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12

Can’t Wait Wednesday – HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center

May 31, 2023/0 Comments/by Suzanne

 

“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, which encourages fellow bloggers to spotlight upcoming releases that we’re excited about.  It is a meme that I have  loved participating in since I first started blogging, but as Jill is no longer actively posting, from now on I’ll be linking to Can’t Wait Wednesday, hosted by Tressa at Wishful Endings, which is a spinoff of the original WoW meme.

* * * * *

My selection for this week is HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center. I’m actually embarrassed that I’m only just now posting about Katherine’s new book on my blog because she’s one of my auto-buy authors and Hello Stranger is, by far, one of my most anticipated reads of 2023.  Needless to say, I can’t wait to read this one.  Katherine is such a wonderful storyteller and I’m so curious to see how she incorporates face blindness into this romance. I do have an arc of Hello Stranger and I’m hoping to dive into it either later this week or over the weekend so I can come back and share my thoughts with you.

 

HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center

Publication Date: July 11, 2023

by St. Martin’s Press

 

From Goodreads:

Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.

 

* * * * *

I’d love to hear what upcoming book releases you’re waiting on this Wednesday? Leave me your link in the comments below and I’ll stop by and check out your CWW selection for this week. 🙂

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/hello-lg-scaled.jpg 2560 1684 Suzanne https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2023-05-31 05:35:592023-05-29 15:31:51Can’t Wait Wednesday – HELLO STRANGER by Katherine Center

Top Ten Tuesday – 5 Things That Make Me Want to Read a Book & 5 Things That Make Me NOT Want to Read a Book

May 30, 2023/11 Comments/by Suzanne

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This week’s TTT topic is actually just supposed to be Things That Make Me Instantly NOT Want to Read a Book but life got in the way last week so I missed last week’s topic, which was  Things That Make Me Instantly Want to Read a Book, so now I’m combining last week’s and this week’s topics into one post and giving you five of each.

 

* * * * *

Things That Will Instantly Make Me WANT to Read a Book

 

1. FOUND FAMILIES – Doesn’t matter the genre, if there’s a found family, I want to read about it.

 

2. BOOKS ABOUT BOOKS OR BOOKISH PEOPLE – Again, doesn’t matter the genre,

this kind of book has a special place in my heart and will always be a must read.

 

3. FAVORITE ROMANCE TROPES – Grumpy/sunshine, enemies-to-lover,

small town romances, and second chance romances are like catnip to me

 

 

4. NEW RELEASES BY AUTO-BUY AUTHORS – Again, pure catnip for me.

Don’t even need to read the synopsis to know I’m going to read them.

 

5. ADULT DEBUTS BY FAVORITE YA AUTHORS – I’ve been struggling a bit lately with YA books

so I’m always thrilled when a YA author I love tries their hand at writing something non-YA.

 

 

Things That Will Instantly Make Me NOT Want to Read a Book

 

 

1. LOVE TRIANGLES

 

2. INSTA-LOVE

 

3. IMMATURE MAIN CHARACTERS – I’m all for following a character’s journey of growth and development

but draw the line when MCs are just so immature that it’s painful and cringeworthy every time they speak or think anything.

 

4. TOO CLOSE TO REAL LIFE (i.e. set during COVID or too steeped in politics).

I don’t mind a little politics but as soon as it gets too preachy, I’m done. I read to escape reality, not be further immersed in it.

 

5. CONSISTENT LOW RATINGS AND/OR DNFs

BY TRUSTED BLOGGERS AND BOOKSTAGRAMMERS – If they say it’s bad or just won’t be a good fit for me, I believe them. 

 

* * * * *

What are some things that will make you instantly want to either read or not read a book?  Do we share any?

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/TTT-Big2.png 203 500 Suzanne https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2023-05-30 05:35:082023-05-29 15:15:25Top Ten Tuesday – 5 Things That Make Me Want to Read a Book & 5 Things That Make Me NOT Want to Read a Book

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent Bride

May 25, 2023/10 Comments/by Sharon

 

Hi everyone! Welcome to another edition of Thriller Thursday with Sharon. I hope you all are doing well. I am good, glad the weather is starting to get a bit warmer here. This week I am sharing my thoughts on Louise Jensen’s, The Fall and Shalini Boland’s, The Silent Bride. Both of these books are twisty psychological thrillers and I really enjoyed them.

 

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent BrideThe Fall Goodreads

Author: Louise Jensen

Publication Date: April 27, 2023

Publisher: HQ

Louise Jensen has a knack for writing twisty psychological thrillers and her latest book, The Fall, is no exception.

Kate Granger and her twin sister Beth are celebrating their fortieth birthday with a party and everything is going great. Kate feels like the luckiest woman in the world.  But the day after the party, Kate’s world comes crashing down. Her fifteen-year-old daughter, Caily, is found unconscious under a bridge near their home and now lies in a coma. The police do not think it was an accident and as they investigate what happened to Caily, they find that not everyone in the family was where they said they were at the time Caily was hurt and that they all are hiding secrets. As the secrets are revealed, the once close family starts to be torn apart and all of their lives are in danger.

This book is told from multiple POVs and I loved getting bits and pieces of information from each person. The more secrets that were revealed the more I suspected everyone of attacking Caily. I also really liked getting Caily’s POV. Her chapters started a few months prior and added a lot more suspense to the mystery. With all the twists and turns that was going on, I was totally taken off guard and could not believe it when the person responsible for hurting Caily was revealed. Good job on that one Louise Jensen.

Jensen also created a lot of family drama. Kate and her twin sister Beth were always close, as were Caily and Beth’s daughter Tegan. But as the investigation started breaking holes in Tegan’s account of her whereabouts, Kate and Beth also started breaking apart as both mothers were defending their daughters. But even though their relationship was fracturing some, they were also still there for each other when push came to shove and their lives were in danger. I loved how realistic their relationship was in this situation. Even when my brothers and sisters and I are at odds with each other, we are still there when one of us needs help.

I think Jensen did a great job in creating a setting that added to the mystery and eeriness of the book. The story takes place in December, so it was cold and wet. A lot of the story also takes place on the farm that Kate and Beth grew up on, and where Kate, her husband Matt and Caily live with Kate’s parents.

As well as all the main characters, this book also had a lot of secondary characters that just added to the suspect pool on who attacked Caily.

If you are looking for a twisty and suspenseful psychological thriller, packed with family drama and secrets, with an ending that you will not see coming, then I recommend Louise Jensen’s The Fall. 4 Stars

 

Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent BrideThe Silent Bride Goodreads

Author: Shalini Boland

Publication Date: June 1, 2023

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Imagine walking down the aisle to get married, only to get to the altar and not recognize the man standing where your groom should be. Kind of freaky right? Well, that is the premise of Shalini Boland’s newest book, The Silent Bride. And it was very much a freaky and wild ride.

Alice Porter has found the man of her dreams in Seth Evans and after a whirlwind romance the two are engaged to be married. Alice could not have been happier, but her wedding day was anything but happy. As Alice is walking down the aisle on her father’s arm, she stops as she gets closer to the altar, because the man standing where Seth should be is not Seth. Her father and everyone else in the church try and reassure Alice that it is Seth and to go ahead with the wedding, surely it is just her nerves playing tricks on her. But she is adamant that is not the case and this man is a stranger to her. Why is she the only one that does not recognize the man calling himself Seth? Alice sets out to find out what is going on and find her real Seth.

The Silent Bride is told from the POV of Alice, both in the present as she tries to find out what is going on and in the past when she first meets Seth and then follows their romance leading up to the wedding. There are also chapters from an unknown character that really add to the mystery and freakiness of the book. I did not know what to believe and was all over the place at what I thought was going on.

I don’t want to say too much as I don’t want to spoil anything. I will say I did have a lot of sympathy for Alice. I cannot even imagine what it was like for her to not recognize Seth, all the while everyone around her knew who he was. At first the doctors thought maybe she had prosopagnosia (also known as face blindness) but since it was only Seth and his parents she did not recognize, that was ruled out. But even the thought of having that gave me the creeps. I read a book about that a while ago and I still shiver whenever I think about it. I am glad Alice had the support of her friends as she tried to figure this all out. Her family supported her somewhat, but her parents really irked me at times. Especially when they went to visit her and brought Seth with them, so Alice could talk to him and realize he was the real Seth. I mean really why would they do that? Geesh! Talk about giving Alice a panic attack. I wanted to just smack them.

Shalini Boland’s, The Silent Bride is a fast paced read that had me guessing until the very end. And while the reason why Alice did not know Seth was a bit over the top for me, there were a few twists and turns at the end that made me not even care about that.  4 Stars

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Thriller-Thursday.jpg 800 800 Sharon https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Sharon2023-05-25 05:45:242023-05-24 11:06:31Thriller Thursday Reviews: The Fall & The Silent Bride
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Hi, I'm Suzanne. Proofreader by day, book blogger by night, devourer of books 24/7. My reading tastes: Basically you name it, I probably like it. I read a lot of contemporary and historical, both adult and YA, and I've also been enjoying more and more fantasy lately. Hobbies include: buying and hoarding of books, rambling about books to anyone who will listen, and trying to recommend books to my family and friends whether they are readers or not - because seriously, how can you not love to read books?

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❤️🤍💙 Memorial Day ❤️🤍💙 I just ❤️🤍💙 Memorial Day ❤️🤍💙

I just want to take a moment to remember and honor all of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that we have the freedoms that we are enjoying today. 🇺🇸

❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙❤️🤍💙

It is also Monday and since I haven’t written reviews for any of the books I read last week,  oops, here’s a little WHAT THIS WEEK. 

What I’m Reading - I’m starting Fourth Wing today and I’m so excited! 

What I’m Watching - Season 2 of Shadow and Bone & then possibly starting Yellowstone since hubby has been trying to get me to watch for over a year now. 

What I’m Listening to - An audiobook of Terms & Conditions

❓QOTD: What are you reading, watching or listening to? 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophilia #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #whatthisweek #redwhiteandblue #memorialdayweekend
🎸 Book Titles as Rock Band Names 🎸 I saw a 🎸 Book Titles as Rock Band Names 🎸

 I saw a couple of book friends @honeydukesbooks and @brazenandbookish do this fun challenge recently and as a lover of rock music, I couldn’t resist giving it a try myself. 

Here’s my list of book titles I think would make great rock band names:

🎸Heartstopper
🎸Practical Magic 
🎸Razorblade Tears 
🎸Crooked Kingdom
🎸Daughter of Smoke and Bone 
🎸Twisted Love
🎸Ugly Love 

❓QOTD: What book titles can you think of that would make great band names? 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #booksasrockbandschallenge #bookfeaturepage #bookfeature
📚 F-R-I-D-A-Y Book Stack 📚 TGIF! I don’t 📚 F-R-I-D-A-Y Book Stack 📚

TGIF!  I don’t know about you all, but I’m so happy that the weekend is here. My week started out good but then got more and more chaotic with each passing day. 

I don’t know what we’re doing for the weekend yet but I’m definitely looking forward to the downtime. 

❓QOTD: Do you have anything fun planned for the weekend? 

Books Featured: 

🩵Flawless by Elsie Silver
🩵Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score
🩵It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey 
🩵Do You Take This Man? by Denise Williams 
🩵Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake
🩵Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #romancebooks #bookfeature #readmoreromance
💕 Pink Wednesday 💕 On Wednesdays, we read 💕 Pink Wednesday 💕 

On Wednesdays, we read pink. 

I always love seeing all of the pink posts on Wednesdays. It’s like a nice midweek pick me up. 

Pardon the random music. I’ve had it stuck in my head all day so I had to share. 😂

❓QOTD: How’s your week going so far? 

AOTD:  Mine is going pretty well. My son finished his sophomore year of high school yesterday, which was exciting, and now we’re all just ready for the long weekend. 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #pinkwednesdays #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #romancebooks #bookfeature #pink #pinkpinkpink #pinkbooks #pinkwednesday
✌🏻Two for Tuesday - Bookstagram Made Me Buy I ✌🏻Two for Tuesday - Bookstagram Made Me Buy It ✌🏻

I can never resist the lure of a hyped book and these two are the latest that I’m seeing everywhere. 

🐉Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. I’ve only read historical fiction from this author so a fantasy book from her that features dragons definitely has me curious. 

⚔️The Serpent & the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. I’ve not read anything by this author but it’s hard to resist something I’ve seen described as Hunger Games with vampires. 

They both sound amazing but I can’t decide which one to read first.

❓QOTD: Have you read either of these? Which one do you think I should read first? 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #fantasy #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #fourthwing #serpentandthewingsofnight #readfantasy
💌Book Mail Monday 💌 CIAO FOR NOW by Kate B 💌Book Mail Monday 💌 

CIAO FOR NOW by Kate Bromley (pub date 6/6/2023)

Thanks so much to @katebromleywrites, @graydonhousebooks, and @delightfullybooked for this copy of Ciao for Now. 

I adored Kate’s last two books so I cannot wait to dive into this one and share my thoughts with you all. 

Here’s the Goodreads synopsis: 

When an American interning at a fashion house in Rome butts heads with her professor's surly son, sparks fly!

With her thirties rapidly approaching and a mountain of student debt looming over her, Violet Luciano’s dream of finishing design school and working in fashion has cost her everything. So when she lands an internship at an up-and-coming fashion brand in Rome, she brings her A game to Italy. With nothing left to lose, Violet plans to win the competition among the interns for the ultimate prize—a job at a New York label.

But when a coffee run goes wrong and Violet accidentally destroys a stranger’s laptop, all of the apology Americanos in the world won’t help her. Because it turns out that the man from the café is Matteo, her professor’s eternally grumpy son, who thinks she’s a clumsy American…and  maybe  a stalker. Their animosity (and undeniable chemistry) grows as together they’re forced to face a summer of chic parties, adventures through Rome and sharing a home…with the person they can’t stand the most. 

The more time she spends with him, the more distracted she finds herself. With her chance to win the competition slipping out of her grasp, Violet has to decide whether to say ciao to Matteo—or ciao to her dreams. 

❓QOTD: If you had the opportunity to travel for two weeks, all expenses paid, where would you go?

AOTD: I’d spend a week in Greece and a week in Italy. 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #romancebooks #bookfeature #readmoreromance
🩶Go Grey in May - Stack for a Cause 🩶 Hey e 🩶Go Grey in May - Stack for a Cause 🩶

Hey everyone, hope you're all having a wonderful weekend.  I've been seeing the #gogreyinmay stack for a cause on my feed the past few weeks so I wanted to make sure I got my stack in before the end of May.  This stack for a cause is being hosted by @brittanys_in_wonderland in honor of her late father. For every #gogreyinmay book stack she sees, she’ll be donating $1 to Children’s Pediatrics Brain Cancer research.  There's still a few days left to join in if you would like to. 

❓QOTD:  Tell me about some causes that are important to you.

AOTD: I lost two people I care about to brain cancer so this cause is definitely a big one for me.  I'm also passionate about epilepsy awareness and seizure first aid because of my son. 

#stackforacause #bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #booksta #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #bookstack #bookstacklove #bookstacks
💙 Review - The Comeback Summer 💙 Thanks to @ 💙 Review - The Comeback Summer 💙
Thanks to @berkleypub #berkleypartner #berkleyIG and @netgalley for the e-arc!

I love a good sister story and writer duo Ali Brady really knocked it out of the park with their new novel, The Comeback Summer. It’s smart, fun, and heartfelt and just had me cheering the sisters on every step of the way. 

They story follows Hannah and Libby, who have recently taken over their late grandmother’s PR firm. They are struggling to keep clients and are in real danger of going under. When Lou, an eccentric but wildly popular self- help guru tells them she is loooking for a new PR firm but will only consider them if they complete her 12-week “Crush Your Comfort Zone” program, the sisters reluctantly decide to go for it. 

While there are sweet romantic interests for each sister, it was their journey as they each set out to crush their comfort zones that really made this book for me. There’s a tremendous amount of character growth there as Hannah and Libby learn so much about themselves, their relationship with one another, and where their true passions lie personally and professionally. I loved both the funny moments and the very realistic ups and downs that go along with any self help journey.

I devoured this book and can’t wait to read more from Ali Brady! The Comeback Summer is out now! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD: If someone was willing to create a customized self help program for you, what would you want help with?

AOTD: Organization and stress management! 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #berkleybookstagram
📚 🐈‍⬛ The Inheritance Games and Ninja 🐈‍⬛📚

I’m posting today mainly to celebrate that I have finished reading another series that has been lingering on my TBR for months, The Inheritance Games. 

There has been tremendous hype surrounding this one, which is why I was hesitant to pick it up, and I don’t know if I just overhyped it in my own mind, but it just ended up being a solid okay read for me. 

I liked the main character, thought the Hawthorne boys were an entertaining bunch, and I enjoyed the twists and turns of the overall plot. 

When I was finished though, I snapped this pic and immediately tossed the books in my “to sell or donate” pile because I knew they just weren’t keepers for my collection. 

I’d rate the series a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫. 

😻🐈‍⬛ That’s my cat Ninja in the photo. Being a ninja, he doesn’t often appear in my pics so I have to share them when he does decide to put in an appearance. 

❓ QOTD: What’s a book or series you’ve read that didn’t live up to the hype for you? 

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #bibliophile #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #bookfeature #catsofinstagram #catstagram #catscatscats
💜 Review - The True Love Experiment 💜 I’m 💜 Review - The True Love Experiment 💜

I’m a huge Christina Lauren fan. I know I can always count on them for a good time and their latest, The True Love Experiment, is no exception. 

I had so much fun with this book! Romance author Fizzy from The Soulmate Equation is so smart and so funny, definitely one of my all time favorite secondary characters so I was thrilled to see her take on the role of leading lady in this new book. 

If you enjoy reality TV and romance, this one will be right up your alley because the premise is just so fun. Although she writes about romance, Fizzy herself is in a rut in the love department and this rut has given her a major case of writer’s block. Desperate to break out of this funk, Fizzy agrees to do something she never imagined herself doing, appearing on a reality dating show. 

Sexy divorced dad Connor Prince is the reluctant producer of this show. He normally produces nature documentaries so he’s very much out of his element. All he mows is that Fizzy got under his skin from their first meeting and he recognizes that her effervescent, flirty personality will just shine on TV. 

I don’t want to spoil any details from Fizzy and Connor working in the show together but it’s so much fun and their chemistry and the banter between them is just *chef’s kiss.* I also liked that in addition to the usual rom com style romantic moments, there’s also a bit of a forbidden love vibe going on since Connor is technically Fizzy’s boss. 

Last but definitely not least, it was wonderful to be back in this world. I loved seeing Jess, River, & Juno and thought the authors did a great job of revisiting River’s dating app & incorporating it into this new story. 

The True Love Experiment was everything I hoped it would be and more! 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to @gallerybooks, @christinalauren, & @netgalley for the e-arc! 💕

❓QOTD:  Favorite reality TV show? If none, what are you currently reading?

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover  #bookstagrammer #booksofinstagram #readersofinstagram #reader #bookstagram #igreads #romancebooks #readmoreromance #christinalauren #thetrueloveexperiment
💙✉️ Monday Blues - Book Mail ✉️💙 Lo 💙✉️ Monday Blues - Book Mail ✉️💙

Looking for some great titles to check out as you're building your summer TBR?  Check out these new offerings from Forever Books. 

Thanks so much to @readforeverpub, @authordebmason, @emilymarchbooks, and @anniesereno9 for the books. I can't wait to read them! 

💙 Summer on Sunshine Bay by Debbie Mason 💙

A mother and daughter reunite; second chances, family and friends, and lots of delicious Italian food. On sale 5/23/2023.

💙 The Getaway by Emily March 💙

Now in mass market paperback! A new start in Colorado for an empty nester renovating a lodge with her sister. On sale 5/9/2023.

💙 Leave It to the March Sisters by Annie Sereno 💙

Amy have been forever pining for Theo, her sister's best friend, and now that they are living under the same roof, she realizes those feelings may not be one-sided.  On sale 5/30/2023.

❓ QOTD: Are any of these books on your radar?  If not, what's an upcoming release that you are excited for?

#bookaholic #bookcommunity #bookaddict #bookobsessed #bookstagram #booksofinstagram #booklover #booklove #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagram #reader #bookish #booksbooksbooks #bookworm #bookstagram #booksta #coverlove #igreads #bookwormsofinstagram #bookmail #bluebooks #mondayblues #blue
🌸 Friday Flatlay Floral Reel 🌸 Happy Friday 🌸 Friday Flatlay Floral Reel 🌸

Happy Friday everyone!  Spring is definitely in the air here so I thought it would be fun to hop on this reel trend and share some of my favorite book covers with flowers on them. #

Books Featured: 

🌷Maame by Jessica George
🌷Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
🌷Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins
🌷Adelaide by Genevieve Wheeler
🌷It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
🌷In the Shadow Garden by Liz Parker
🌷The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
🌷Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
🌷The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center
🌷The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner
🌷The Dragon’s Promise by Elizabeth Lim
🌷Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
🌷Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

❓QOTD:  What’s your favorite kind of flower?

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💕 Review - Pretend You’re Mine 💕 When I s 💕 Review - Pretend You’re Mine 💕

When I saw that Bloom Books was reissuing Lucy Score’s Benevolence series with gorgeous new covers, I just had to snag a copy of the first book in the series, Pretend You’re Mine. 

Luke Garrison is beloved by everyone in Benevolence. He’s a hometown hero whose life has been touched by tragedy.  He has no interest in building a life with someone & devotes himself to his business & to serving his country.  When Harper Wilde comes barreling into his life, he has no idea that his life will never be the same.

When we meet Harper, she has just caught her boyfriend cheating. Furious, she grabs her car keys & nothing else, & starts driving.  She runs out of gas in Benevolence and while she’s figuring out what to do next, she witnesses a man assaulting a woman in a parking lot and without thinking, rushes over to intervene. The man she went after has a reputation for trouble, so Harper becomes a bit of a hero herself for taking him on. 

Luke witnessed Harper in action & made it his business to look after her, even reluctantly allowing her to stay at his place & work as his office manager until she figures out her next move. 

Pretend You’re Mine features so many of my favorite tropes, like small town romance, forced proximity, only one bed, & even some fake dating. 

The fake dating was my favorite because Harper agrees to do it to give Luke some peace from his well-meaning but meddlesome family.  Luke’s family is so sweet & I love how quickly they made Harper feel like part of the family.  Since we learn early on that Harper grew up in the foster system, the Garrison family’s love for her was all the more touching.

Full of sexy, steamy moments & rom com antics, Pretend You’re Mine kept me well entertained, although it also frustrated me at times, especially Luke. He felt like he was betraying the memory of someone he cared about, so he sends Harper endless mixed signals. Even though I wanted to throttle him, I was rooting for Luke to sort himself out & not lose Harper. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD: How’s your week going?

Thanks to @read_bloom & @netgalley for the review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
💕Review - Meet Me at the Lake 💕 Thanks to @ 💕Review - Meet Me at the Lake 💕

Thanks to @librofm and @prhaudio for the ALC of Carley Fortune’s new novel, Meet Me at the Lake.

This is a second chance romance that follows Fern and Will. 22 year old Fern meets Will while working at a shop in Toronto. Will is an artist hired by Fern’s boss to paint a mural in the shop.  Fern and Will hit it off & end up spending an amazing day together seeing the sights and getting to know one another.  Both of them are leaving Toronto soon, but they feel such a strong connection that they vow to meet up in exactly one year in Muskoka, Canada, at the resort Fern’s family owns.  One year later, however, Will is a no-show, and Fern is devastated.

Fast forward 10 years & the untimely death of Fern’s mom has left Fern the owner of the now struggling resort.  As if she doesn’t have enough on her plate, she is shocked when Will of all people comes strolling in.  He tells Fern that her mom had hired him as a consultant to help turn things around at the resort.  Needless to say, Fern’s emotions are in complete turmoil at the thought of Will reappearing in her life after ghosting her years ago.

The storytelling and character development are spectacular & I especially loved the dual time line, with scenes from Will and Fern navigating their present day awkward situation balanced with flashbacks from that one day together 10 years earlier. I don’t normally buy into insta-love, but Fortune brings that day to life in such a way that I could easily understand why Fern thought she and Will had such a special connection. I bought into it, & although I was furious Will seemingly threw away that connection, my heart broke for him once he finally revealed why he didn’t meet Fern that day and I was rooting for the two of them to find their way back to each other.

Carley Fortune has a gift for making her readers become emotionally invested in her characters.  She broke my heart into a million pieces and then slowly put it back together again as I followed Will and Fern’s journey, and that’s the kind of story that is going to stick with me. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD:  Which do you prefer- print books, e books, or audio?
📚 May Hopefuls 📚 Hey all! I should probably 📚 May Hopefuls 📚

Hey all! I should probably call this May possibilities because my inner mood reader is on a roll right now. With every book I selected, she was like “Yes, no, maybe, get back to me on that one…” 😅

So anyway, these are the books I’ll be reading in May. Or maybe not…

📚Maame by Jessica George
📚Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
📚Twisted Love by Ana Huang
📚Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan
📚The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward
📚Vacation Wars by Meghan Quinn
📚What the Hex by Jessica Clare
📚Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles
📚Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson 
📚Flawless by Elsie Silver
📚Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher 
📚True Colors by Kristin Hannah 
📚The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes 

❓QOTD:  Do you stick to a set TBR each month or are you more of a mood reader?

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