Recent Reads | The Maid’s Secret and Great Big Beautiful Life

Posted April 29, 2025 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

This series is a really fun time. Molly the Maid has solved now 3.5 mysteries around the Regency Grand Hotel and I thinkkk this may be her final one? Not sure if other books have been announced but this really feels like a last book. This was another generally enjoyable installment in this series, but definitely my least favorite. The story alternates between Molly’s daily life/the overall mystery and her gran’s diary entries. Unfortunately I wasn’t super invested in either timeline, but I especially didn’t enjoy the diary entries. I thought they were so boring. Yes, it helps move the story along in some ways, but I wasn’t at all invested. I think the main mystery was a little lame as well. I never felt like the stakes were really high and the story was just kind of plodding along. I think the series has run its course from a plot perspective but I have to be honest – I would read additional books if they were to come out. As I’ve said a hundred times before, there are a few authors where I am ANXIOUSLY awaiting their next release and can guarantee I’ll read them during pub week (or early enough if I get an egalley). These days that includes Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Carley Fortune, and Abby Jimenez. Typically these authors (for the most part) get fairly rave reviews but Henry and Jimenez always do…especially for me. 2025 has been weirdly polarizing for those two […]

Recent Reads | Swept Away and Magpie Murders

Posted April 23, 2025 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

I’ve loved quite a few of O’Leary’s books but actually DNFed her last release – for whatever reason the story just wasn’t clicking for me and I haven’t felt pulled to start it again. I was really hoping to get back on track with her for this novel and I’m happy to report that happened! The story follows Zeke and Lexi as they deal with the aftermath of a one-night stand. They realize when they wake up in the morning that the houseboat they were using has somehow gotten untied and was swept out to see. They don’t have power, they’re running out of food, and – to top it all off – they literally don’t know each other at all. Obviously the premise alludes to a bit of a survival story but for some reason I didn’t realize how intense it would be! I kind of just assumed they’d get rescued in a few days but there was actually a lot of peril and accidents to deal with. Some early reviews had folks unprepared for this and it affected their enjoyment, but I still really enjoyed it. It’s just not a straightforward fluffy romance. The ending had some twists that I didn’t see coming (which makes me feel like an idiot because maybe they were obvious?). It took a little while to get on board with those reveals but I was pretty pleased by the end of the book with how everything turned out. This was a super emotional […]

Sunday Post #5 – She’s Back?

Posted April 13, 2025 / Sunday Post, Weekly Memes / 2 Comments

The Sunday Post is hosted by The Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where you share news about your blog on a weekly basis. It can include what you’ve been reading, what you’ve posted, what’s coming up next, and any books you added to your shelves! I did four of these back in 2015 and clearly fell off. They’re meant to be a weekly link-up but I know I’d never keep up with that at this point in my life! I thought it would be fun to occasionally highlight some things I’ve been up to since I rarely – if ever – share about my life on here anymore? I used to do monthly personal life recaps but they just haven’t happened in years. Without further ado, let’s give this a go again! It’s hard to know where to even begin since I haven’t talked about my life in ages on here. My last Lauren Lately was in March 2020… a literal lifetime ago for so many reasons. I did some DITL posts and a big life recap post in 2021 as well as a Currently installment in 2023, but that’s it! Without getting into the million little things and very few big things since 2023, let’s just go with the last few weeks or 2025 in general. (UConn) Basketball UCONN WOMENS BASKETBALL WON THE NATTY AGAIN! We got so into basketball this season and I became way too invested in Paige Bueckers winning her national championship before graduating. All of the girls […]

Top Ten Tuesdays #469: Springy Covers

Posted April 8, 2025 / Top 10 Tuesdays, Weekly Memes / 1 Comment

Springy Covers Top Ten Tuesdays were started by The Broke and the Bookish and are now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where we make lists of our top ten books (or something else!) based on that week’s prompt. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Book links bring you to Goodreads or my review. I’m a huge sucker for a book with flowers and cute springy vibes! These are some of my favorites from the last couple of years, including books releasing soon.

Recent Reads | The Searcher and The Lodge

Posted April 7, 2025 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

My book club is really getting me out of my comfort zone at times but so far it hasn’t been a successful endeavor lol. I guess I just know what I like, and this kind of book is not it. The books that were already on my TBR when we selected them have generally worked out pretty well, and the two books I’ve read ONLY because of the club… not so much. Why do we need to read about annoying men? This book follows Cal Hooper, a retired Chicago cop who moves to Ireland to fix up an old house and live quietly post-divorce. When a young boy approaches him one day and asks for help looking for his missing brother, Cal can’t resist helping him out. Unfortunately, this was SO INCREDIBLY BORING. I could truly sum up the plot in three sentences (just add one to the paragraph above that describes the ending) and yet I had to read almost 500 pages. Even the reveal at the end was incredibly obvious. Most reviews were surprised by it but I thought it was pretty glaring who was involved. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I just don’t like reading about men. Or cops / ex-cops. Or guns and hunting. Unfortunately all three of these things were present in spades. Tana French wrote Cal Hooper in a way that a lot of men write women – stereotypically and frustratingly. Did we really need to hear about him adjusting […]

Bookmark Lit Bulletin | March 2025

Posted April 4, 2025 / Bookmark Lit Bulletin, Features, Wrap-Ups / 0 Comments

The Bookmark Lit Bulletin wraps up the last month in reading and what was on the blog, as well as what’s coming up next. You can check out my book haul, books read, posts shared, challenge updates, etc. You can read past bulletins here. If you’re looking for more personal updates, you can check out my Lauren Lately feature; it highlights my life events and non-bookish fun from the previous 30 days. My reading slump unfortunately continued into March. I fell back into some old habits with reading two cookbooks to keep on track lol. I did enjoy a few books but otherwise there were a lot of unfortunate misses. Please cross your fingers April is better. 7 books in March 7 read • 0 reread • 0 DNF Formats: 3 mixed, 2 hardcovers, 1 egalley, 1 Netgalley audiobook Status/source: 3 purchased, 2 review, 2 library Age Target: 7 adult Here are all the books I read this month with ratings! 25 in 25: 20% 52 Book Club: 35% Buzzword Reading Challenge: 42% Buzzword Cover Challenge: 67% Breakdown: 4 hardcovers | 3 paperback | 5 egalleys | 1 ebook | 1 audiobook All review copies were provided for free in exchange for an honest review. Physical Books Purchased: The Official Disney Parks Cookbook and The Official Disney Parks Celebration Cookbook BOTM: Our Infinite Fates by Steven Book Swap: Broken Things by Oliver Purchased: Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Fawcett [audiobook] Blind Date with a Book then purchased: Mistborn trilogy by […]

April TBR

Posted April 2, 2025 / Book Lists, Features, TBR Lists / 0 Comments

My monthly TBR feature here shows my progress based on last month’s TBR, my plans for this month, and anything else I might be thinking about from a reading perspective. Sometimes I feature a little poll at the bottom so you guys can help me figure out a certain title I should read from a group of books. April TBR March wasn’t bad but I really need to get back into reading 8+ books per month instead of the 6-7 I’ve been reading. I just keep scrolling on my phone instead! I’m hoping with college basketball coming to an end and there being a lull with sports for a few more months, maybe Chris will play video games while I read in the evenings. Review Copies I started SWEPT AWAY this week and am hopeful it’ll go better for me compared to O’Leary’s last release! I’ve also had THE SEVEN O’CLOCK CLUB on my Kindle for months – I’ve been tempted multiple times to read this super early and now release month is actually here. I think it will be a refreshing genre to read in the midst of the others I’ve been reading. And finally, I was recently approved for A PROPOSAL TO DIE FOR and think it’ll be a fun cozy mystery. Library Books & New Releases Believe it or not, I’ve put off both the new Emily Wilde book (it’s the last in the series so I’m sad) and the new book by Libba Bray (it’s […]

Top Ten Tuesdays #468: Spring TBR

Posted April 1, 2025 / Top 10 Tuesdays, Weekly Memes / 1 Comment

Spring TBR (Late Post) Top Ten Tuesdays were started by The Broke and the Bookish and are now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, where we make lists of our top ten books (or something else!) based on that week’s prompt. The topics are provided ahead of time and can be found here. Book links bring you to Goodreads or my review. I never miss a TBR post, except apparently this month. I haven’t been keeping up with blogging too much lately. In any case, I can’t actually skip a seasonal TBR! Here’s my late Spring TBR Upcoming Releases: April Upcoming Releases: May Released & to Read in Spring

ARC Review: Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)

Posted March 31, 2025 / Book Reviews / 0 Comments

I really enjoyed the first VERA WONG book and was pumped to hear there would be a sequel! I thought the premise was well-suited to a series because Vera is such a unique and interesting main character. I loved the found family vibes and all of the people she brought into her life (that she originally accused of murder…). I thought they’d turn into a nice crime-solving crew for future books! This story follows Vera as she tries to solve the mysterious death of Xander Lin. Is that even his real name? Or just his online persona? She finds a young distressed woman crying over his death and then just so happens to see some case files in Selena’s briefcase… suddenly Vera has another case to spice up her life. Vera always describes herself as a “Chinese mother” and that’s why she’s so good at everything she does lol. She has a unique personality that honestly is a little abrasive and off-putting at first. Once you get used to her unique charm, her behavior can be lol-funny at times! I also am desperate to eat some of her food. Vera collects her suspects and people connected to Xander (very much like the first book). The bones of the book are very similar to the original Vera Wong story in this way. However, the actual plot/mystery is a lot darker and more grim – especially for a cozy mystery. I don’t want to spoil it but look up trigger warnings if […]

ARC Review: Say You’ll Remember Me

Posted March 24, 2025 / Book Reviews / 0 Comments

I decided that in order to start the year on the right foot, like I have done many times in the past, I wanted a guaranteed 4-5 star read. Who better than Abby Jimenez to deliver that? I decided to read her upcoming April release right on January 1st to ensure a solid start to 2025 and of course she delivered. The synopsis is really vague and I genuinely had no idea what to expect from this book. All I knew was that a grumpy vet and headstrong woman would have a magical night together, only to be told “just forget about me.” Turns out, she’s moving away to the other side of the country to deal with some family issues. I loved Xavier and Samantha from the very beginning and still managed to laugh in between the crying. The story follows them and their long distance love story. There really is just something about the way Abby Jimenez writes – this was a HEAVY read and at times repetitive, but her characters and their chemistry and emotions just make it all worth it. I really don’t like reading sad books and if this was written by anyone else, it would never make it on my TBR (knowing what I know now at least – as I said, the synopsis is super basic). Samantha’s mom is suffering from dementia and Xavier grew up in an abusive household so there’s a LOT of tough things to work through. Because the two […]