sarahloving's reviews
42 reviews

Truly Enough by J.J. Hale

lighthearted 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? N/A

5.0

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, Inc., J.J. Hale, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

Quick, Cozy, Roommate Romance. I loved the representation in this book of ADHD, especially finding out that you have it when you are older. Having Sam and Lexi talk about their support systems and how helpful they were to each other. Also, Lexi finding out about her sexuality was lovely to read about, 

 

Robyn has been through a lot in her life. She focuses on her career. I loved Robyn. She was strong, and I can see where she came from in her thinking. Lexi and Robyn were so cute together. I loved watching their romance bloom.

 

I highly recommend reading this book.

Vintage and Vogue by Tana Fireside, Kelly Fireside

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? Yes

4.0

Thank you, Bold Strokes Books, Inc., Kelly Fireside, Tana Fireside, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This was a cute small town Rom-Com about saving a small town and the fight to preserve history or update the town. Hazel is stuck in the past, while Sena wants to move forward. I loved the conflict between protecting the dying town’s history versus updating the town to bring more people in. The underlying story was fascinating.

 

I would have liked more of a build-up relationship between Hazel and Sena, but they are good together. Sena rubbed me the wrong way, but she grew on me. 

 

I recommend that you read this book.

This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

Thank you, Rebecca Throne, for the ARC.

I loved this book. It took me until about chapter 9 to get into it, but once I did, I could not put it down. It is full of twists and turns. I loved the chemistry between Kess and Nix. I would love a prequel going deeper into the Lore of them or the country and religion. Rebecca wrote the book so well that it was easy to visualize what was happening, and the descriptions were very well done. 

Please read the trigger warnings before reading this book because it is dark. That being said, I was a little worried about the ocean or sea. I love the ocean, but diving deep into it makes me feel claustrophobic. However, I was okay with how Rebecca wrote it. The plot helped distract me because I wanted to discover what was happening more than anything else. 

I highly recommend reading this book. I can't wait for the second one to see where the story will go. 

The Moonshine Heart by Eule Grey

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Thank you BookSirens, and Eule Grey, for the ARC.

This book was good. I would have liked more of a description of the world created before diving right into the action. I was confused about what was going on. I also would have liked more character-building.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Lucky to be Yours by Shannon O'Connor

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Thank you BookSirens, and Shannon O'Connor, for the ARC.

This book was a super cute cozy St. Patricks Day romance. I loved it. Meet up again after a connection-lost trope I'm a sucker for. Ellie and Reece were adorable together. St. Patrick's Day is one of my favorite holidays, so it was great to have a nice romance to read. There are usually not a lot of books around the holiday.

My one complaint is that when Ellie and Reese first met, Reese's language threw me off, and it took a little bit to get used to. I would also have loved seeing more of Ellie's relationship with her grandma.

I recommend reading this book.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I Saw Mommy Kissing the Nanny by Shannon O'Connor

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.0

Thank you, BookSirens and Shannon O'Connor, for the ARC.

This is a super cozy Christmas romance. I loved this book. I thought Lucy and Morgan were perfect for each other. It is an age-gap romance. The dynamic between Noel and Morgan was adorable, and I wanted to read more about their relationship.

I don't know if it was because it was an arc, but there were some continuity issues which was a little to read when I needed to find out where Noel was. But other than that, it was a great book.

I recommend reading it.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

It's a Fabulous Life by Kelly Farmer

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Thank you, Alcove Press, Kelly Farmer, and NetGalley, for the ARC.

 

This was a super cute Christmas Romance book. I love the building of the relationship between Bailey and Maria. I loved the intervening of the angels. The town was lovely. However, the people were annoying at points. Poor Bailey just needed a break, and they would not give it to her.

 

I enjoyed their dogs being a significant part of the book. Some books forget there was a pet, and I'm halfway through, wondering where it is. Lulu and Rosie were very much a part of the story and adorable. 

 

I recommend ready this book.

Godly Heathens by H.E. Edgmon

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? No

4.0

Thank you, St. Martins Press. H.E. Edgmon, and NetGalley for the ARC.

 

I loved this book. It is very dark, and I recommend reading the trigger warnings before reading. I had to stop halfway through the book for a break and read a different book. I loved the world they created and would love to deep dive more into the lore of it, maybe even get a prequel.

 

The one thing I did not care for was using parentheses. This is a personal thing that my college professor pointed out to me, and now it bugs me. My professor said that parenthesis is just a way to confident in what you want to say and to either not put that in your writing or write it and be confident. It pulled me out of the story several times when they were used. 

 

I recommend this book, but please read the trigger warnings before reading.

Wild Things by Laura Kay

sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

Thank you, Vintage Anchor, Laura Kay, and NetGalley, for the ARC. Spoilers ahead

 

I felt this book would be better as a friend's book and not a romance. I didn't feel the connection between El and Ray. I have a hard time with books where the main character has a crush and is just dragged through the mud for this crush. It feels too much like real life, and I read to escape. The crush turned into a lover has to be done well for me to like it. 

 

I loved the idea of all of them buying a house and living together. It is what our world has come to know of days. That part of the story was fun to read.

One part got on my nerves when El had a panic attack, and Ray made it worse.

There were better ways to handle that situation. 

 

Overall it was an okay book. The friendship was enjoyable to read about.

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kae

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? N/A

5.0

Thank you, Kensington Books, Courtney Kae, and NetGalley, for the ARC. Light Spoilers ahead.

 

This book was about healing past trauma and trusting the ones you love.  

It started like it was going to be a miscommunication trope, but it wasn't, which is good because that is not my favorite kind of trope.

 Ben and Adam have past traumas that collide, making it difficult for a relationship, but they find a way to make it work. I loved their relationship.

 

I'd wish we could see a little bit more of Morgan and Rachel because I did love their story, but it also helped to make the focus on Adam and Ben. Ben's grandma is hilarious. 

 

I recommend reading this book, especially if you liked the first book.