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Review: THE LONG CALL by Ann Cleeves

Review: WHEREVER SHE GOES by Kelley Armstrong

Review: A STUDY IN TREASON

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About Me

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?

BOOKSTAGRAM

✨Mini Reviews - HANNAH BROWN BOOKS✨ Thanks to ✨Mini Reviews - HANNAH BROWN BOOKS✨

Thanks to @readforeverpub #partner for the gifted books &  to @librofm for the ALC of The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain.

🚗 Review - MISTAKES WE NEVER MADE 🚗

Pub Date: 5/7/24

I was excited to dive into this one because I love a good road trip romance.

The story got off to a slightly rocky start for me though because it took me a while to warm up to Emma, the FMC. I’m sure it’s just a me thing, but she had a weird encounter with a bartender about limes in the opening scenes and it just put me off her until she meets up with Finn, the MMC, and a runaway bride kicks the action into high gear.

Emma and Finn are former rivals who have unresolved feelings for one another. They also happen to be Sybil’s best friends so when she runs away from her wedding, they are tasked with trying to find her and bring her back.  I loved that this roadtrip gives the two of them a chance to reconnect and that we are given such an in depth look at their history.  Emma and Finn have pretty amazing chemistry, but Emma definitely has some things she needs to work through while on this trip.

Overall, a solid entertaining read. ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 

💍 Review - THE FOUR ENGAGEMENT RINGS OF SYBIL RAIN 💍 (Print Copy & ALC)

Pub Date - 6/24/25

Sybil Rain was the runaway bride from Mistakes We Never Made, & in this book, we get her story. I also think this one would work as a standalone if you haven’t read the first book.

I really enjoyed this book! Sybil has honeymoon vouchers that are about to expire so her friends convince her that she should take the trip by herself.  Almost as soon as she arrives, she’s confronted by not just one, but two ex-fiances. There are hilarious romcom style antics as she pretends to date one ex in order to save face in front of the other, but there’s also a lot of personal growth for Sybil as she is able to reflect on her failed relationships and look ahead to the possibility of second chances since she and one ex still have feelings. 

Cherami Leigh narrates the audiobook & she was a delight. I did not want to stop listening!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - The author was a Bachelorette. What’s your favorite reality TV show?
🩷 Five Star Friday - Let’s Call Her Barbie 🩷

Author - Renee Rosen

Pub Date - 1/21/2025

Since I’ve been on vacation this week, I’ve been taking some time to read a few books I had purchased earlier in the year that I was excited about but then set aside so that I didn’t get behind on my arc reviews. One of those books was Let’s Call Her Barbie.  I’m so glad I finally read this one because it was such an interesting read and one that made me so nostalgic since Barbie was such a huge part of my childhood.

Just thinking back to myself as a little girl and how I wanted EVERY new Barbie product that came out - Malibu Barbie, Western Barbie, the Barbie Dream House, the Barbie Corvette, etc., I think what fascinated me the most about this book was realizing what a visionary Ruth Handler really was when it came to the whole concept of Barbie. It would have been so easy for her to just give up when she was getting so much push back from everyone else in the boardroom about how it would just be too hard, too expensive, too this, too that to make the doll Ruth was envisioning.  Her determination and resilience was truly inspiring, and ultimately, as we all know, she prevailed.

I loved getting to actually follow along and watch the first Barbie be created. Ruth and her husband, who founded Mattel together, assemble a top notch team of engineers, costume designers, and more, and it was amazing how intricate the whole process is to create a doll like Barbie.

I also appreciated the behind-the-scenes look at how much pressure creating this doll put on the team and how it created fractures within.  I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and appreciated how well researched this book clearly was. I love when historical fiction sends me me down a rabbit hole wanting to learn even more and this book definitely did that.

If Barbie was a big part of your childhood, I think you’ll love this book!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Did you play with Barbies when you were a kid?  If not, what was one of your favorite childhood toys?
📫 Book Mail 📫 Thanks so much to @BerkleyRom 📫 Book Mail 📫

Thanks so much to @BerkleyRomance #berkleypartner & @acebookspub #partner for these fantastic free books. These are all coming out in August and they sound fantastic so I wanted to put them on your radar as well.  I’ve shared a brief description of each below but you can scroll through my slides if you want a more complete synopsis. 

🧹The Late Night Witches by Auralee Wallace (pub date 8/19) - A warm and funny novel about family, love lost and found, discovering who you are, and how difficult it is to slay a vampire. 

🎤If Not for My Baby by Kate Golden (pub date 8/5) - It’s the duet of a lifetime when a rock star and his backup singer find a new kind of harmony offstage in this sensational contemporary romance. 

🛸Love at First Sighting (pub date 8/12) - A chance at love might not be out of this world in this astronomically charming romantic comedy. 

❓QOTD - Are any of these books on your TBR?  Or what is a book you’re hoping to read before the end of the month?
🦈 Bookish Shark Week Collab 🦈 Shark week i 🦈 Bookish Shark Week Collab 🦈 

Shark week is here! To celebrate, we have the perfect books to sink your teeth into.

To see our jaw-dropping and fin-tastic posts, check out the hashtag #bfsbooksharks 

🦈💙🌊🦈💙🌊🦈💙🌊

Today I’m sharing some of my favorite jaw dropping thrillers. 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 
In a Dark. Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
The Only One Left by Riley Sager
None of This is True by Lisa Jewell
Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby

❓QOTD - Have you read any of these? Or what is your favorite thriller? 

🦈💙🌊🦈💙🌊🦈💙🌊

This collab & more bookish community fun is hosted by the members of  @bookends.friends 🫶🏻

#bookendsfriends #bookishcollab #bookstafriends  #booklovers  #bookishcommunity #bookishfun
Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyrom Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

🧭 Review - HEART MARKS THE SPOT 🧭

Author - Libby Hubscher

Pub Date - 7/22/25

Heart Marks the Spot is an adventure romance that features several of my favorite tropes - a bookish main character, a second chance romance, and found family. 

Stella captivated me early on with her passion for treasure hunting when we meet her in Iceland, but she soon had my whole heart when it was revealed that she was abandoned by both her parents when she was only 17 years old. Thankfully she happened across Teddy, Gus, and Zoe, and they soon became the best of friends, practically family.  Stella is strong, sassy, and fiercely independent, but being abandoned has still left its mark on her and this friend group is the support system she needs. 

Stella also captivates Huck, a famous author who is also in Iceland, seeking inspiration because he has writer’s block.  Huck also knows Teddy, so he joins them on their treasure hunt and ends up using Stella and the treasure hunt as inspiration for his next book, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if he hadn’t slept with Stella and then disappeared. Stella is furious and heartbroken since she thought they had really connected and him abandoning her just reopens old wounds. 

I was so glad they do encounter each other again later in the book so that Huck, after some initial awkwardness, can explain himself because, like Stella, I thought they had really connected too and was so mad at him for ghosting her. 

I thought the author did a great job creating a nice balance between the treasure hunting, the friendships, and the second chance romance. The story was heartwarming, somewhat emotional, and although not a romcom, it did have some humorous moments.

I did an immersive read for this one and loved the narration of Brittany Pressley and Aaron Shedlock.  They did a wonderful job capturing the chemistry between Stella and Huck, and giving all of the characters unique voices.  Great performance!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Do you prefer a relaxing vacation or a vacation with ALL the activities?
Thanks for the & #gifted trope ARC and ALC @cathe Thanks for the & #gifted trope ARC and ALC  @catherinecowlesauthor and thanks to @sourcebookscasa #partner for the gifted ARC as well. 

🩷 Review - CHASING SHELTER 🩷

Author - Catherine Cowles

Pub Date - 7/22/25

Chasing Shelter is the fifth book in the Sparrow Falls romantic suspense series and it is another addictive installment!

I’ve been waiting for Ellie and Trace’s story and it was everything I hoped it would be, so I just devoured this book.  I loved the connection that forms between the two of them as soon as Ellie moves in next door to Trace, and I especially loved the bond that forms between Ellie and Trace’s adorable daughter, Keely. All of their scenes together just had me grinning from ear to ear.  Even though Ellie’s past had so much trauma in it, she still manages to bring so much needed color and light into Trace’s world, especially since his past is also marred by tragedy. 

The story has so many emotional moments, but it wouldn’t be Sparrow Falls if there weren’t also plenty of fun moments with the Colson family and those found family moments to balance everything out and keep things from getting too heavy.

The suspense plot is well written as always and kept me on the edge of my seat trying to figure out who was behind everything that was happening.  This was a real page turner!

The audiobook is narrated by Jason Clarke and Desiree Ketchum and their performances are wonderful. They really brought out the emotional depth of the characters, as well as the lighter, flirtier banter.  I did an immersive read with the audiobook and physical copy and flew through both in a couple of sittings.  Highly recommend both formats!

Tropes:

Neighbors to Lovers
Single Dad
Animal Rescue
Grumpy-Sunshine
Frenemies to Lovers
Who Hurt You?
Found Family
Hilarious Grandma
Touch Her and Die Vibes

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What was your last 5 star read?
Thanks for the free e-arc & #gifted ALC @berkleyro Thanks for the free e-arc & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

🎵 Review - LOVE IS A WAR SONG 🎵

Author - Danica Nava

Pub Date - 7/22/25

Avery Fox is a former child star who is now launching a career as a pop singer. Rather than use her own songs, her manager (aka her mother) and her record label choose songs for her, including one meant to capitalize on Avery’s Native American heritage. 

Avery naively goes along with their plan, and the end result is an offensive magazine shoot and music video that gets Avery cancelled, along with some death threats.  For her safety and so that her PR can say she has gone to learn more about her heritage, Avery is sent to Oklahoma to stay with her estranged grandmother, Lottie, on her ranch.

This trip appears to be the first time she has ever had to fend for herself, and I think it’s an important journey for her to take. She is most definitely out of her element and ends up in some comical situations along the way, but I enjoyed watching her finally embrace the challenges and learn to be more independent. I also loved that the trip gave her a chance to meet and bond with Lottie, whom she had never met before.  Lottie is tough & puts Avery to work as soon as she arrives, but she also has a big heart and everything she does is meant to teach Avery about the importance of community and about her people. 

Avery’s character growth was my favorite part of the book, but there is also a fun slow burn, grumpy sunshine romance between Avery and the man who runs Lottie’s ranch, Lucas Iron Eyes. Lucas is thoroughly offended by Avery and her music and doesn’t want her there. Once they start to spend time together, his open hostility towards her eventually gives way to a tentative truce, then to attraction.  They were really sweet together once they got to the attraction stage and I loved that Avery even shared some of her own music with Lucas. 

I enjoyed the author’s writing style and I also loved the audiobook, narrated by Kyla Garcia, whose performance perfectly captured both the comedic and the more emotional moments of the story. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What are you reading this week?
🍂 Audiobook Review - Paris, Pumpkins, & Puns 🍂

Author - Marion De Re

Pub Date - 7/22/2025 (Other editions 9/24/2024)

Thanks to the author for the gifted ALC!

Paris, Pumpkins, & Puns is the third book in the Cinnamon Rolls & Pumpkin Spice non-spicy romcom series. Each book is written by a different author so they work as standalones. 

This installment is set against the backdrop of Paris in the fall. Fall is my favorite season and Paris is one of my favorite cities, so I was just loving everything about the cozy setting. The main characters are also a chef and a food critic so the story is just filled with the most incredible descriptions of French cuisine. Between the descriptions of the setting and the food, this book transported me to Paris!

Olivier is a talented French chef who has taken over his dad’s head chef position but is in a rut because he is forced to stick to his dad’s old menu. Hazel is an American food critic on assignment in Paris and when she eats in Olivier’s restaurant, she is unimpressed. Olivier and Hazel meet and she’s a breath of fresh air for Olivier but she doesn’t tell him who she is. 

When a strike shuts down the city and Hazel needs a place to stay, Olivier offers up his spare bedroom until the strike ends. When Hazel overhears Olivier’s mom trying to play matchmake, Hazel offers to be his fake girlfriend in return for his kindness. 

Hazel & Olivier have lovely chemistry, and it was fun watching their attraction grow as they spend more time together. Olivier making it his mission to make Hazel fall in love with Paris when she says she hates the city was swoonworthy. It was also so cute & hilarious how their banter centered around food puns. I couldn’t believe he didn’t realize her job was in food since she was so good at them! 

I was a little nervous about the truth about Hazel’s job coming out but was hoping it wouldn’t derail the chance for their HEA. 

The audiobook is 6hrs and 20 min, so it’s a quick listen, and it’s narrated by Tara Novie and John Hartley. I thought their performance was delightful, and I particularly enjoyed Hartley’s French accent. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Favorite season and travel destination?
Thanks for the free e-book & #gifted ALC @berkleyr Thanks for the free e-book & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

🧹🦊 Review - A WITCH’S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING 🦊🧹

Author - SANGU MANDANNA

Pub Date - 7/15/25

(physical copy purchased by me)

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping is a whimsical fantasy that delivers all of the cozy vibes! 

It follows Sera Swan, a once powerful witch who lost most of her magic when she performed a forbidden spell to resurrect her great aunt Jasmine, her only family member.  Aside from losing her magic, Sera was also exiled from the witch’s Guild and now runs a magical inn with Jasmine, along with a snarky fox who has some morally gray tendencies. Sera learns of an old spell that could help her get her magic back, if she can figure out how to translate it. Help arrives in the form of a handsome but grumpy historian who comes to stay at the inn with his magical sister. At first he wants no part of helping Sera with the spell, but the more time he spends with her, the harder it is to resist her charms, especially since her inn has given his sister a safe space where she can be herself, which she has never had before.

I’m already hoping that there will be more books in this cozy series but it’s just so charming and heartwarming. I adored the enchanted inn and all of its little magical quirks, and I loved the full cast of characters and that the story delivers not only found family vibes but also two slow burn romances, although I would say both romances are secondary to Sera’s personal journey of getting her powers back and confronting a monster from her past. 

I did an immersive read of this book and I thought Samara MacLaren’s narration was wonderful. I loved the unique voices she gave to each character and the overall cozy, soothing vibe of her performance just fit perfectly with the story. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

❓QOTD - What are you up to this weekend?
Thanks to @macmillan.audio #macaudio2025 for the A Thanks to @macmillan.audio #macaudio2025 for the ALC & to @pineandcedar_books @flatiron_books for the review copy.

✨ Review - THE GOLDENS ✨

Author - Lauren Wilson

Pub Date - 7/15/25

Chloe, an aspiring young writer, leaves her hometown to study at Dern University. At first she struggles to fit in and is mocked by her roommates, but then a chance meeting leads her to befriend Clara, a beloved social media influencer, socialite and model, who also attends Dern. Chloe can’t believe Clara has chosen her of all people and basks in the attention, eventually moving out of her dorm and into Clara’s family estate. 

Chloe’s popularity grows just by virtue of being Clara’s friend and soon the two of them are spending most of their time planning and throwing lavish, beautifully-themed parties, and when they aren’t doing that, Chloe is writing Clara’s memoir.  When Clara invites more young women to come and live at the estate and then starts imposing strict rules on the residents, rumors start circulating that she has started a cult and when a young woman goes missing after one of Clara’s parties, the rumors turn even darker, making Chloe finally start to wonder if she has made a major misstep in befriending Clara. 

If you’re into mystery/thrillers that explore toxic female friendships, parasocial behavior, how easy it is for vulnerable people to get drawn into cult-like groups, and also how easy it is to craft an online persona that bears little resemblance to how a person might actually be in real life, I think you’ll enjoy this book.  It’s a bit of a slow burn at the beginning before Chloe meets Clara, but once they meet, the pacing really picks up and I found the rest of the story quite addictive.

I also did an immersive read and enjoyed the narration of Cassandra Harwood.  She did a really nice job of capturing the different emotions Chloe goes through, as well as the dark, suspenseful nature of the latter chapters of the story. If you enjoy audiobooks, you can’t go wrong with this one.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What was the last book that kept you up late reading?
Hey Book Friends! I mention my love of romance bo Hey Book Friends!  I mention my love of romance books that feature characters who are passionate about books and writing pretty often, so I thought it was time to put together a post with some recommendations. 

Below are some of my favorite bookish romances and I’m always on the lookout for more books that fit this category so if you have more recs, please share them in the comments. Thank you! ♥

✨Book Lovers by Emily Henry (Both MCs work in publishing )
✨The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (FMC works in a bookstore)
✨Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley (Both MCs work in a second hand bookstore)
✨Exes & O’s by Amy Lea (FMC is a Romance Bookstagrammer)
✨Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady (MCs are rival bookstore managers)
✨Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine (FMC is a romance author)
✨Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams (MCs are both secretly authors)
✨Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay (FMC is a librarian, MMC manages a bookstore)
✨The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (FMC wants to be a children’s book editor, MMC is an author)
✨By the Book by Jasmine Guillory (FMC works in publishing, MMC is a celebrity author)
✨Story of My Life by Lucy Score (FMC is a romance author)
✨Much Ado About You by Samantha Young (FMC works at a bookstore)

✨Only and Forever by Chloe Liese (FMC is a thriller author)
✨Beach Read by Emily Henry (Both MCs are authors)
✨The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren (FMC is a romance author)
✨The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center (Both MCs are screenwriters)
✨The Slowest Burn by Sarah Chamberlain (MCs are writing a cookbook)
✨The Lodge by Kayla Olson (FMC is ghostwriting a celebrity memoir)
✨The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (FMC is a ghostwriter, MMC is her editor)
✨By Any Other Name by Lauren Kate (FMC is a romance editor)
✨A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston (MMC is a grumpy bookstore owner)
✨Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan (FMC is a romance screenwriter)
✨Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake (One of the FMCs runs a bookshop)
✨The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams (MMC belongs to a romance book club)

❓QOTD - Have you read any of these?
Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyrom Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

🩷 Review - HOW TO SELL A ROMANCE 🩷

Author - Alexa Martin

Pub Date - 7/15/25

How to Sell a Romance follows Emerson, a kindergarten teacher who loves everything about her job but the low salary.  When she’s invited to a Petunia Lemon skincare convention by Nora, the Principal at her school, Emerson agrees to attend and by the end of the convention, she completely buys into Petunia Lemon’s sales pitch. Because she has to put hundreds of dollars worth of product on her credit card to get started as a seller, Emerson can’t afford to hang out with her fellow Petunia Lemon sisters and heads out early, only to run into a handsome journalist named Lucas. Their encounter turns into a steamy one night stand but ultimately fizzles when Lucas offends Emerson by calling Petunia Lemon a cult. Things get awkward for Emerson when it turns out Lucas is the single dad of one of her new kindergartners.

I really enjoyed this book! Emerson was such an easy character to love. She’s such a dedicated teacher and she’s just trying to get ahead and maybe make some friends along the way.  I hated that she got sucked into joining Petunia Lemon and had to fight her way back out of it, but I thought the author did a great job of showing how easy it is to fall victim to MLM schemes and how predatory they can be. 

While the MLM plot was good, I was all about the single dad romance.  I loved Emerson’s initial chemistry with Lucas and was so happy they run into each other again, even though their relationship is forbidden now that they’re parent & teacher.  The chemistry between them is clearly still there, and the more see each other for school, the harder it is to keep things purely professional.  One of my favorite moments of the book is a sweet scene where Lucas hears Emerson has been sick and comes over to take care of her. Swoon! 

I did an immersive read of this book and really enjoyed the narration of Khaya Fraites. The unique voices for each character made the narration entertaining & easy to follow. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - Do you think you would be a good salesperson?
Thanks for the free e-arc & #gifted ALC @berkleyro Thanks for the free e-arc & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

💜 Review - MAID FOR EACH OTHER 💜

Author - Lynn Painter

Pub Date - 7/15/25

In Maid for Each Other, Abi is a grad student working multiple jobs to make ends meet. When she learns her apartment needs to be fumigated, Abi decides it won’t be a problem if she spends a few nights at the penthouse she cleans since Declan, the owner, is never there anyway. That is, until the owner’s parents pay a surprise visit and mistake her for Declan’s girlfriend, also named Abby, whom they have never met. 

After talking to his parents, Declan is outraged to find out someone has been living in his apartment. Why? Because there is no Abby. He made her up so everyone would leave him alone about his lack of a love life. 

Once Declan finds out the culprit is his housekeeper, he plans to confront her and get her fired, but by the time Abi is done with him, Declan is so off his game, he has instead entered into a fake dating arrangement with her where she’ll continue to stay in his penthouse, he’ll go stay in a hotel, and he’ll pay her in exchange for her being the perfect corporate girlfriend to impress all of his business associates. 

Lynn Painter is one of my go-to authors when I want a laugh out loud funny rom-com and she really delivers in this one!  The banter between Abi and Declan is just so much fun, especially because Declan comes across as such a grumpy, stuffed shirt early on &  Abi brings out his softer, more likable side. 

The story also has Pretty Woman, Maid in Manhattan, opposites attract vibes since Abi and Declan come from such different backgrounds.  I also thought it was a fun twist that Abi was studying creative writing & was using the fake dating experience as fodder for her writing assignments.

I saw that Teddy Hamilton was one of the narrators so I had to do an immersive read since he’s one of my favorites. He & Saylor Bell Curda were fantastic as Abi & Declan. They made Painter’s dialogue sparkle & the chemistry between the characters undeniable. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What was your first job? 

AOTD - When I was 14, I worked at a plant nursery.
Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyrom Thanks for the free book & #gifted ALC @berkleyromance #BerkleyPartner #Berkley & @prhaudio #prhaudiopartner

⚽️ Review - RELATIONSHIP GOALS ⚽️

Author - Brittany Kelley

Pub Date - 7/8/25

I was sold on reading Relationship Goals as soon as I heard that it had Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes. Those are both favorites of mine so I hoped I was in for a treat, and this book did not disappoint!

Abby Hunt is an actress who is looking to get her career back on track and has landed what she hopes will be her breakout role. As part of the research for that role, she is shadowing the director of a pro soccer team and meets Luke Wolfe, the gorgeous but grumpy star player of the team.  She is surprised but delighted when he asks her out, not realizing that his bosses have forced him to in order to rehab his image and get off the protected list, Luke and Abby are having a great time together, and Luke might even be catching feeling, in spite of their relationship’s fake origins, but then Abby finds out that he was forced to ask her out and decides to get even with him for using her.

I had such a good time with this book!  Abby and Luke had the best chemistry, and I just loved their flirty banter.  The story definitely had all of the Ted Lasso and How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days vibes, but I’d also say it had some Schitt’s Creek vibes as well because Abby reminded me so much of Alexis Rose.  She was just this quirky character who lacked a filter but who was also very endearing.  Some of her antics while trying to get back at Luke were a bit over the top, but they just made me love her all the more and wanted Luke to find a way to redeem himself to her.  I did love Luke too though, especially when the real reason for him needing to get off of that protected list comes out. 

The audiobook was narrated by Justis Bolding and Sean Patrick Hopkins and this duo was just fantastic as Abby and Luke, really highlighting their amazing chemistry and making that banter pop.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

❓QOTD - What are you starting off the week reading?
✨2025 FIRST HALF FAVORITE READS ✨ Hey book fr ✨2025 FIRST HALF FAVORITE READS ✨

Hey book friends!  Now that we’re past the halfway point of the year, I want to share my favorite reads from the first half of 2025. The books on this list are the books I’m still thinking about weeks and months after I read them and are the first books I mention every time someone asks me for a book rec. 

I read 137 books from January 1 - June 30 across several different genres, but with a heavy emphasis on romance so my list of favorites is also romance heavy. 

I tried to narrow down to a top 10 list but that was just impossible, so this is a list of my top 15 favorites from the first half of 2025 (in no particular order). 

1. My Friends by Fredrik Backman @backmansk
2. Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid @tjenkinsreid 
3. Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin @allielarkinwrites 
4. Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez @dolenperkinsvaldez 
5. Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey @kristywharvey 
6. King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby @leoking8473 
7. The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau by Kristin Harmel @kristinharmel 
8. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry @emilyhenrywrites 
9. Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone @carabastone 
10. One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune @carleyfortune 
11. Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan @kennedyryan1 
12. First Time Caller by B.K. Borison @authorbkborison 
13. Story of My Life by Lucy Score @scorelucy 
14. Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez 
15. Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt @authortarahdewitt

❓QOTD - What are some of your favorite reads from the first half of 2025?  Do we share any favorites or are any of these on your TBR?
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Suzanne (The Bookish Libra)'s bookshelf: currently-reading

The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz
The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz
by Ellie Midwood
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A Reaper at the Gates
A Reaper at the Gates
by Sabaa Tahir
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Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow
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2024 Reading Challenge
Suzanne (The Bookish Libra) has read 11 books toward her goal of 175 books.
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2024 Goal – Read More Books From My Own Shelves

I have read 3 books from my bookshelves so far this year. My goal is to read at least 70.

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