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stephsnextread's Reviews (390)
Whoa, this one was emotional and intense! Evie wakes up in the hospital thinking she’s a teenager, but she’s actually an adult and survived the car crash that killed her husband (who she can’t remember at all!). Her memory of the last decade is gone and she has to figure out how all the pieces of her life fit together.
I don’t want to say much more about the plot because I think it’s worth going into without knowing much. However, there are quite a few trigger warnings (that could be considered spoilers and I won’t mention here), so check out the author’s note or look up trigger warnings if that is something that you need.
I really enjoyed the twists along the way as Evie’s memories start to come back to her and we learn her story. Her current life is so different from what high school Evie wanted, and it was so emotional to see her grappling with it all. I highly recommend this book (going in as blind to the plot as you can)!
I don’t want to say much more about the plot because I think it’s worth going into without knowing much. However, there are quite a few trigger warnings (that could be considered spoilers and I won’t mention here), so check out the author’s note or look up trigger warnings if that is something that you need.
I really enjoyed the twists along the way as Evie’s memories start to come back to her and we learn her story. Her current life is so different from what high school Evie wanted, and it was so emotional to see her grappling with it all. I highly recommend this book (going in as blind to the plot as you can)!
Cate Kay is a best selling author, but only one other person knows her true identity…until now. This is her fictional memoir, featuring chapters from other important people in her life, telling the story of her three different identities.
This book was so captivating and I loved it! I read with a mix of ebook and audiobook. The audio is a full cast, and I HIGHLY recommend the audio if possible. There are chapters from many points of view (even some very minor characters), and the audio helped me keep track of whose perspective I was reading at any given time.
I was so invested in the story, wanting to learn how the main character evolves from Annie to Cass to Cate Kay. I loved the depth that the multiple points of view brought to the story. Kate Fagan’s writing style was so interesting, weaving pieces of Cate Kay’s novels into the story. I also really enjoyed when Cate would add a footnote to another person’s point of view, inserting clarification into her own memoir. There is a little bit of everything in this book—love, betrayal, tragedy, suspense, and quite a few complex relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it (especially the audiobook if possible)!
Thank you to Kate Fagan, Atria, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This book was so captivating and I loved it! I read with a mix of ebook and audiobook. The audio is a full cast, and I HIGHLY recommend the audio if possible. There are chapters from many points of view (even some very minor characters), and the audio helped me keep track of whose perspective I was reading at any given time.
I was so invested in the story, wanting to learn how the main character evolves from Annie to Cass to Cate Kay. I loved the depth that the multiple points of view brought to the story. Kate Fagan’s writing style was so interesting, weaving pieces of Cate Kay’s novels into the story. I also really enjoyed when Cate would add a footnote to another person’s point of view, inserting clarification into her own memoir. There is a little bit of everything in this book—love, betrayal, tragedy, suspense, and quite a few complex relationships. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it (especially the audiobook if possible)!
Thank you to Kate Fagan, Atria, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This is book #3 in Meghan Quinn’s Almond Bay series of interconnected standalones. I haven’t read the first two and was able to follow everything, but now I want to go back and read Ryland’s siblings’ stories!
In true Meghan Quinn fashion, this book is spicy and the spice starts right from the beginning. No slow burn for Ryland and Gabby! Gabby is fresh off a bad interview and needs to let off some steam. She decides a one-night stand with Ryland is exactly what she needs. A few days later, she finds out that she gets the job and Ryland is her boss…and, in a surprising turn of events, her landlord.
I felt the spice was a little repetitive and the book was longer than I usually prefer for romance, but I still enjoyed it. I really loved Ryland’s family, as well as Gabby’s relationship with her brother. I thought the family dynamics were some of the best parts of the book. But I also enjoyed Ryland and Gabby after they decided to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
The audiobook was great! I love duet narration so much more than dual narration! In duet narration, the female narrator always voices the female’s lines (even in the chapters from the male point of view) and vice versa. I enjoyed both narrators, and thought that Sebastian York’s gravely voice was particularly perfect for the character.
Thank you to Meghan Quinn and Hambright PR for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 One-night stand to friends to lovers
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Single dad MMC (he’s actually an uncle but has custody)
In true Meghan Quinn fashion, this book is spicy and the spice starts right from the beginning. No slow burn for Ryland and Gabby! Gabby is fresh off a bad interview and needs to let off some steam. She decides a one-night stand with Ryland is exactly what she needs. A few days later, she finds out that she gets the job and Ryland is her boss…and, in a surprising turn of events, her landlord.
I felt the spice was a little repetitive and the book was longer than I usually prefer for romance, but I still enjoyed it. I really loved Ryland’s family, as well as Gabby’s relationship with her brother. I thought the family dynamics were some of the best parts of the book. But I also enjoyed Ryland and Gabby after they decided to acknowledge their feelings for each other.
The audiobook was great! I love duet narration so much more than dual narration! In duet narration, the female narrator always voices the female’s lines (even in the chapters from the male point of view) and vice versa. I enjoyed both narrators, and thought that Sebastian York’s gravely voice was particularly perfect for the character.
Thank you to Meghan Quinn and Hambright PR for this ALC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 One-night stand to friends to lovers
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Single dad MMC (he’s actually an uncle but has custody)
Flirting with Disaster is a reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama. Meena is a lawyer on Capitol Hill and ready to take the next steps with her boyfriend, who is also a lawyer. She returns to her home town to insist on a divorce from her estranged husband, Nikhil, who she hasn’t seen in years. There’s a hurricane brewing (literally), and Meena and Nikhil have to shelter in his home until it passes. Meena starts to remember why she used to be in love with Nikhil and second guesses her plans for the future.
This book was entertaining, and I loved the personal growth Meena and Nikhil have both made since they were together. I felt that it was a very accurate depiction of what two exes would be like when stuck in a house together.
However, almost the entire book was miscommunication, and I just didn’t buy into their love story. The book was told only from Meena’s point of view, but it jumps between past and present without much warning at all. It was fairly easy to follow, but I think I would’ve understood their history better if there had been separate chapters for present and past, and really shown the love in their past relationship rather than Meena telling what happened. Even by the end of the book, I felt like I didn’t quite know who Nikhil is or what drew the two of them together.
I know that other readers have had a better experience with this book than I did, so I would recommend giving it a read if you’re a fan of second chance romance or the movie Sweet Home Alabama.
Thank you to Naina Kumar, Dell, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Sweet Home Alabama
💕 Career-focused FMCs
This book was entertaining, and I loved the personal growth Meena and Nikhil have both made since they were together. I felt that it was a very accurate depiction of what two exes would be like when stuck in a house together.
However, almost the entire book was miscommunication, and I just didn’t buy into their love story. The book was told only from Meena’s point of view, but it jumps between past and present without much warning at all. It was fairly easy to follow, but I think I would’ve understood their history better if there had been separate chapters for present and past, and really shown the love in their past relationship rather than Meena telling what happened. Even by the end of the book, I felt like I didn’t quite know who Nikhil is or what drew the two of them together.
I know that other readers have had a better experience with this book than I did, so I would recommend giving it a read if you’re a fan of second chance romance or the movie Sweet Home Alabama.
Thank you to Naina Kumar, Dell, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Sweet Home Alabama
💕 Career-focused FMCs
This book is connected to Jo Segura’s novel Raiders of the Lost Heart (but can be read as a standalone). I’m obsessed with the covers and titles of these books! However, I had a really hard time rating this book.
There were so many good things about this book. The FMC is a quirky archaeologist on an expedition to discover the fabled Lost City of the Moon. Miri is endearing from chapter one. She is a bumbling hot mess with an amazing sense of humor that made me laugh out loud. She has no experience leading a mission, but it was fun to watch her grow from an inexperienced archaeologist endangering her team to a pure badass. I also loved the adventure aspect of the book, the setting, and all the clues Miri has to solve.
My problem with the book came with the MMC, who is a journalist/photographer hired to document the search for the lost city. Except that Rafa does not actually want the team to succeed, and sabotages them the whole time. I had a really hard time with the lying and deceit while Miri was starting to fall for him. The romance between Miri and Rafa was insta-lust, and then took a loooong time to build to anything more. The slow burn actually worked for me, but I didn’t want Miri to end up with him in the end, so it was hard for me to be excited about it. I thought that Rafa did sort of redeem himself, but it was hard for me to forgive him.
Thank you to Jo Segura, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Quirky FMC in male-dominated fields
💕 Workplace romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Cheesy action movies
💕 Pringles
The whole time I was reading this book, I kept picturing it as a movie! I started this one while in a reading slump, but I was quickly pulled out of that slump. I was hooked right away and absolutely flew through this book!
The Glitter Bats are a “pop-punk-inspired rock” band whose name is a Twilight reference! They split up years ago after tension between band members Valerie and Caleb led to them both leaving the band. This story is told in present day, but the reader learns about what happened to cause the split through memories and conversations. The band started while the five members were in high school, so they have this amazing relationship that is somewhere between friends and family. Or they did, before the band broke up. Now they’re reuniting for one last reunion concert and their fans are going crazy! In the past, the fandom speculated that Valerie and Caleb were together (couple name CalErie 😂), and fans are assuming they’re together again. Val and Caleb decide to fake date for publicity, but there is a lot for them to work through to make it believable!
There is so much tension from all of the band members about the past, and I really enjoyed reading about each members’ feelings over what happened. The mental health representation (anxiety and panic attacks) was so well done, and I also loved watching Val work through her complicated relationship with her mom. And the poetry that was the song lyrics…so good!!
Despite some heavy themes, this was such a fun book, and I’m hoping we get books about each of the band members some day!
Thank you Jessica James, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Celebrity romance
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Fake dating
💕 Dual POV
💕 Anxiety rep
The Glitter Bats are a “pop-punk-inspired rock” band whose name is a Twilight reference! They split up years ago after tension between band members Valerie and Caleb led to them both leaving the band. This story is told in present day, but the reader learns about what happened to cause the split through memories and conversations. The band started while the five members were in high school, so they have this amazing relationship that is somewhere between friends and family. Or they did, before the band broke up. Now they’re reuniting for one last reunion concert and their fans are going crazy! In the past, the fandom speculated that Valerie and Caleb were together (couple name CalErie 😂), and fans are assuming they’re together again. Val and Caleb decide to fake date for publicity, but there is a lot for them to work through to make it believable!
There is so much tension from all of the band members about the past, and I really enjoyed reading about each members’ feelings over what happened. The mental health representation (anxiety and panic attacks) was so well done, and I also loved watching Val work through her complicated relationship with her mom. And the poetry that was the song lyrics…so good!!
Despite some heavy themes, this was such a fun book, and I’m hoping we get books about each of the band members some day!
Thank you Jessica James, Berkley, and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Celebrity romance
💕 Second chance romance
💕 Fake dating
💕 Dual POV
💕 Anxiety rep
Jamie and Bea have a meet-disaster and know that they are totally wrong for each other. If only their friends would realize that, because they trick Jamie and Bea into going on a date. Jamie and Bea decide to pretend to date each other and then stage a dramatic breakup as payback to their meddling friends.
I just absolutely adored Jamie and Bea together. They are both so lovable and their quirks fit together perfectly. I also loved the author’s note at the beginning and the neurodivergent representation. I definitely recommend this one!
Read if you like:
💕 Autistic representation
💕 Anxiety representation
💕 A hint of enemies to lovers
💕 Fake dating
💕 Dual POV
I just absolutely adored Jamie and Bea together. They are both so lovable and their quirks fit together perfectly. I also loved the author’s note at the beginning and the neurodivergent representation. I definitely recommend this one!
Read if you like:
💕 Autistic representation
💕 Anxiety representation
💕 A hint of enemies to lovers
💕 Fake dating
💕 Dual POV
This was a beautiful story about grief, relationships, and finding yourself. Greta is an indie musician who lost her mother a few months ago and falls apart on stage. Video of her breakdown goes viral, so she takes her mother’s place on an Alaskan cruise with her father and family friends. Her relationship with her father is rocky, and a cruise ship is the perfect setting for their issues to come to the surface. As they are both dealing with grief over losing Greta’s mother, they are forced to confront the struggles in their relationship.
This book really focuses on Greta healing herself, and part of that comes in the form of a sweet romance with Ben Wilder, a fellow cruise passenger who is struggling with his own challenges in life. Their romance is just what they both need at the exact right time, and it is beautiful to watch. While there is romance in the story, I would say this book leans more women’s fiction than true romance. I loved this emotional story and the way it explored complicated emotions and family dynamics.
Read if you like:
💕 Complicated family relationships
💕 Healing after grief
💕 Celebrity romance
💕 Alaskan cruises
This book really focuses on Greta healing herself, and part of that comes in the form of a sweet romance with Ben Wilder, a fellow cruise passenger who is struggling with his own challenges in life. Their romance is just what they both need at the exact right time, and it is beautiful to watch. While there is romance in the story, I would say this book leans more women’s fiction than true romance. I loved this emotional story and the way it explored complicated emotions and family dynamics.
Read if you like:
💕 Complicated family relationships
💕 Healing after grief
💕 Celebrity romance
💕 Alaskan cruises
I adored this book! It is the 3rd book in Sarah Adams’ When In Rome series of interconnected standalones. You could read this one without reading the others, but the first two are also so good that I recommend reading them all! I was so excited to return to Rome, KY and the Walker siblings.
Emily and Jack are one of my favorite book couples ever written. Emily has felt the responsibility of caring for her siblings since the death of their parents when they were children, and she’s grappling with her adult siblings’ growing independence and knowing her worth if she can’t care for someone. Jack is the son of a famous mystery writer and keeps his own identity as a best-selling mystery author a secret because of his narcissistic father. Both Emily and Jack are dealing with evolving family relationships, as well as their own self-discovery, and the way they help each other handle these difficult things is so beautiful.
Along the way to love, there is a hint of second chance (he asked her out in college and she said no), extreme rivalry with lots of tension, and forced proximity (they’re newly neighbors). There is so much to love in this book: the town’s grandmotherly figure, Mabel, who gives the best advice; Emily’s relationships with her sisters and the way they grow together; the emails between Jack and Emily after each chapter (the unsent emails BROKE me!); a manuscript heist; and the steamiest scene-blocking ever.
This was an easy 5 star read for me, with an extra special treat—a little continuation of Annie’s story (my favorite Walker sibling!). I highly recommend this one!
Thank you to Sarah Adams, Dell and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Rivals to lovers
💕 Small town romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Elementary teacher main characters
💕 Books about authors
Emily and Jack are one of my favorite book couples ever written. Emily has felt the responsibility of caring for her siblings since the death of their parents when they were children, and she’s grappling with her adult siblings’ growing independence and knowing her worth if she can’t care for someone. Jack is the son of a famous mystery writer and keeps his own identity as a best-selling mystery author a secret because of his narcissistic father. Both Emily and Jack are dealing with evolving family relationships, as well as their own self-discovery, and the way they help each other handle these difficult things is so beautiful.
Along the way to love, there is a hint of second chance (he asked her out in college and she said no), extreme rivalry with lots of tension, and forced proximity (they’re newly neighbors). There is so much to love in this book: the town’s grandmotherly figure, Mabel, who gives the best advice; Emily’s relationships with her sisters and the way they grow together; the emails between Jack and Emily after each chapter (the unsent emails BROKE me!); a manuscript heist; and the steamiest scene-blocking ever.
This was an easy 5 star read for me, with an extra special treat—a little continuation of Annie’s story (my favorite Walker sibling!). I highly recommend this one!
Thank you to Sarah Adams, Dell and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Read if you like:
💕 Rivals to lovers
💕 Small town romance
💕 Forced proximity
💕 Elementary teacher main characters
💕 Books about authors
Let me start by saying I found this story highly entertaining and enjoyable. I just didn’t expect SO MUCH tennis! Obviously, Carrie Soto (who was first introduced in Malibu Rising) is a tennis star so I knew there would be tennis, but I really wanted more about her life outside of tennis. I guess she really didn’t have a life outside of tennis and that was the whole point; it just wasn’t my favorite topic to read about. I did love reading about the relationship between Carrie and her father (who is also her coach), which was the highlight of the book for me.
Taylor Jenkins Reid is such an amazing storyteller that I had no trouble following the story despite my lack of tennis knowledge. The audiobook was really well done, and I enjoyed that the sports broadcasting clips between chapters were done by different narrators. Just a note—there is quite a bit of Spanish (without translation). I speak enough Spanish to understand what was said, and I think you could still follow the story without knowing Spanish, but it is something to be aware of.
Read if you like:
💕 Books about athletes
💕 Professional tennis
💕 Father-daughter relationships