thebookstagrambabe's reviews
769 reviews

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.25

I was really intrigued by this one! I regretted not requesting it on Netgalley, but was excited to get the ALC from Libro.fm. Helen and Grant were inexplicably tied together in their teen years after a tragic accident with Helen's sister. So years later, when she finds him in the writer's room of her new TV show based on the book she wrote, she is flabbergasted. While Grant has moved past the experience, Helen isn't quick to accept him back into her life. When secrets come to light, they must reckon with the fact that theirs was never meant to be any kind of love story. And yet… the key to making peace with their past—and themselves—might just lie in holding on to each other in the present.

oooooh boy! This book will pull at your heartstrings. Some tropes you will get include enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and a somewhat second-chance romance. This book had a lot of deep emotional connections. From Grant's panic attacks, to Helen never really coping or accepting her sister's suicide, both have to overcome mountainous emotional issues before they can get their Happily Ever After. The chemistry between them was palpable and you just wanted to find a way for them to get past the drama of their pasts!

Past Present Future by Rachel Lynn Solomon

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

I was so excited to see Neil and Rowan tackle college and their long-distance relationship! To be small fish in a bigger pond so to speak. It brought me back to my college days for sure, the uncomfortable re-set of your life where you have to meet new friends, live with strangers, and learn how to cope on your own. I enjoyed that we got a dual perspective considering in book one we got mostly from Rowan's point of view. Man Neil went THROUGH IT! I resonated so much with Neil and his mental health plotline. I struggled with depression and anxiety my whole life, but it wasn't until I moved away for college that I realized not everyone had those same thoughts and that I needed to tackle the issue. I also liked the difficult plot with his dad. I think it will resonate with a lot of people. Rowan's struggle with her writing and opening up after hiding that side of her for so long was a great plot point, and I love her relationship with her teacher later in the book. Finishing this book left me in all the feels!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/4!

The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

I am just so obsessed with this book! Emma and Charlie have been through the wringer! Emma left her life behind to take care of her dad after a terrible climbing accident and never got to fulfill her dreams of becoming a writer. Charlie has it all but has been stuck with writer's block since a bout with cancer which coincided with his wife leaving him. When their mutual agent Logan suggests they work together, Charlie is hesitant, but soon enough Emma and Charlie are vibing, but what happens once the script is finalized? 

Let me start off by saying this is a slow burn. You aren't getting steam or smut here. But you will get a gorgeous love story. I really enjoyed the chemistry and comedy between Emma and Charlie. The pantry scene, and line-dancing moments were so perfect! I loved Emma's quirkiness and her selflessness. The way Charlie stubbornly came out of his shell for Emma was so wonderful! Katherine Center can write the phone book and I would love it! Tropes include grumpy sunshine characters, a whole lot of forced proximity, and a celebrity/normal person dynamic. I'm a sucker for a celebrity and normal person romance. You can only dream, right? 

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/11!

Heiress Takes All by Emily Wibberley, Austin Siegemund-Broka

adventurous challenging mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

This was such a fun read. You do have to suspend some disbelief that a bunch of high school kids could hack a billionaire. Just go with it! The intensity of the heist kept me turning the page, and the opulence of the setting was fun and extravagant. The roadblocks throughout the way were pretty comical I never saw the plot twist at the end coming. I enjoyed the family drama and the secondary characters. The reason this didn't pass 4 stars for me is that I felt like it was a little long for the plot. 

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/4!

The Dixon Rule by Elle Kennedy

emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Diana Dixon has a lot going on this summer. She’s rehearsing for a ballroom dance competition, juggling two jobs, and dealing with an ex-boyfriend who can’t take the hint it’s over. Yet despite all that, she still has plenty of time and energy to tell Shane Lindley to screw off. Shane just moved into her apartment building and seems dedicated to sleeping his way through her entire cheerleading squad. Sure, he’s a tall, gorgeous hockey player, but he’s messing with her turf. What Diana doesn’t realize is that Shane’s sick of hookups and tired of being on the rebound after his long-term girlfriend called it quits. He wants a relationship. And when his ex comes back into the picture, he pretends he has one to make her jealous…and who better to play the girlfriend role than his sassy new neighbor? Despite Diana’s reluctance to break her rule, a fake relationship is the perfect solution for her own ex issues, and soon she can’t deny something is sizzling between her and Shane. Something hot and completely unexpected. And it might just be getting a little too real.

Holy Moly! Never had I cried at an Elle Kennedy book...until now! Elle is known for her new adult hockey romances and I was expecting her classic spice and charm, however, this book packed so much more than that. We got characters full of substance and plots that kept me turning the page. I was up til 2 AM finishing this one! Diana is driven and puts 100% into everything she does. Shane is a rich kid posing as a playboy when all he wants is to get back with his ex. Together they are completely unstoppable. I loved their bickering and fighting. The chemistry between them was palpable and the spice was delectable. It is probably the spiceiest I've seen Elle get. As for tropes we get Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Friends with Benefits, Fake Dating, Sports (Hockey) Romance. And best of all we get to see our favorite characters of Briar University's past and their kids. I hope we get more from this series. I need a resolution for Will and Beckett and of course, any other core members kids who want to make an appearance at Briar U! 

Thanks to Elle and the Publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/14.

The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.0

Patrick O’Hara is finally in a league of his own…professionally. Inspired by his stint as Grant and Maisie’s caretaker after their mother’s passing, Patrick has "un-stalled" his acting career with sit-com, Guncle Knows Best. Still, some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single and lonely after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has family, right? When his brother Greg announces his big, second wedding in Lake Como, Italy, Patrick feels pulled toward Grant and Maisie and flies to Europe to attend the lavish event, only to butt heads with a newfound Launt (Lesbian Aunt), curb his sister Clara from flirting with guests, and desperately restore himself to the favored relative status in the eyes of the kids, as they struggle to adjust to a new normal. But is it Patrick’s job to save the day? Or is simply celebrating love enough to quell the family chaos? Gracing the page with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley delivers the long-awaited sequel to a beloved story, all about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.

Our favorite family is back this time traveling throughout Europe! This was such a fun read. I loved the feeling of the travel that Patrick takes Masie and Grant on. I loved that he was trying to instill these values in his niece and nephew. I have to admit I have some mixed feelings about this book. As happy as I was to see the whole gang back together, it felt kinda forced. Literally in the book, Patrick won't consider a sequel or a reboot of his past roles because he has negative connotations to them, and yet here we are in a sequel. And yes it does feel a little forced. It was a little long and I found myself putting this one down a lot. It almost felt like 2 separate books in one. The first plot involves Patrick and the kids traveling through Europe and trying to teach them how to accept that their father is getting married, and the second is the actual wedding event and the chaos that transpires there. 

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 5/21

Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

Benefits of a summer romance: it’s always fun, always brief, and no one gets their heart broken. There aren’t enough labeled glass containers to contain the mess that is Ali Morris’s life. Her mom died two years ago, then her husband left, and she hasn’t worn pants with a zipper in longer than she cares to remember. She’s a professional organizer whose pantry is a disgrace. No one is more surprised than Ali when the first time she takes off her wedding ring and puts on pants with hardware—overalls count, right?—she meets someone. Or rather, her dog claims a man for her in the same way he claimed his favorite of her three children: by peeing on him. Ethan smiles at Ali like her pants are just right—like he likes what he sees. The last thing Ali needs is to make her life messier, but there’s no harm in a little Summer Romance. Is there?

So you want a Best Friend's Brother, Friends to Lovers, Small Town Romance? Look no further than Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan. I've loved every book she's written so far, and this one did not disappoint! I was cautious when I started this book because Ali focused a lot on her mother's death and I hate a parental death in books. It's a big fear of mine that I know I'll have to face one day, but I don't wanna think about it now, especially in books. But anyway, I digress. This turned out to be a fantastic book! I was so taken in by it, that I couldn't put it down. Ethan is such a sweet hero. He doesn't play games, he is upfront with his feelings about Ali and is just such a cinnamon roll hero. I loved it when he came in to help Ali with her divorce and really took her ex down a peg. He was such an unlikeable foil to Ethan. Ali grows so much as a heroin. I love seeing a character who is depressed or down on her luck get a redemptive character ARC. As someone who had gone through that hard work, I appreciate how much it shows on the page with Ali. The small-town secondary characters were a hoot. I loved Ali's kids and how they interacted with Ethan. I just can't say enough good things about this one!

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in return for an honest review. This book releases 6/4!

Never Lie by Freida McFadden

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams. But when they visit the remote manor that once belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hale, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier, a violent winter storm traps them at the estate. In search of a book to keep her entertained until the snow abates, Tricia happens upon a secret room. One that contains audio transcripts from every single patient Dr. Hale has ever interviewed. As Tricia listens to the cassette tapes, she learns about the terrifying chain of events leading up to Dr. Hale’s mysterious disappearance. Tricia plays the tapes one by one, late into the night. With each one, another shocking piece of the puzzle falls into place, and Dr. Adrienne Hale’s web of lies slowly unravels. And then Tricia reaches the final cassette. The one that reveals the entire horrifying truth.

I found this book incredibly slow. Most of the time Tricia and Ethan are stuck in a house and Tricia is convinced someone is in the house while Ethan is gaslighting her telling her it's just because she's pregnant. And it happens again and again. It was like hitting the nail over the head too many times. I found the formatting interesting. I liked that we learned more about Dr. Hale and her patients through the tapes Tricial finds. I didn't think the blackmail EJ was holding over Dr Hale to be life-ending bad. So what, she had a mental breakdown and did something stupid. We've all done stupid shit. In all honestly if that came out I felt it would have blown over rather fast. Instead, she treats it like the end of the world and it ultimately ends her. The twists at the end were pretty decent. I didn't really see it coming but it was a fun little twist. 

Lastly what really made me not like this book was the narrator. I listened to this on audio and the narrator was incredibly cheesy. She sounded almost Disney princess-ish but stuck in a Thriller. It was so corny to the point I was physically rolling my eyes. 

Hello, Molly! by Sean Wilsey, Molly Shannon

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

4.5

At age four, Molly Shannon's world was shattered when she lost her mother, baby sister, and cousin in a car accident with her father at the wheel. Held together by her tender and complicated relationship with her grieving father, Molly was raised in a permissive household where her gift for improvising and role-playing blossomed alongside the fearlessness that would lead her to become a celebrated actress. From there, Molly ventured into the wider world of New York and Los Angeles show business, where she created her own opportunities and developed her daring and empathetic comedy. Filled with behind-the-scenes stories involving everyone from Whitney Houston to Adam Sandler to Monica Lewinsky, many told for the first time here, Hello, Molly! spans Molly's time on Saturday Night Live—where she starred alongside Will Ferrell, Adam Sandler, Cheri Oteri, Tracy Morgan, and Jimmy Fallon, among many others. At the same time, it explores with humor and candor her struggle to come to terms with the legacy of her father, a man who both fostered her gifts and drive and was left with the impossible task of raising his kids alone after the loss of her mother. Witty, winning, and told with tremendous energy and heart, Hello, Molly!, written with Sean Wilsey, sheds new and revelatory light on the life and work of one of our most talented and free-spirited performers.

This was an incredibly easy read. I highly recommend listening to this on audiobook since she narrates the book. I didn't realize what a hard upbringing she had. Her father got into a car crash that ultimately killed her mother, sister, and cousin. Considering what a traumatic start to life she had, Molly's attitude on life, her father's mental struggles, and her dreams never shifted. I loved hearing about how she rose to fame and more about the behind-the-scenes of those SNL days. Overall such an inspiring and comical read.

Pageboy by Elliot Page

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

4.0

Pageboy is a groundbreaking coming-of-age memoir from the Academy Award-nominated actor Elliot Page. A generation-defining actor and one of the most famous trans advocates of our time, Elliot will now be known as an uncommon literary talent, as he shares never-before-heard details and intimate interrogations on gender, love, mental health, relationships, and Hollywood.

Don't come into this book thinking you will get a light inside look at Hollywood. This book is not for the faint of heart. Elliot Page has had a very hard life, from growing up in a divorced household with parents who didn't support his outlook on life to the very toxic Hollywood harassment so many people voice out about. It really deals with Elliot's struggle with his identity and the struggles he faced growing up in Hollywood and challenging those gender norms to become his true self. While a wonderful read, it is somber in tone. And really the only thing I wished we had in this memoir was that it was a little more linear in story formatting. We went back and forth a lot between his childhood and adulthood and sometimes I found it hard to follow.