to having the same thoughts during and about the pandemic, I went on the best kind of rollercoaster. Thomas’ way of storytelling is a superpower. While some stories were very powerful and emotional, no matter the content, I was always looking forward to picking back up the stories as I was unable to finish in one sitting. 

If able, I highly recommend the audiobook!

Big thank you to PRH Audio for the gifted copy!

Content warnings: death, pandemic, homophobia, racism, police brutality

Big Gay Wedding by Byron Lane

4.0

BIG GAY WEDDING was such a great book and overall story about growth, acceptance, family, and love. There was plenty of comic relief and definitely gave me SCHITT’S CREEK vibes, but there was of course your harder hitting topics to speak to the realities of our world.

I loved being able to witness the growth of one of our main characters, Chrissy, as a religious woman living in a small town. She loves her son, but struggles knowing her son is gay and engaged. Her beliefs and struggles with religion throughout this story are quite fascinating, as I’ve witnessed people in my life walk a similar path. 

There was a lot of heart and feel good moments in this book. I was expecting a lighthearted and feel-good story based on the synopsis, and while I was correct in that aspect, there was so much more. It’s tender, hilarious, heartbreaking, and caring all wrapped in one. 

A big hug kind of book. 

Content warnings: homophobia, death, alcoholism, vandalism, grief, drug use