Source: Purchased

Recent Reads | A Court of Splintered Harmony and Murder at the Grand Alpine Hotel

Posted November 13, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

Like the rest of the world, I was pretty excited for this one. I got some FOMO seeing folks at the midnight releases but luckily I had an evening release party where I was able to pick up my book on release day. I preordered the audiobook (because I love Elizabeth Evans’ voice so much), so I was able to get some listening in before picking up my physical copy. SJM “warns” us in the beginning that this book is very much a setup book to the rest of the series, with the whole “movement” thing across this book and the next one coming out in January. I was prepared for a cliffhanger of sorts, along with not much happening in this story. And I was correct on that. It helped that I was ready for it but at the same time, it didn’t create the most enthralling reading experience. I get why she’s doing it but it results in not much excitement. The absolute most annoying part of this book was how much it discussed Feyre’s breastfeeding and anything related. There were so many mentions of it. WE GET IT, she’s a mom! Fine! It was cute to see big bad bat boys playing with the baby and such, so it’s not like the baby in particular was annoying. There were just so many references to lactation, aching breasts, breastfeeding, breast milk, and everything along those lines. SO MANY. Her repetitive writing was not my favorite in the last […]

Recent Reads | Threshing Day and Grim Tidings

Posted November 6, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

It’s no secret that I’m not a huge fan of this series but I am invested in the overall plot and story arc where I will unfortunately continue to read them. I enjoyed the first book, didn’t like the second one, and hated the third. I’m happy to say that I enjoyed this collection of short stories! I needed to bust a reading slump where the two books I was reading were not intriguing me, and this was short enough to hit the spot and bang it out. I don’t remember enough about each individual story or character, and this will be the shortest review ever, but the concept was really fun. It has a short story for each rider on their Threshing day, aka the day they match and bond with their dragon. Like I said, I’m not great at remembering allllll of the characters in this series, let alone their personalities beyond recognizing their names, but these stories were lowkey helpful in recalling more about them. I felt like each bonding moment with each dragon truly matched with all of the characters’ personalities. There are really pretty illustrations of each dragon – they were all gorgeous and so fun to see. It was really a charming addition to this short story collection. The age old question: is this book the reason for the slump, or was the slump the reason I didn’t love the book? I could not get into it in the first half but really enjoyed […]

Recent Reads | Hollywood, Ending and The Silent Appeal

Posted October 16, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

I’ve been a John Green fan for a long time, just like most kids who were looking for some (pretentious) quotable books in their high school years. He hasn’t written a fiction book in 8 years and this is his first adult one; I haven’t gotten to his nonfiction yet but I definitely plan to! Needless to say, I was very excited to read this one. The story follows Juniper and Kai, two young actors who are on the cusp of their big break. They are starring in an Andy Warhol biopic and kind of bracing themselves for what will happen next. Juniper was a child actress on a TV show so this is one of her first serious roles, and Kai is a brand new innocent face from the midwest. I love this type of story featuring Hollywood stuff, so I was optimistic. To be honest, for a four-star read, this was just okay for me. I loved his last book so I was hoping John Green’s books would still hit hard for me. I think this was good and generally a nice reading experience! I liked the format and the exploration of Hollywood stars on the ride, but it honestly reads like a slice of life about making a movie and doing a press tour. That’s kind of it. Yes, there’s a love story that I enjoyed, but not enough to make a huge impact. I think my biggest issue is how repetitive this was – I thought […]

Recent Reads | The Thoroughbreds and Something About September

Posted October 9, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

I really ate up THE ACADEMY last year. Dishy (perfect word coined for this series by my friend Cristina) boarding school and rich people drama = very much my thing. Move over, dark academia, hello gossipy academia. The first book in this series was really just a fun romp but it didn’t necessarily knock my socks off from a quality perspective. There was something about this follow-up novel that had me completely enthralled and impressed. This book is definitely all about the drama, but there were so many sweet moments between students, faculty, and family. There was even one particular passage with Olivia H-T and her parents during the family weekend that actually had me laughing out loud. Because there were some deeper moments, I just felt like this book hit me a little harder than the first, like the nostalgia of senior year and the final milestones. I don’t want to spoil anything but this was certainly more of a “slice of life” novel following the entire school year, without a singular major climax or issue. Book one had a combination of that setup along with a big dramatic ending. I do think this book could have had a bit more oomph and drama toward the end to kick it up a notch. Overall, these books are fun rides with interesting characters and plot points. I would absolutely continue to read them if they publish them. There are still some younger students like Grady or Cassie Lee that they […]

Recent Reads | First and Forever and The Cinnamon Spice Inn

Posted September 14, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

Lynn Painter is an author where I have so many of her books on my TBR but have only actually read one, prior to this. I feel like her YA books are sweeter and maybe more my speed, because sometimes YA authors writing adult romances (or books in general, like Holly Jackson’s adult debut mystery) can make them feel a little too immature. I saw that she had a football-based book out and grabbed it on a whim, even though the last time I read a book about a sport I like it did not go well. I find myself nitpicking about inaccuracies, but can you blame me? I want realistic books about my favorite sports! Unfortunately I had a similar experience where this book just did not do it for me. I wish I just read my physical copy because the audiobook narrators made it even cringier than it already was. Connor was good enough, but for some reason he swore (fuck/fucking) so often, it drove me crazy, and I am a big fan of swearing! If it’s too much for me, you know it’s way too much. I think Painter tried a little too hard to make Connor seem like the perfect thoughtful dude; it was nice obviously to see all the cute gestures but it was giving too-perfect. Duffy, on the other hand, was too “not like other girls” and it annoyed me so much. “Duffy wouldn’t like flowers” and “she’d think it’s cheesy to go to […]

Recent Reads | Lies Between Us and The Someday Garden

Posted August 13, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

I always read Jessica Goodman‘s books when they come out because they’re typically easy and addicting reads, but overall pretty middle-of-the-road. I don’t know why but she’s an auto-read author for me, despite never giving her books more than 4 stars. This story follows three sisters in the wake of a mysterious death/possible murder of one of the local boys. The youngest, Frankie, decides she’s going to solve the crime, while the others (Lucy and Millie) are hiding secrets of their own. These girls are best friends with the three boys that live next door and that dynamic is heavily featured in the story. I thought some of it was unnecessarily cheesy (the girls last name is Silver and the boys last name is Gold…) but it felt somewhat realistic, with some of them dating each other or having crushes, etc. I liked the small beach town vibes of this one, which made it a good quick summer mystery. Goodman writes in a very accessible way without feeling “young” for a YA book. I know I’m not the audience anymore but I do find them pretty good for adult readers. Nothing groundbreaking happens in this one but I thought the resolution to the mystery was actually interesting and pretty unique. No spoilers obviously but I feel like it was generally something I hadn’t read before. I’m so surprised how Ashley Poston’s have turned into “hit or miss” for me. She’s been one of my favorite authors for years now, back […]

Recent Reads | The Romance Revival and Every Version of You

Posted August 6, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

It’s been far too long since I’ve read a Christina Lauren book and they are absolutely an auto-read/buy author for me. Their last book was a top favorite so I had pretty high expectations for this one, despite not really even reading the synopsis. I am a fan of magical realism (this was not really that) and the science-y books they’ve had in the past (definitely that except heightened) so I was cautiously optimistic. Emery is a scientist in a super secret job with a husband she loves but does not show up for enough. When Luca unexpectedly gets into an accident, Emery acts quickly thanks to her job, but he doesn’t remember anything about his life. She feels like she’s been blessed with a second chance to prioritize her relationship. You definitely have to suspend your disbelief on Emery’s work and what happens with Luca, but the premise was interesting and unique to me. I love romances with a unique concept and Christina Lauren have written quite a few of them. I do prefer when their books are funny with a lot of banter – more like a rom-com – and this was definitely more serious. I liked Luca and Emery and watching them fall for each other again, but there was a little something missing for me. I know a lot of people don’t enjoy second chance romances where the couple already knows each other and has this whole backstory involved, but this is a bit different – […]

Recent Reads | Heather and What Happened to Nina?

Posted July 23, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

Do you ever get a book stuck in your head so much that you just need to read it the minute it releases? That happened with HEATHER. I decided I didn’t want to wait for my Libby hold to come in and went to two different local bookstores to see if I could get it. I ended up grabbing it from the second and started pretty soon after for Summerween (which btw was a total fail this year since HEATHER is literally the only book I’ve read). I really loved THE GOD OF THE WOODS and ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK, and this book kept getting compared to the first. I feel like any literary, slow-burn mystery is going to. But that’s why I needed to read it ASAP. I like the comparison to Liz Moore but I would absolutely agree that this is more LONG BRIGHT RIVER than THE GOD OF THE WOODS. There’s a heavy focus on sister relationships, drugs and addiction, inappropriate relationships, etc. The book follows a few POVs that generally worked well together to give us the whole picture: Callie (the cop), Annabelle, and Blair. I won’t say who the other two are to avoid spoilers just in case. I’m not a big cop fan but lately I’ve been enjoying more mysteries with detectives trying to solve cold cases like this, so I’ll give it a pass. Callie was a little slow on a few things and I was a bit frustrated with her […]

Recent Reads | Our Perfect Storm and The Season of Sinking

Posted July 9, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

Carley Fortune quickly became an auto-buy author for me and I’ve loved all of her books so far. Four books, each rated between 4-5 stars. The premise of this one specifically got me excited because I am a huge fan of the childhood best friends-to-lovers trope. When Frankie’s fiance unexpectedly leaves her the night before their wedding, he encourages her to go on the honeymoon still to take a break and recharge. Her best friend George ends up going with her and planning a week to get over her ex and move on. They quickly realize that maybe they’re something a little more than friends… I loved the descriptions of Tofino (a place I’d never heard of) and learning about Frankie and George’s history intermixed. Both characters had really interesting lives and fully fleshed out family backgrounds that added a lot to the story. Their progression from friends-to-more felt very natural; I loved being in Frankie’s head as she realized her feelings. So much natural chemistry! There is definitely a black moment/third act breakup but I think it was generally logical for the story. It explained some questions that lingered from earlier in the book as well. If I could think of a criticism, the book was a little long. I definitely think this could have been cut to a started 385-ish page romance. Carley Fortune continues to be a favorite of mine; I love seeing different tropical or lake town areas around Canada that I would have otherwise never […]

Recent Reads | Change of Plans and Dolly All the Time

Posted June 10, 2026 / Book Reviews, Recent Reads / 0 Comments

It’s well-documented on here how much I love Sarah Dessen. I’ve been reading her books since I was a teenager and was really disappointed when we didn’t get another book after her last release in 2019. I started reading her Substack and was surprised to learn of her publishing struggles after such a storied career. Nonetheless, I absolutely preoredered CHANGE OF PLANS when it was announced and read it right away. This story follows the tried-and-true Dessen formula, and I am not mad about it at all. Finley graduated from high school and is ready to head to college with her longtime boyfriend Colin. When she unexpectedly ends up at her mom’s lake house that summer and her relationship ends, she’s reeling from all the ~changes in plans.~ Does this remind me of old school Dessen and give me the same summery feelings? Yes. Does it lack the depth and oomph you get from most of her older books? Also yes. But I think Dessen is honestly stretching her writing muscle again and upcoming books may get back to what we’re used to? This was like her old stuff but faded a little bit lol. I enjoyed the premise a lot but wanted more from the characters and setting. It was almost like each person and plot point needed to be turned up a few notches on the dial, if that makes sense. A bit more punchiness and feels? I would definitely recommend this in general for Dessen fans but […]