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12

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Fantasy Reads

September 13, 2016/34 Comments/by Suzanne

top ten tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is a fun weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. This week’s topic is Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Books Of X Genre.  I had a hard time with this topic because I have an impossible time trying to narrow down to my all-time favorites when it comes to books.  I decided to go with Fantasy mainly because that’s the genre I’m just really getting into which meant fewer titles for me to waffle back and forth between, haha! I’ve not tried to divide this out into subgenres or anything fancy like that. Maybe I’ll do that some day when I have more titles under my belt to choose from.

As of this moment, this is my Top 10 All Time Favorite Fantasy Reads.  Quite a few of these are favorites from when I was a kid that have really stuck with me over the years, but there are also several  newer favorites though as I’ve been delving more and more into Fantasy lately.  If you have some MUST READ fantasy titles you think I might like, post them in the comments below because I’m always looking for new fantasy novels to read and you guys always give me the BEST recs. 🙂

Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Fantasy Reads 

1. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

01

Goodreads Synopsis: Harry Potter thinks he is an ordinary boy. He lives with his Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley, who are mean to him and make him sleep in a cupboard under the stairs. (Dudley, however, has two bedrooms, one to sleep in and one for all his toys and games.) Then Harry starts receiving mysterious letters and his life is changed forever. He is whisked away by a beetle-eyed giant of a man and enrolled at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The reason: Harry Potter is a wizard!   (Read more…)

* * * * *

2. The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

05

Goodreads Synopsis:  ‘They say Aslan is on the move. Perhaps he has already landed,’ whispered the Beaver. Edmund felt a sensation of mysterious horror. Peter felt brave and adventurous. Susan felt as if some delightful strain of music had just floated by. And Lucy got that feeling when you realize it’s the beginning of summer. So, deep in the bewitched land of Narnia, the adventure begins.

They opened a door and entered a world–Narnia–the land beyond the wardrobe, the secret country known only to Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. Lucy is the first to stumble through the back of the enormous wardrobe in the professor’s mysterious old country house, discovering the magic world beyond. At first, no one believes her. But soon Edmund, Peter and Susan, too, discover the magic and meet Aslan, the Great Lion, for themselves. And in the blink of an eye, they are changed forever.  (Read more…)

* * * * *

3. The Once and Future King by T. H. White

06

Goodreads Synopsis:  Once upon a time, a young boy called “Wart” was tutored by a magician named Merlyn in preparation for a future he couldn’t possibly imagine. A future in which he would ally himself with the greatest knights, love a legendary queen and unite a country dedicated to chivalrous values. A future that would see him crowned and known for all time as Arthur, King of the Britons.

During Arthur’s reign, the kingdom of Camelot was founded to cast enlightenment on the Dark Ages, while the knights of the Round Table embarked on many a noble quest. But Merlyn foresaw the treachery that awaited his liege: the forbidden love between Queen Guinevere and Lancelot, the wicked plots of Arthur’s half-sister Morgause, and the hatred she fostered in Mordred that would bring an end to the king’s dreams for Britain–and to the king himself.  (Read more…)

* * * * *

4. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R. Tolkien

02

Goodreads Synopsis:  Frodo Baggins knew the Ringwraiths were searching for him—and the Ring of Power he bore that would enable Sauron to destroy all that was good in Middle-earth. Now it was up to Frodo and his faithful servant Sam to carry the Ring to where it could be destroyed—in the very center of Sauron’s dark kingdom.   (Read more…)

* * * * *

5. Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

game of thrones

Goodreads Synopsis: Summers span decades. Winter can last a lifetime. And the struggle for the Iron Throne has begun.

As Warden of the north, Lord Eddard Stark counts it a curse when King Robert bestows on him the office of the Hand. His honour weighs him down at court where a true man does what he will, not what he must … and a dead enemy is a thing of beauty.

The old gods have no power in the south, Stark’s family is split and there is treachery at court. Worse, the vengeance-mad heir of the deposed Dragon King has grown to maturity in exile in the Free Cities. He claims the Iron Throne. (Read more…)

* * * * *

6. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

08

Goodsreads Synopsis: The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it, no paper notices plastered on lampposts and billboards. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

Within these nocturnal black-and-white striped tents awaits an utterly unique, a feast for the senses, where one can get lost in a maze of clouds, meander through a lush garden made of ice, stare in wonderment as the tattooed contortionist folds herself into a small glass box, and become deliciously tipsy from the scents of caramel and cinnamon that waft through the air.

Welcome to Le Cirque des Rêves.

Beyond the smoke and mirrors, however, a fierce competition is under way–a contest between two young illusionists, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood to compete in a “game” to which they have been irrevocably bound by their mercurial masters. Unbeknownst to the players, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

As the circus travels around the world, the feats of magic gain fantastical new heights with every stop. The game is well under way and the lives of all those involved–the eccentric circus owner, the elusive contortionist, the mystical fortune-teller, and a pair of red-headed twins born backstage among them–are swept up in a wake of spells and charms.

But when Celia discovers that Marco is her adversary, they begin to think of the game not as a competition but as a wonderful collaboration. With no knowledge of how the game must end, they innocently tumble headfirst into love. A deep, passionate, and magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

Their masters still pull the strings, however, and this unforeseen occurrence forces them to intervene with dangerous consequences, leaving the lives of everyone from the performers to the patrons hanging in the balance.

Both playful and seductive, The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern’s spell-casting debut, is a mesmerizing love story for the ages. (Read more…)

* * * * *

7. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

03

Goodreads Synopsis:  Kell is one of the last Antari, a rare magician who can travel between parallel worlds: hopping from Grey London — dirty, boring, lacking magic, and ruled by mad King George — to Red London — where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire — to White London — ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne, where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back — and back, but never Black London, because traveling to Black London is forbidden and no one speaks of it now.

Officially, Kell is the personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell smuggles for those willing to pay for even a glimpse of a world they’ll never see, and it is this dangerous hobby that sets him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a dangerous enemy, then forces him to take her with him for her proper adventure.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save both his London and the others, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive — a feat trickier than they hoped.   (Read more…)

* * * * *

8. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

07

Goodreads Synopsis:  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland (commonly shortened to Alice in Wonderland) is an 1865 novel written by English mathematician Charles Lutwidge Dodgson under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll. It tells of a girl named Alice falling through a rabbit hole into a fantasy world populated by peculiar, anthropomorphic creatures. The tale plays with logic, giving the story lasting popularity with adults as well as with children. It is considered to be one of the best examples of the literary nonsense genre. Its narrative course and structure, characters and imagery have been enormously influential in both popular culture and literature, especially in the fantasy genre.  (Read more…)

* * * * *

9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

04

Goodreads Synopsis:  The nation of Panem, formed from a post-apocalyptic North America, is a country that consists of a wealthy Capitol region surrounded by 12 poorer districts. Early in its history, a rebellion led by a 13th district against the Capitol resulted in its destruction and the creation of an annual televised event known as the Hunger Games. In punishment, and as a reminder of the power and grace of the Capitol, each district must yield one boy and one girl between the ages of 12 and 18 through a lottery system to participate in the games. The ‘tributes’ are chosen during the annual Reaping and are forced to fight to the death, leaving only one survivor to claim victory.

When 16-year-old Katniss’s young sister, Prim, is selected as District 12’s female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart Peeta, are pitted against bigger, stronger representatives, some of whom have trained for this their whole lives. , she sees it as a death sentence. But Katniss has been close to death before. For her, survival is second nature.  (Read more…)

* * * * *

10. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

10

Goodreads Synopsis:  When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she knows about only from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow over the faerie lands is growing, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.  (Read more…)

* * * * * *

Question:  Are any of these fantasy reads your favorites too?   What was your TTT topic this week?  I’d love to hear from you 🙂

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/toptentuesday.png 864 1600 Suzanne http://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2016-09-13 06:26:182016-09-17 10:43:14Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten ALL TIME Favorite Fantasy Reads
ARC review: girl from venice

ARC Review: The Girl from Venice

September 9, 2016/10 Comments/by Suzanne
ARC Review:  The Girl from VeniceThe Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith
four-stars
Published by Simon & Schuster on October 18th 2016
Genres: Historical Fiction
Pages: 320
Source: Netgalley
Amazon
Goodreads

FTC Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads Synopsis:  The highly anticipated new standalone novel from Martin Cruz Smith, whom The Washington Post has declared “that uncommon phenomenon: a popular and well-regarded crime novelist who is also a writer of real distinction,” The Girl from Venice is a suspenseful World War II love story set against the beauty, mystery, and danger of occupied Venice.

Venice, 1945. The war may be waning, but the city known as La Serenissima is still occupied and the people of Italy fear the power of the Third Reich. One night, under a canopy of stars, a fisherman named Cenzo comes across a young woman’s body floating in the lagoon and soon discovers that she is still alive and in trouble.

Born to a wealthy Jewish family, Giulia is on the run from the SS. Cenzo chooses to protect Giulia rather than hand her over to the Nazis. This act of kindness leads them into the world of Partisans, random executions, the arts of forgery and high explosives, Mussolini’s broken promises, the black market and gold, and, everywhere, the enigmatic maze of the Venice Lagoon.

The Girl from Venice is a thriller, a mystery, and a retelling of Italian history that will take your breath away. Most of all it is a love story.

My Review: 

I had no idea of what to expect when I first started reading Martin Cruz Smith’s The Girl from Venice.  That gorgeous blue cover with the silhouette of a girl standing on the bow of a boat caught my eye as I was scanning the Netgalley site for upcoming releases.  When I read the title and saw that the book was set in Venice during World War II, I was immediately intrigued, being a big fan of historical fiction and having also just visited this beautiful Italian city last summer.

Highlights for me:

I became engrossed in the story right away because Smith does a fantastic job of transporting his readers back to Italy during the final days of WWII. He perfectly captures the dangerous and tense atmosphere of a Venice that is still occupied by the Nazis and where no one feels they can trust anyone else.  There’s also a sense in the air that the end of the war is approaching and with it a Nazi loss, and yet there are still pockets of Nazis desperately fighting on and rounding up all Italian Jews.

Into this treacherous environment, Smith introduces two characters that I fell in love with right away. The first, Cenzo Vianello, is a fisherman born and raised in Venice.  He is a good man with a simple plan – to just keep his head down and survive until this awful war is over.  The second character, Giulia Silber, is an Italian teenager who, up until the time of the war, had lived a privileged life. The war has changed all of that though because Giulia is Jewish and thus a target for the desperate Nazis that are still stationed in Venice.  Cenzo and Giulia cross paths when the Nazis round up the rest of Giulia’s family from their hiding place.  Giulia’s father shoves her in a laundry chute and she is able to escape and is swimming to find help in the lagoon where Cenzo fishes when he comes across her.   Cenzo is immediately taken with Giulia and so vows to protect her from the Nazis and get her to safety, and thus his simple plan for surviving the war takes an unexpected turn into dangerous waters (pardon the nautical pun).  I love a story where I have an underdog I can cheer on and how can you not cheer on a fisherman trying to protect a young Jewish woman from the Nazis?

I especially loved Cenzo in the sense that he’s like an onion, many layered. The more we get to know him, the more layers are peeled away and the more complex his life becomes.  As Giulia gets him to open up about himself, we learn that he is not just a fisherman, but also a painter, and then we also learn that he has been betrayed by his older brother, a movie star who had an affair with Cenzo’s wife.  On top of that, Cenzo’s mother now expects Cenzo to marry the widow of his younger brother, who was killed in the war, but Cenzo does not love the widow and so is doing everything he can to put off this undesirable marriage.  After learning all of the misfortune in Cenzo’s life and that his brother has basically made him a laughingstock, I felt all the more sympathetic toward Cenzo.

What I loved about Giulia is her resourcefulness.  She has a bit of an attitude with Cenzo at the beginning, until she determines she can trust him, but once she realizes he is worthy of her trust, she is game to do whatever she needs to do in order to escape from the Nazis – even if it means hacking off her hair, dressing like a boy, and learning to be a fisherman’s apprentice.  She’s feisty and spirited, and again, like Cenzo, just a completely sympathetic character. Because both characters are so sympathetic, one of my favorite aspects of the novel was watching their friendship grow as they worked to secure Giulia safe passage away from the Nazis.

As much as I loved their growing friendship, I do have to say that I wasn’t completely sold on the idea of Cenzo and Giulia as a romantic couple.  The shift from friendship to romantic partners happened rather abruptly and I guess I just missed it, but I was a little ‘Wait, what?! Where did that come from?’ when it happened.

Characters aside, I also loved the fast pace of the story and all of its many twists and turns.  When Cenzo decides he’s going to help Giulia but then the plan somehow gets betrayed and Giulia disappears, Cenzo is determined to find her no matter what.  This quest takes him out of his league and deep into the political underbelly of the war.  We are transported away from the almost romantic lagoons of Venice to the treacherous Salo, which houses Mussolini, Communist partisans, Nazis, collaborators, resistance – basically a who’s who of everyone you could possibly want to stay away from if you’re a fisherman whose goal is to keep your head down and survive the war.

This section of the novel is just filled with suspense. People are constantly approaching Cenzo, trying to make deals with him, telling him they can help him find Giulia, and he just has no idea who he can trust, if anyone.  No one is who they seem to be, and loyalties are so divided that even if someone seems to be on your side one day, the next they may not be if they think they can get a better deal from the other side.  Even though this is technically historical fiction, The Girl from Venice really takes on the tone of a thriller as Cenzo maneuvers his way through all of the political landmines that surround him while he’s searching for clues about Giulia in Salo. These chapters were very exciting, and I blew through the last half of the book in just a few hours.

Anything I didn’t like?

Aside from not being completely sold on the romantic chemistry between Cenzo and Giulia, I did have a moment’s pause early on as we were learning about Cenzo’s life as a fisherman.  When the narration turned to descriptions of fishing, I had a few painful Moby Dick flashbacks to whole chapters devoted to boring and superfluous descriptions of whaling. Thankfully, however, Martin Cruz Smith smoothly weaves in his descriptions of life as a fisherman so that they flowed organically with the rest of the story.  I felt like I learned a little something about fishing in Venice without being deluged with dry, unnecessary facts so major hat’s off to Smith there.

Who would I recommend this book to?

I think I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction, especially from the WWII era.  I know there are some who complain that it has been too trendy a subject for books, but I think this books’ focus on Italy and Mussolini give it a unique and fresh perspective.

I would probably also recommend it to anyone who loves a good thriller so this one has so much suspense and so many mysterious and deceptive characters.  It’s a story that will keep you guessing until the end as to who is trustworthy and who isn’t.

Thanks so much to Netgalley, Simon and Schuster, and Martin Cruz Smith for the opportunity to read and review The Girl from Venice.

 

Rating:  4 stars

four-stars

About Martin Cruz Smith

Martin Cruz Smith (born Martin William Smith), American novelist, received his BA in Creative Writing from the University of Pennsylvania in 1964. He worked as a journalist from 1965 to 1969 before turning his hand to fiction. His first mystery (Gypsy in Amber – 1971) features NY gypsy art dealer Roman Grey and was nominated for an Edgar Award. Nightwing was his breakthrough novel and was made into a movie.

Smith is best known for his series of novels featuring Russian investigator Arkady Renko. Gorky Park, published in 1981, was the first of these and was called “thriller of the ’80s” by Time Magazine. It became a bestseller and won the Gold Dagger Award from the British Crime Writers’ Association. Renko has also appeared in Polar Star, Red Square,Havana Bay, Wolves Eat Dogs, Stalin’s Ghost, and Three Stations.

In the 1970s, Smith wrote The Inquisitor Series under the pseudonym Simon Quinnand penned two Slocum adult action westerns as Jake Logan. He also wrote theNick Carter: Killmaster series under the alias Nick Carter with Mike Avallone and others.

Martin Cruz Smith now lives in San Rafael, California with his wife and three children.

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

https://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/the-girl-from-venice.jpg 2072 1400 Suzanne http://thebookishlibra.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/trimmed-Copy-of-Bookish-Logo-copy.png Suzanne2016-09-09 07:38:072016-09-09 07:38:07ARC Review: The Girl from Venice
simon vs homo sapiens agenda

Book Review: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda

September 3, 2016/10 Comments/by Suzanne
Book Review:  Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens AgendaSimon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli
Also by this author: The Upside of Unrequited, Leah on the Offbeat
four-stars
Published by Balzer + Bray on April 7th 2015
Genres: Contemporary Fiction, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 303
Source: Library
Amazon
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:  Sixteen-year-old and not-so-openly gay Simon Spier prefers to save his drama for the school musical. But when an email falls into the wrong hands, his secret is at risk of being thrust into the spotlight. Now Simon is actually being blackmailed: if he doesn’t play wingman for class clown Martin, his sexual identity will become everyone’s business. Worse, the privacy of Blue, the pen name of the boy he’s been emailing, will be compromised.

With some messy dynamics emerging in his once tight-knit group of friends, and his email correspondence with Blue growing more flirtatious every day, Simon’s junior year has suddenly gotten all kinds of complicated. Now, change-averse Simon has to find a way to step out of his comfort zone before he’s pushed out—without alienating his friends, compromising himself, or fumbling a shot at happiness with the most confusing, adorable guy he’s never met.

My review:

I have to say that going in, I had no idea what to expect from Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda. I had never heard of the book and the cover just happened to catch my eye as I was browsing at the library – bright red with a headless guy on the front and a stack of what appeared to be OREO cookies on the back. Say what?! Curious and quite amused by this combination of images, I decided to check it out and give it a go.

I’m so thrilled that I did too.  I kid you not – I don’t think I have ever smiled so much while reading a book as I did while reading Simon vs. the Home Sapiens Agenda.  Even now, just thinking about the book again while writing this review, I’m sitting here grinning.

What made this book such a wonderful read for me is that it’s a light and humorous story about love, family, friendship, high school life, and coming out as gay that, at the same time, conveys such an important message regarding the LGBTQ community – namely, that people who identify as LGBTQ are just like everyone else.

Highlights of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda for me:

Simon Spier, of course!  Simon is this Oreo-obsessed high school junior who is in the drama club, knows pretty much everything there is to about Harry Potter, has a golden retriever named Bieber, and who is just all around adorable.  Simon also has a bit of a crush on a fellow student who calls himself ‘Blue’.  This budding relationship serves to add an extra layer of depth to Simon’s character.  In what way? Well, because in spite of their growing mutual attraction, Simon and Blue have never actually met face to face and don’t even know each other’s real names.  They met via the school’s tumblr and only communicate with via email using aliases.  Why all the secrecy? Because as much as they like each other, neither Simon nor Blue are quite ready to come out publicly as gay.

Aside from his just overall cuteness and his humor, what I loved most about Simon was the honest and relatable way in which Becky Albertalli portrays him. The first person point of view was key here.  From the first page, you feel like you’re inside the mind of a teenage boy – how Simon can’t wait to rush to the nearest computer and read his next email from Blue and how his brain is on such overload when it comes to Blue that he walks off and absentmindedly leaves his emails to Blue open for the world (or at least for class clown Marty Addison to see).  Once Simon realizes that Marty has the power to expose his biggest secret, and Blue’s as well if anyone were to figure out what Blue’s true identity is, we then go inside of Simon’s mind as he has to decide how to handle Marty.

I really enjoyed how realistically and convincingly Albertalli writes the internal struggle that Simon faces.  There are so many factors to be considered and we get an up close look as Simon goes through all of the pros and cons in his mind. Does he beat Marty to the punch and go ahead and come out as gay?  But how will his family, friends, and other students react? Will they treat him differently? Will he be mocked and bullied?  And himself aside, there’s Blue to consider.  What if Blue isn’t ready to come out?  He’s tormented by the idea that Blue could suffer because of his own carelessness.

Simon and Blue as a couple.  In addition to being inside of Simon’s head while he tries to figure out what to do about this whole blackmail situation, I also adored being able to follow his thoughts when it comes to his attraction to Blue.  It’s a budding high school romance and Albertalli portrays it exactly like any other budding high school romance would be portrayed.  Their flirtations are no different than if the two characters were male and female and I just thought this was so wonderful and so important.  There are still too many people in the world who consider the LGBTQ community as deviant, and this book helps to dispel that mistaken impression.  With Simon and Blue, there is absolutely no sense that they are in any way deviant.  They are just two people who feel a connection and want to explore that connection, and the progression of their relationship is lovely to watch unfold.  Not only are they portrayed as completely normal teens in love, but they are completely adorable.  Even sight unseen, relying on nothing but emails to slowly build their relationship, Simon and Blue are seriously the cutest couple ever.   I loved reading their silly flirtatious conversations, as well as their deeper and more meaningful conversations as they are each trying to decide how, when, or if they should come out as gay.  Albertalli has made these two characters so likeable together and the progression of their relationship so completely natural that I think reading this book could be a mind-opening experience for a lot of people.

Simon’s Squad.  Okay, I’m all about a great cast of secondary characters and let me just say that this book has them in spades.  I simply adored all of Simon’s friends – Nick, Abby, and Leah, and heck even Marty, the blackmailer, grew on me the more I got to know him.

Another quality I really liked about this book is that Albertalli so vividly and fully captures the high school experience, that no matter how long you have been out of school, she transports you right back there.  She is especially effective at portraying the often messy dynamics of high school friendships – when long-time friends suddenly become more than friends, when new friends join a peer group and others feel threatened or jealous because they worry they’ll get squeezed out, etc.   Each time Simon’s circle of friends got shaken up by one of these things, I felt like I was being transported right back in time to my own messy circle of friends. It was very nostalgic for me in that sense.

The Search for Blue:  I had a lot of fun following Simon around and trying to guess which of his classmates might be Blue.  And again, because Albertalli has portrayed every character as typical, average high school kids, Blue really can be anyone Simon encounters throughout his school day.  I loved exploring all of the possibilities, especially as I got to know a little more about each character. And like Simon, I made several incorrect guesses before Blue is finally revealed.

Themes:  I love that, in addition to being such a fun and entertaining read, this book is also filled with so many positive messages in it about love, friendship, family, and community.  I also wish this book had been around when I was in school because I think a lot of LGBTQ students I went to school with would have found this book helpful : 1) in letting them know they’re not alone in what they might be feeling, and 2) in helping them realize that family and friends might be way more supportive than they might otherwise expect.

Anything I didn’t like?

The only thing that comes to mind was that it did take me a while to get used to reading the emails between Sam and Blue. Not because of the subject matter or anything like that, but just because at first, it didn’t feel like they flowed well with the rest of the novel.  Once I got a little more used to the style, it stopped bothering me though.

Who would I recommend this book to?

This is one of those books I would recommend to pretty much everyone from high school age right on up through adulthood, and I’d especially recommend it to parents.  Why?  1) Because it’s a super cute and fun read that I think everyone can enjoy, and 2) Because it’s an important book that has a lot to teach you, if you let it.  Maybe you’re not a student yourself, but you might be a parent with a child who might be LGBTQ and who might go through something like Simon and Blue did.  This book can only help to increase your understanding of what your own child might go through.  As I was reading, I couldn’t help but think that Simon could easily be my own son.  So yes, just such an important book on many levels.

 

Rating:  A very strong 4 stars!

 

four-stars

About Becky Albertalli

Becky Albertalli is a clinical psychologist who has had the privilege of conducting therapy with dozens of smart, weird, irresistible teenagers. She also served for seven years as co-leader of a support group for gender nonconforming children in Washington, DC. These days, she lives in Atlanta with her husband and two sons, and writes very nerdy contemporary young adult fiction. Her debut novel, SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA, released from Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins on April 7th, 2015.

Website | Goodreads | Tumblr

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me

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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Thanks to @simonteen #partner for the gifted e-arc Thanks to @simonteen #partner for the gifted e-arc!

🍁 Review - TRUST FALL 🍁

Author - Lynn Painter

Pub Date - 9/29/2026

I was really intrigued by the premise of this story, where an elderly man named Joe dies and unexpectedly leaves his NYC home and most of his fortune to a family in Nebraska who was always kind to him while he lived there.  In order to actually secure the inheritance, however, the family has to relocate to NYC for 6 months and the kids have to attend the fancy prep school located near their new house. 

I always enjoy a good underdog story and watching Julia navigate packing up her entire life and relocating from rural Nebraska to Manhattan and trasnfer to this elite prep school full of mean girls and bullies had me rooting for her so hard. I felt so bad for her because her brother just has it so easy and fits in like he has always gone there, while every hour of the day is a challenge for Julia because she is so socially awkward. 

At first I wanted to hate Damion, who Julia has a run-in with before she ever starts school. Once at school, Damion seems to make it his mission to make Julia uncomfortable, but then it became pretty obvious that he is attracted to her.  He doesn’t want to be though because it turns out that the man Julia’s family knew as Joe was actually Damion’s uncle, Remi, and Damion’s family, knowing nothing of Remi’s tife in Nebraska, assume Julia’s family somehow conned him.  Damion actually starts tutoring Julia in math, thinking he will find evidence of the con, but instead, there’s nothing like a little forced proximity to totally change your mind about a person.

There are definitely some heavier scenes as Damion grieves Remi, and as Julia tries to find her place at this school, but there’s also plenty of Lynn Painter’s signature fun banter to keep the overall tone of the story pretty light.  I especially loved the banter between Julia & Damion as they get to know each other and realize they have a lot in common. 

 Perfect for fans of:

Enemies to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Opposities Attract

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - NYC in the fall is my fave. What’s your favorite place to be & your favorite time of year to be there?
Thanks for the free e-arc @acebookspub @berkleyrom Thanks for the free e-arc @acebookspub @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🗡️ Review - CURSED CITY 🗡️

Author - Kate Golden

Pub Date - 9/29/2026

(Physical copy purchased by me)

Cursed City is the second book in the Harker Academy series.  I really enjoyed the first book in the series, but OMG, I ate this second one up!

I loved being back in this world and thought the author did a brilliant job with the world building.  Cursed City picks up right where Half City left off and it is an action-packed, emotional roller coaster from start to finish! 

It’s hard to review a second book in a series without giving spoilers for the first, so I’m going to be pretty vague here.  I loved being back with Viv and her found family “the goon squad” and I was also obsessed with the chemistry and tension between Viv and Damion as they are all searching for a way to free Viv from a curse and search for Reid. 

I also loved getting to know more about Damion. He’s an easy character to become obsessed with and I felt like he really stole the show in this book. 

I also love a story that keeps me on my toes, and this one is filled with secrets and betrayals, as well as a jaw dropping cliffhanger that I did not see coming at all.  So good!

Perfect for fans of:

🗡️Enemies to Lovers
✨Urban Fantasy
🗡️Buffy the Vampire Slayer vibes
✨Found Family
🗡️Black Cat FMC
✨Demon x Demon Hunter
🗡️Dark Academia setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - I love to read dark academia in the fall.  Do you have any recs?  Or what book are you starting the week with?T
📚 EVERYTHING I READ IN SEPTEMBER 📚 Hey book frien 📚 EVERYTHING I READ IN SEPTEMBER 📚

Hey book friends! I hope your October is off to a great start. I’m so excited that we’ve made it to spooky season but honestly cannot believe that it’s October 1. 

Thanks to a couple of long weekends, I had a very good reading month in September and finished 23 books. Three of those were books I started in August but didn’t finish by month’s end, but I was also able to get all of my September ARCs read and managed to finish quite a few on my physical TBR, including the longest book that is on my 26 in 2026 challenge reading list.  My photo features all of the physical copies I read, but I also read a few e-arcs and listened to several audiobooks as well. 

As always, I’m a little behind on reviews so expect to see a few of these books reviewed in the coming days.

❓QOTD:  How was your reading month? What were some of your favorite September reads? What book will be your first read of October? 

AOTD - I started off my October reading with Bound by Ali Hazelwood and I’m loving it!

❤️ 5 STARS ❤️

Grim Tidings by B.K. Borison
Falling for Peachtree Bluff by Kristy Woodson Harvey
Love Felt Like This by Julie Olivia
Blue Jean Summer by Maggie Gates

🧡 4.5 STARS 🧡

Cursed City by Kate Golden (Review to come)
Trust Fall by Lynn Painter (Review to come)
The Life Intended by Kristin Harmel
Thank You for Remembering by Emily Harding
Take a Chance, Sasha Sinclair by Ashley Herring Blake

💛 4 STARS 💛

Well Versed by Jen DeLuca
An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon (26 in 2026 challenge read)
Disenchanted by Lucy Jane Wood
Taking Sides by Rebecca Jenshak
Hexy Beast by Avery Flynn
Free Falling by Lyla Sage
A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams
If Not You by Ellen O’Clover
Colt by Jessica Peterson
Crimson River by Devney Perry
Falling into Place by Kristyn J. Miller
Reckless Kisses by Layla Hagen

💚 3.5 STARS 💚

Isn’t He Romantic by Adib Khorram
The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen

💙 3 STARS 💙

NONE

💜1 or 2 STARS 💜

NONE

DNF 

NONE
👻 My October is Booked with Berkley! 👻 Thanks so 👻 My October is Booked with Berkley! 👻

Thanks so much to @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley for these gifted books. These are going to be my first three reads of October and they are all highly anticipated reads for me.  I love a good paranormal romance! 

💀Love You to Death by Jenna Levine, Pub Date 10/13/2026 - A jaded grim reaper and a woman who wants another chance at life give ‘til death do us part a new meaning in this paranormal romance from bestselling author Jenna Levine.

✨Bound and Unbound novellas by Ali Hazelwood, Paperback Pub Date 10/6/2026 - New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood’s intoxicating paranormal romance novella duology—together for the first time in print and ebook! 

✨Bound - A reluctant con artist and a professor with too many secrets are bound by an arcane text—in more ways than one.

✨Unbound - A five-thousand-year-old woman who has outlived empires. A doctor who has spent his life fighting death. Their fates collide in a blood game of vengeance.

👻 Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe, Pub Date 10/13/2026 -  A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.

❓QOTD - Are any of these on your radar? What are some of your highly anticipated October reads?
Thanks for the free e-arc @berkleyromance #Berkley Thanks for the free e-arc @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🧹REVIEW - TAKE A CHANCE, SASHA SINCLAIR 🧹

Author - Ashley Herring Blake

Pub Date - 9/29/26

Looking for books to add to your spooky season TBR?  You’ll want to take a chance on Take a Chance, Sasha Sinclair. This is the third book in the Clover Lake series, but it works great as a standalone and is the perfect spicy sapphic romance for spooky season. 

Sasha is grieving the loss of her parents and it also trying to fulfill one of their unrealized dreams, which was to film a documentary about the Bishop family and the legend of the Rose Witch that permeates their family history.  The Bishop women, have always been side-eyed by those in their community, and so are very protective when it comes to their ancestors, some of whom date back to the Salem Witch Trials.  Sasha persuades the Bishops to share their history with her, on the condition that they get final approval as to whether the documentary is released. 

Sasha is told that the hardest Bishop to get to cooperate with her will be the eldest sister, Margot, and their working relationship becomes all the more complicated when Sasha and Margot, not realizing who each other were, hook up the night before Sasha is slated to meet the Bishops.  As defensive as Margot tries to be, she can’t deny that she is attracted to Sasha, and the feeling is definitely mutual. Trying to fight those feelings are keep things professional only proves mostly impossible.

I loved the dynamic between Sasha and Margot. There’’s so much tension between them but also some pretty incredible chemistry.  I was rooting for the two of them because I could tell they could be so good together, if Margot would just let her guard down. 

I also found myself thoroughly engrossed in the Bishop family history as Sasha and Margot uncover more details about the Bishop ancestor than even Margot knew existed, including a secret relationship between Alice Bishop and a woman named Rose.

If you like spicy romance, suspenseful ghostly lore, witchy vibes & queer representation, you can’t go wrong with this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - Favorite fall treat? 

AOTD - Apple cider donuts!
🏒 Audiobook Review - TAKING SIDES 🏒 Author - Rebe 🏒 Audiobook Review - TAKING SIDES 🏒

Author - Rebecca Jenshak

Pub Date - 9/29/2026

Narrators - Full cast narration by Austin Stone and Lucy Rivers, featuring performances by Christian Fox, Teddy Hamilton, Jason Clarke, Rylan Lee Dunlap, Savannah Peachwood, Erin Mallon, and Mollie Stark. 

Thanks to @mustloveaudio for the gifted ALC! 

Taking Sides is the third book in Rebecca Jenshak’s Moonshot Hockey romance series. I haven’t read the first two books in the series, but after reading and loving this one, which worked great as a standalone, I definitely want to go back and read those. 

Conrad and Whitney were truly just the most adorable couple. Whitney is a school teacher and a hockey coach. She typically has no interest in dating hockey players, but there’s just something about Conrad that really appeals to her.  Conrad might be a pro hockey player, but he is a total rookie when it comes to interacting with women.  His teammates adore him and are always trying to play wingman for him, but Conrad is nothing but shy and awkward around women and as he eventually confesses to Whitney, he’s also a virgin. 

I absolutely adored Conrad and found his awkwardness so endearing. I was also glad that Whitney seemed to find it equally endearing because their first date is a complete disaster, but she gives him a second chance and is just so patient with him that all of their interactions just made me swoon.  I loved how she is able to gently bring him out of his shell, both in and out of the bedroom. 

The romance was fantastic, and I also really enjoyed the found family vibes that were present with the Moonshot teammates. The full cast audiobook narration really brought that aspect of the story to life perfectly, and Austin Stone and Lucy Rivers were also fantastic as Conrad and Whitney.  Their voices worked so well together and really highlighted the chemistry between the characters, as well as the tension when Whitney’s brother finds out she’s dating his arch rival. 

Such a fun and bingeable listen!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What are some tropes you’ve been enjoying lately? Or picking up any new releases this week?
Thanks to @thedialpress for the gifted copy! 👻 RE Thanks to @thedialpress for the gifted copy!

👻 REVIEW - FREE FALLING 👻

Author - Lyla Sage

Pub Date - 9/22/2026

Free Falling is the perfect small town romance to kick off your spooky season reading.  It’s the second book in the Sweetwater Peak series, and it’s equal parts haunting, steamy, and cozy. I had a great time during my first visit to this haunted small town, but I enjoyed my second visit even more!

Clarke Cartwright is an easy character to relate to because she just has so much on her plate.  She’s in charge of her family’s antique store, but is facing major (and expensive) repairs that need to be completed, and is just all around struggling to keep her family’s legacy going.  She also has the unique ability to see and communicate with spirits, which she tries to avoid if possible because the side effects of this “gift” are overwhelming. On top of everything else, she’s battling depression.

The last thing Clarke needs is the ghost of Leith’s dad following her around trying to talk to her.  Once she finally listens, however, she realizes Leith’s dad wants her to deliver a message to Leith about a clause in his will that could hamper his ability to claim his rightful inheritance.  When Clarke delivers the message, she and Leith decide to team up and help one another. Nothing like some fake dating and forced proximity to make people discover their true feelings for one another. .

I really enjoyed this story! Clarke and Leith have great chemistry and I loved how tender and supportive they each are for the other. Leith was Clarke’s childhood crush, and it becomes obvious early on that Leith has also been down bad for Clarke, for years! 

This story provides a great balance of humor, heart, steam, all the cozy vibes, and some emotional depth as we follow Clarke’s mental health journey.

Highly recommend for fans of:

Haunted Small Towns
Childhood Crushes
Fake Dating
Ghostly Side Characters
Nosy Townsfolk
Spooky yet Cozy Vibes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What are you reading to start the week and how are you liking it so far?
Thanks for the gifted audiobook @hachetteaudio #ha Thanks for the gifted audiobook @hachetteaudio #hachetteaudiopartner

🍂 Review - THE COZY NOOK BOOKSHOP 🍂

Author - Jeannie Chin

Pub Date - 8/25/2026

If you’re looking for books with all the cozy fall vibes and a little spice to add to your TBR this season, you’re  going to want to check out Jeannie Chin’s latest, The Cozy Nook Bookshop, book one in the Heart’s Hope Crossing series. 

I was drawn into this story right away by how sympathetic a character Emma is. Her life has basically blown up around her so she decides to make a huge change and moves to a tiny town in Vermont where she will manage a small bookshop and live in the apartment above it. Her sense of determination was admirable.

I love a bookish setting, so this book was already my vibe, but I’m also a sucker for a grumpy sunshine romance.  When Emma is cheerfully starting her new life and literally collides with Hunter, the gruff but sexy park ranger, right outside of her shop, it felt like kismet.  And I wasn’t the only one who thought so.  According to town lore, the exact spot where Emma and Hunter run into each other is a spot where it’s said that strangers who meet there are fated to be together.  It cracked me up that the townsfolk immediately set out to try to make it happen with these two. This book definitely has its fair share of meddlesome matchmakers!

Emma and Hunter try to fight the idea that they’re fated to be together, Emma because she’s just out of a relationship & not ready for another, & Hunter because his past is complicated when it comes to love.  Even so, they start to give in pretty quickly. At first maybe a little too quickly, a little instalove-ish, but I bought into them as a couple fairly easily because they have great chemistry. I enjoyed them getting to know each other better, especially their hiking adventures, and I loved seeing Hunter’s softer side come out.

The audiobook was narrated by Katharine Chin & it was a cozy, bingeable listen..She does a great job of bringing these characters to life & of making me feel like I’m right there in small town Vermont watching the action unfold. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What’s a book you’re hoping to read this fall?
Goodbye Summer! Now that it’s officially Fall, it’ Goodbye Summer! Now that it’s officially Fall, it’s time to update the bookshelf decorations. 

I’m not much of a reel maker but couldn’t resist a little Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo to refresh my shelves. 

❓QOTD - Do you decorate for fall? Or what’s your favorite season? 

#hellofall #bookshelfdecor #spookyseason #shelfie #falldecor
Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyP Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

🎭 Review - WELL VERSED 🎭

Author -Jen DeLuca

Pub Date - 9/22/2026

Do you have a book or series that’s a total comfort read for you?  For me, one of those series is Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series, so getting a fifth book was a dream come true for me.  I was so happy to return to the cozy world of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire and to reunite with this group of characters who have come to feel like old friends. 

This installment also intrigued me because it revisits Caitlyn, who we met early in the series when she was just a teenager and the Red Faire was her whole life. Caitlyn is in her mid 20s now and has recently returned home to regroup and reset after losing her job in New York.  Caitlyn’s return home is bittersweet because she fell out of love with the Red Faire and Shakespeare years ago when Alex the Sword Bro broke her heart and tainted all of it for her.  The Red Faire gang convinces her to participate in the Faire one more time, and she immediately comes face to face with Alex, causing all of those old feelings to bubble to the surface. 

I remember Caitlyn’s passion for the Faire vividly so I immediately wanted to dislike Alex for ruining it for her. He grew on me quickly though because he’s actually a sweetheart, and I was soon rooting for Caitlyn and Alex to work through what happened all those years ago and to get to know each other now as more mature adults. 

Every book in this series has been such a fun and heartwarming experience, and always makes me want to go to the Faire, and Well Versed is no exception. Huzzah! 

Recommended for fans of:

🎭Forced Proximity
🎭Second Chance Romance
🎭 Ren Faire Setting

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire?  Or do you have a favorite Shakespeare play? 

AOTD - There’s a small Ren Faire near me that I’ve been to a few times.  My favorites Shakespeare play is King Lear for the tragedies and Much Ado About Nothing for the comedies.
📚 2027 BOOK RELEASES ON MY RADAR 📚 Now that we’ve 📚 2027 BOOK RELEASES ON MY RADAR 📚

Now that we’ve made it to the ‘BER months, my brain is already looking ahead to 2027 and all of the books releases we have to look forward to. Here are some of my highly anticipated reads for the first half of 2027. I say some because I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list as I learn about more upcoming releases. 

✨January 2027 Releases✨

The Rivalry Reset by Amy Lea
People Pleasing by Hannah Bonam-Young
Love Interest by Chloe Liese
The Unrequited Love Department by Kristina Forest
Guilty Treasure by Jo Segura
Beck by Jessica Peterson
The Stars Look Like Home by T.J. Klune
The Jewel of Sugar Hill by Fiona Davis

✨February 2027 Releases✨

The Pro and the Con by Nikki Payne
Always the Rebel by Corinne Michaels
Champagne Problems by Hannah Grace
Longtime Listener by B.K. Borison
Twist by Alice Feeney

✨March 2027 Releases✨

Every Ordinary Thing by Jessica Joyce
Through the Gatherine Storm by Catherine Cowles
The Last Days of Vic & Coco by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Steel-Toed Slow Dance by Maggie Gates
Just One More Chapter by Lucy Score
Elodie and the Dark Lord by Ashley Poston
I’ve Got You by Cara Bastone
Cats and Other Kindred Spirits by Lauren Connolly
Here We Are at the End by Sara Barnard
Finlay Donovan Plays with Fire by Elle Cosimano
Bad Idea by Elle Kennedy

✨April 2027 Releases✨

A Bittersweet Spell by Rebecca Ross
Untitled by Emily Henry
Cowboy Like Me by Lynn Painter
Vera Wong’s Vacation Hacks for Catching a Killer by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Midnight Rush by Elsie Silver
The Highland Invitation by Kara McDowell

✨May 2027 Releases✨

Last Call by Bal Khabra
The Fire by Kristin Hannah
The Lovebirds by Katherine Center
Big Sexy Love by Kirsty Greenwood
Only in Summer by Carley Fortune
If Summer Never Ends by Jenn McKinlay

❓QOTD - What 2027 releases are already on your radar?  Do we share any?
Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyP Thanks for the free book @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley 

✨ Review - IF NOT YOU ✨

Author - Ellen O’Clover

Pub Date - 9/15/26

Mattie French may work as a copywriter for one of Chicago top advertising agencies, but she still can’t forget how her archnemesis, Campbell Porter, beat her out for a position at the agency they both interned with five years ago.  The main reason she can’t forget is because she can’t escape Campbell no matter where she goes to network, what awards her agency is up for, or even when she’s just trying to catch a train home. He’s everywhere and he always beat her, making her not only loathe him but also doubt herself.  Needless to say, it’s Mattie’s worst nightmare when her agency and Campbell’s are both invited to vy for a huge new client that owns luxury resorts and the contest involves both teams staying at the resorts together. 

I went into this book wanting to hate Campbell based on the way Mattie reacts to him and relives memories of him taunting her when they were interns together.  What I quickly realized, however, is that Campbell is a total golden retriever type who has been in love with Mattie for ages.  He also thinks she’s incredibly talented and he admires her passion for her job because even though he’s good at it, he’s not passionate about it at all and in fact, dreams of an entirely different career.

I had such a good time following these characters as they try to enjoy the resort’s luxurious amenities, work on their presentations, and deal with the tension that absolutely crackles between them. There’s so much angst and pining, and insane amounts of chemistry between Campbell and Mattie no matter how hard they try to fight it.  I love the forced proximity trope, and O’Clover uses it so well here, as being forced to interact with Campbell finally opens Mattie’s eyes to some truths she never realized about him, which allows her to finally let her guard down around him. 

A fun read and an emotional one, I really enjoyed it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What are you reading this weekend?

AOTD - I’m planning to finish Well Versed and then maybe read Colt.
I know I’m not the only one! 😂 Raise your hand if I know I’m not the only one! 😂

Raise your hand if your book buying addiction began with the scholastic book fair when you were a kid. 🙋‍♀️

Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of getting those book fair order forms and circling all of the books I wanted. Bless my mom for never telling me no. 

What were some of your favorite books when you were a kid? 

I loved all of Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary’s books, and I was also a big fan of the Little House on the Prairie books, followed by Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley High as I got a little older.
Thanks for the free e-arc @avonbooks #partner ✨ R Thanks for the free e-arc @avonbooks #partner

✨ Review - GRIM TIDINGS ✨

Author - B.K. Borison

Pub Date - 9/15/2026

(Physical copy purchased by me)

OMG, this book! B.K. Borison has really outdone herself with Grim Tidings, her latest paranormal romance. It’s one of my favorite romance reads of the year so far and I can’t stop thinking about it!

Darcy is a grim reaper who is lonely and who has grown weary of collecting souls. When her next assignment takes her to a bar in Maryland, she begins flirting with Gabriel, the sexy bartender. Their makeup session comes to a screeching halt when Gabriel realizes she is Death Incarnate and wants to know whose soul she has come for. How does he know what Darcy is? Because he’s a guardian angel and is tasked with protecting all of the humans in his corner of the world. 

I adore a good enemies to lovers story and this is definitely one of the more unique ones I’ve read. The chemistry between Darcy and Gabriel is intense, even as he swears that he hates everything she stands for. Gabriel’s harsh words really get to Darcy. She doesn’t want to be seen as a villain. Instead, she wants something different for herself. She starts bending rules and looking for loopholes, which is how she ends up with Tater Tot, the undead dog, as her companion on Earth. 

Darcy is such an easy character to root for.  I deeply sympathized with her situation and wanted her to find a different path for herself.  I was also rooting for Gabriel to really see Darcy and realize that she’s not the villain he originally wants to paint her as. I was obsessed with the two of them as they spend more and more time together, Gabriel helping Darcy check items off of her human experiences bucket list in exchange for clues about whose soul she has come to take. 

I honestly just loved everything about this one - the characters, the cozy yet haunting setting, the gorgeous writing, the unique premise. Everything was just perfect, and I’m going to be thinking about Darcy and Gabriel for a long time to come.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Last book that really exceeded your expectations?
Thanks to @gallerybooks #partner, @uplitreads, and Thanks to @gallerybooks #partner, @uplitreads, and @kristywharvey for the gifted book & @simon.audio #SimonAudioInfluencer for the gifted audiobook.

🍁 REVIEW - FALLING FOR PEACHTREE BLUFF 🍁

Author - Kristy Woodson Harvey

Pub Date - 9/15/2026

My love for Kristy Woodson Harvey’s books started with the Peachtree Bluff series, so I’m beyond excited that Kristy has taken us back to Peachtree Bluff for a fifth time. I adore the Murphy family and the charming NC coastal town setting, so it truly felt like coming home as soon as I started reading.

The dynamic between the Murphy sisters and their mom Ansley is one of my favorites in contemporary fiction. These are all strong women who are fiercely loyal to one another. If you mess with one Murphy woman, you mess with them all. These women love fiercely, they live life to the fullest, and while yes, sometimes they fight as all families do, they always forgive. I think this book works fine as a standalone, but having read the other books and seen this dynamic play out over and over just added so much more to my experience this time around. 

I enjoyed the focus on Caroline in this book too. She’s normally the one they all look to when their own lives are a mess because she’s the “fixer”, but this time, it’s her life that has taken a messy turn when her soon-to-be ex husband suddenly decides he doesn’t want to let her go. Does the “fixer”keep helping everyone else with their drama or does she finally focus on herself for a change? 

Another fun element in this one is that it’s one of Caroline’s nieces that has some drama that she’s trying to deal with. It was fun to see more from the next generation of Murphy women. 

I read this with my eyes and ears and thought the multi-cast narration was phenomenal. The actors perfectly captured the warmth, the heart, and the humor that always infuses KWH’s writing and they made me feel like I was right there in Peachtree Bluff watching the family drama unfold. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Are you ready for fall or do you have any favorite fall treats or traditions? 

AOTD - I’m ready! Decorated this weekend & bought my first apple cider donuts of the season.
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Cookie and Privacy Settings



How we use cookies

We may request cookies to be set on your device. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website.

Click on the different category headings to find out more. You can also change some of your preferences. Note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our websites and the services we are able to offer.

Essential Website Cookies

These cookies are strictly necessary to provide you with services available through our website and to use some of its features.

Because these cookies are strictly necessary to deliver the website, refusing them will have impact how our site functions. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. But this will always prompt you to accept/refuse cookies when revisiting our site.

We fully respect if you want to refuse cookies but to avoid asking you again and again kindly allow us to store a cookie for that. You are free to opt out any time or opt in for other cookies to get a better experience. If you refuse cookies we will remove all set cookies in our domain.

We provide you with a list of stored cookies on your computer in our domain so you can check what we stored. Due to security reasons we are not able to show or modify cookies from other domains. You can check these in your browser security settings.

Other external services

We also use different external services like Google Webfonts, Google Maps, and external Video providers. Since these providers may collect personal data like your IP address we allow you to block them here. Please be aware that this might heavily reduce the functionality and appearance of our site. Changes will take effect once you reload the page.

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