Witch of Wild Things: Welcome to a wild, magical story of ghosts, sisters and love. Sage has a special gift that she keeps quiet about, but once she rWitch of Wild Things: Welcome to a wild, magical story of ghosts, sisters and love. Sage has a special gift that she keeps quiet about, but once she returns home it seems her gift really flourishes. Fired from her job that she loved, she is left feeling aimless and heads home. She moves back in with her Aunt and sister, but she talks with her other sister all the time. More specifically, her dead sister who brings her gifts and talks to her when she cries.
I liked the story, characters and plot in Witch of Wild Things. A little bit of magic (or quite a bit) is recurring throughout the romantic suspense novel. The themes include dealing with grief, magic, guilt, love, second chances, forgiveness and secrets. The writing is solid, and I really enjoyed the whole story. Definitely recommend!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Raquel Vasquez Gilliland for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and my reviews are voluntary....more
I thought this book was going to be lighthearted and sweet, and there were moments where it was. Mostly, it was about a woman's journey to find herselI thought this book was going to be lighthearted and sweet, and there were moments where it was. Mostly, it was about a woman's journey to find herself and heal after giving up her son for adoption 18 years ago. Her son abruptly surprises her at work one day, and from that point forward the book races into emotional upheaval and surprising moments of clarity and peace.
What I loved about A Little Ray of Sunshine was the writing. Author Kristan Higgins writes with such honesty and such developed characters that it is hard not feel like I know them all. Even the character that was easy to dislike rubbed off on me- an example of the character development and plot that really made the story feel more. I loved Harlow and her grandpa - Grady is adorable and the side characters like Rosie and Robbie need to have their own novel. I felt like Harlow learned to open up so much in A Little Ray of Sunshine and I did not want the story to end!...more
Light, lovely read, Second Bride Down is part two of a series. The three sisters have to get married or they have to marry according to the legal docuLight, lovely read, Second Bride Down is part two of a series. The three sisters have to get married or they have to marry according to the legal documents. What's crazy is that Luke is right there, pretending to already be engaged to Misty...and her sisters are on her case to find true love. I adore the love that this family has for each other!
I liked Second Bride Down as much as the first book in the series, and it can be read as a standalone. Witty, fun and full of gushy moments... our heroine Misty is also sassy! Definitely an enjoyable romance!...more
The Most Likely Club appealed because I love the thought of meeting up for your high school reunion (I still have not gone to any of mine) and using iThe Most Likely Club appealed because I love the thought of meeting up for your high school reunion (I still have not gone to any of mine) and using it as a pivoting point for transformation and goal setting. I also really enjoyed each of the characters, and how different they are. They all had struggles that to me seemed realistic.
I am older than the main characters in The Most Likely Club (my second child was born in 1997) but I still enjoyed all the flashbacks to the things that were cool back then. All the nineties references made me smile or cringe.
There were times where I thought that author Elyssa Friedland could have dived deeper into the issues that the women were facing. Overall, this was an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Elyssa Friedland for the digital copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own....more
Four Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a funny rom com with light suspense that definitely had me laughing. I enjoyed all the characters inFour Aunties and a Wedding by Jesse Q. Sutanto is a funny rom com with light suspense that definitely had me laughing. I enjoyed all the characters in this second book in the Aunties series. Definitely a funny adventure that still has me smiling!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and author Jesse Q. Sutanto for this digital copy for me to read and laugh my head off with. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own....more
Dr. Maya Rao quits her job as a gynecologist because her new boss's wife was ugly and disrespectful which puts Maya and her husband in a tight spot fiDr. Maya Rao quits her job as a gynecologist because her new boss's wife was ugly and disrespectful which puts Maya and her husband in a tight spot financially. When Amelia, owner of a concierge wellness clinic recruits Maya to work for her, Maya thinks she has her dream job. Soon she realizes she needs more help, so Maya winds up hiring her former assistant to help her.
When red flags start showing up at her new job, Maya slowly starts to realize she has some difficult choices to make.
What I loved about this book: This book deals on heavy duty topics like respect for women and for professional women who do not fit into society's stereotype. I like Maya's representation of Indian culture and felt that author Madi Sinha handled the themes of racism, elitism, mental health, women's healthcare, work and family balance, and finding your own voice. Although the topics are serious, they are handled with respect and humor in a journey that I am sure you would enjoy as much as I did. Highly recommend as Maya's journey is one we can all relate to!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and author Madi Sinha for this digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Dreamy Daniels is a sassy, obsessed with winning the lottery and a woman with a very high work ethic. She is determined to do right by her entitled boDreamy Daniels is a sassy, obsessed with winning the lottery and a woman with a very high work ethic. She is determined to do right by her entitled boss... and helps him win an interview with Karter Redford. Since Karter can make or break the project her boss is working on, Dreamy decides to put her own honest efforts into convincing Karter it is a good job. I love how she knows all the employees and what they are like in such a short time. This is a light romance that is surprisingly well done considering the tropes are age/gap and rich to poor transition.
What bumped my four stars to five stars? Definitely an enjoyable read and one I will remember for some time because Dreamy as a character was so well written that she seemed to bounce off the page! Dreamy is woman I would be honored to have as a friend. Author Sharon C Cooper excels at character development in Karter as well. His growth and movement in Business Not as Usual is inspirational!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author Sharon C. Cooper for this review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own. #berkleybuddyreads $berkleywritesstrongwomen #buddyreads...more
Loved this contemporary romance! All the cooking made me so hungry! So many fun characters and the tension that builds between Luke and Sadie. This waLoved this contemporary romance! All the cooking made me so hungry! So many fun characters and the tension that builds between Luke and Sadie. This was a light romance with a bit of heat between our two main characters. Very enjoyable read and the cooking contests were fun!
Bonus: I felt like I learned quite a bit about the culture and traditions between Jewish cuisine. It was really cool how Sadie meshed tradition with the requirements in the cooking contests to reflect.
Thank you to NetGalley,Berkley Publishing Group and author Amanda Elliot for this digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own. #Berkleywritesstrongwomen #Berkleybuddyread...more
The Roughest Draft provoked strong feelings in me as I struggled to figure out what had gone wrong between Katrina and Nathan. They were supposed to bThe Roughest Draft provoked strong feelings in me as I struggled to figure out what had gone wrong between Katrina and Nathan. They were supposed to be writing another book together, so Katrina's fiancée pushes her to write with Nathan and Nathan agrees to his publishers demands.
I thought this was going to be more of a romantic comedy, but it was a deep novel filled with introspection and dialogue that had me struggling to figure out what was going on. The strong feelings between Nathan and Katrina are tormented by one or the other of them being in a relationship with someone else since they met. This story is more about the writing process behind two people who take the journey to forgiveness and healing to see what is on the other side.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing, NetGalley, and authors Emily Wibberly and Austin Siegemund-Broka for this review copy for me to read and enjoy.
Denise Williams has won my heart with The Fastest Way to Fall in this body positive romance between two people who are not supposed to be dating, muchDenise Williams has won my heart with The Fastest Way to Fall in this body positive romance between two people who are not supposed to be dating, much less fall in love. What is it about the forbidden? It is just a little, nothing too taboo....professional jobs prevent them from dating because of client/trainer relationship and she is working on assignment. There is something spicy about two people who are working together and both have their own professional goals in front of them.
What really got me though, was the depth of the connection between Britta and Wes. Diving into social media, fitness, and physical appearances was just the icing Britt and Wes totally had me hooked from the beginning!
Want more reasons to grab this book and start reading? Strong women! Body positivity and healthy discussions about working out and the numbers on the scale. Social media. Two points of view. Chemistry. Little bit of suspense keeps things interesting. Drama! Love!
If that is not enough, then just trust me that you will also fall for Britta - she is a fine, sassy and wonderful Black woman who is written so well that she just comes off as real right away. It is not that common for an author to write a character so well that you feel that you know her... this is where Williams really shines... the connections and the characters are just heart stealers!
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Books for providing a digital advance review copy of The Fastest Way to Fall by Denise Williams for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinion is mine and mine alone oh yeah, and my review is voluntary.
I absolutely loved reading A Holly Jolly Diwali, written by Sonya Lalli. Everything about this book drew me in and kept me engaged in the story. The sI absolutely loved reading A Holly Jolly Diwali, written by Sonya Lalli. Everything about this book drew me in and kept me engaged in the story. The settings were terrific and written with Lalli's eloquence. Niki Randhawa, our main character is twenty nine and lives a logical, practical life. She is thrown into a roller coaster that begins the day she is laid off from her desirable, safe job and lets loose on a blind date. She then decides to attend her best friend's wedding in India on an impulse.
During the celebration of Diwali, Niki meets Sameer Mukherji (Sam), a popular musician who seems to be the opposite of Niki in most every way. Chemistry sizzles between the two who live in different worlds and different countries. The settings in India were my favorite, as well as the explanation of Diwali and what it means to many of the different characters. Lalli is not afraid to dig deep into the cultural insecurities and how family expectations can shape our choices. The racism and class systems in India were shown from Niki's perspective - and were an important part of her character development.
I was left longing for more time spent in India but enriched with glimpses of culture and custom in a land I would love to visit. Lalli tackled hard issues in A Holly Jolly Diwali without letting these themes take over the romance between Niki and Sam. Definitely a worthy read!
Doctors and Friends was written a few years before Covid-19 hit our world, but the similarities and parallels are so close. Kimmery Martin does an excDoctors and Friends was written a few years before Covid-19 hit our world, but the similarities and parallels are so close. Kimmery Martin does an excellent job at portraying life in the midst of a pandemic from the perspectives of a group of friends who met while in Medical school. These friends meet up on a trip to Spain so that they release stress and enjoy each other. While they are traveling, the first patients who come down with the virus happen to be in the area that they are in. Their lives change in the blink of an eye and continue to change as the book progresses.
The themes of friendship and love are intertwined within each chapter as we get to know the doctors before, during and after the pandemic. I really love this book, though I admit it was a lot harder to read than I thought it would be. There will be plenty of triggers for people right now. What I think is important is the way that Martin wrote Doctors and Friends. She writes with blunt honesty and allows the reader into a look at a close group of friends that go through hell. These friends represent the medical staff during a pandemic, which helps the reader see with compassion what our doctors and nurses face everyday. I love the friendships, that defy all the odds from these doctors who all get to share their own stories. Very well done! #doctorsandfriends #letstalkbookspromo #bookstagram...more
Donut Fall in Love is hilarious but I have to issue a serious warning...you will crave donuts impossible to find in this small town in New Mexico wherDonut Fall in Love is hilarious but I have to issue a serious warning...you will crave donuts impossible to find in this small town in New Mexico where we do not have fancy gourmet shops. Just sayin' you have been warned. (Seriously the description of the donuts and cupcakes and cakes in this book will have you craving all the things.) Now that we have handled the warning (that I am sure you will not listen to either), let's talk about the book.
Ryan Kwok literally runs into Lindsay McLeod in her donut shop and knocks over an expensive tray of delicious gourmet donuts and does not make her day. Even though they have a rough start, Ryan convinces Lindsay to teach him how to bake so that when he stars on a celebrity baking show he does not look too ridiculous. Lindsay accepts his generous offer and that gets them connecting in a different way.
What I really like about Donut Fall in Love is the chemistry that develops between Lindsay and Ryan and the character development they both go through during this quick read. It feels genuine, and Lindsay's struggles with dating a celebrity felt legitimate as well. The romance is adorable, but the character that really steals the show is Ryan's dad. I wish I could meet him in person, he sounds fun! He has his own side plot of growth going on as well, which really adds more dimension to the novel. Definitely a good read, and I highly recommend not having baked goods in the house while reading the book.
Thank you to NetGalley, author Jackie Lau, and Berkley Publishing Group for this advance, digital review copy for me to read and enjoy. I still want donuts! As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own.
I absolutely love the idea of going to a Renaissance Faire! I have had the lovely experiences of going to Medieval Tournaments in big city places whilI absolutely love the idea of going to a Renaissance Faire! I have had the lovely experiences of going to Medieval Tournaments in big city places while traveling, but still have not attended a Renaissance Faire. (It is on my list!) I have heard that the Renaissance Faire is featured in this series set in Willow Creek, and it caught my interest. Well Matched by Jen DeLuca is part of a series - book 3 of 4, I believe. I read it as a stand alone, though I think it would be nice to go back and explore the characters' and their stories in the first two books to catch up.
Well Matched has quite a few troupes that I like fake dating is my favorite, but there is also the age gap between April and Mitch. Super fun and spicy romantic comedy! What did I enjoy the most> The character growth - which is adorable, even with a few misunderstandings. April's character is one that was easy for me to relate to- approaching empty nest and planning to move away. Sometimes life has a fun way to redirect our plans, but will April listen to her heart or her head? Definitely an enjoyable read!
Thank you to NetGalley, Jen DeLuca, and Berkley Publishing for this fun, temporary advance review copy for me to read and enjoy! As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own....more
Seriously intense and dramatic suspense spread throughout The Hunting Wives...to the point where I was not sure who the killer was throughout most of Seriously intense and dramatic suspense spread throughout The Hunting Wives...to the point where I was not sure who the killer was throughout most of the book! Spicy secrets spill over into the lives of a group of ladies of wealth and influence... more like a Bad Girls gone wrong tale! Or maybe Desperate Housewives with a mean streak?
A fun night at the lake house turns into a nightmare where there are too many suspects and at least one of them is guilty of murder. Sweet Sophie, our main character is one of the suspects...but did she do it or have motive? Who had the opportunity and the motive....that is one of the trickiest questions...
I enjoyed the writing...crisp, clear characters with all their flaws and sordid secrets... combined with a plot that really kept me guessing!! Well done May Cobb!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing and author May Cobb for this temporary, advanced review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my opinions are mine and mine alone.
Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins is a beautiful love story (tear jerker) between Lauren and Josh, and the grief he goes through once Lauren passes Pack Up The Moon by Kristan Higgins is a beautiful love story (tear jerker) between Lauren and Josh, and the grief he goes through once Lauren passes away.
This is a hard read as it is realistic. Grief does funny things to a person, makes them forget to eat, leave their wallet at home, and basically forget to live. I have a close relative going through chemo right now for Stage 4 Cancer, so perhaps this wasn't the best time to read such an emotional journey. That being said, you can tell the love that Lauren has for Josh and their relationship is displayed through memories and her letters she left behind for Josh to read after she passed away. Lauren is a riot and we get to know her not just through the letters, but because her voice uses the past narrative and then we get to know Josh after she died. Very well done, and easy to keep straight in my opinion.
Heartfelt, emotional ride that is layered with hope! Definitely recommend!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing, and author Kristan Higgins for this temporary digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. As always, my reviews are voluntary and my opinions are my own!...more
Wow! Love, love, love this novel by Emily Henry! What a fun romantic comedy- perfect as summer approaches!! Enjoyed the humor between Poppy and Alex. Wow! Love, love, love this novel by Emily Henry! What a fun romantic comedy- perfect as summer approaches!! Enjoyed the humor between Poppy and Alex. They have been the best of friends since their college days, but something happened and they haven’t really talked in two years! Poppy ditches a dream trip as a traveler writer; gets time off approved and invites Alex to go on a low budget trip to see if they can fix their relationship. What could possibly go wrong??
Thank you to Netgalley, and Berkley Publishing, and author Emily Henry for this digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy!! As always, my opinions are my own!
This was a fun, cozy mystery that I really enjoyed! Lots of cooking and sass and delicious coffee not to mention a murder or two... I felt like I walkThis was a fun, cozy mystery that I really enjoyed! Lots of cooking and sass and delicious coffee not to mention a murder or two... I felt like I walked away knowing so much more about Filipino culture. Definitely enjoyed the chats with my book club!! The characters ; whew some you’ll love and others you’ll hate- and there’s some you just need to have in your life right now!! Definitely a worthy read!!! #BerkleyWritesStrongWomen #berkleybuddyreads #arsenicandadobo Thank you to @netgalley and @berkleypub for this advanced review copy for me to read and enjoy! As always, my opinions are my own!...more
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