To Read or Not to Read

Genre: Women’s Fiction/Romance Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub Date: August 2022 Rating: 5 ⭐️ Read if you like: 💞Friends to Lovers 📘 Booknerds 🌲 Cabin settings 🎅 Strong father-daughter relationship 📚 Cozy book nooks *Trigger Warnings: Death of a parent* Synopsis: Macy Sorenson is a busy woman-she is working hard as a new pediatrics resident and planning her wedding to an older, financially secure man. When she runs into Elliot Petropoulos, the best friend and love of her life who she hasn’t seen in over a decade, her carefully built walls begin to crumble.  Told in alternating timelines between teenage Elliot and Macy and the present day, we explore how they grew to become the most important people to each other and how one night ripped them apart.  Have you ever loved a book so much that you’re almost afraid to review it because you want to do it justice and you’re not sure you can? That’s how I felt about Love & Other Words. I loved everything about this book: M...

Genre: Historical Fiction Pub Date: Oct 24, 2022 Publisher: Calleia Press 4⭐️ Read if you like: 📔The 1920s 📔Letters from a loved one 📔Courtroom settings 📔Family drama One thing I love about historical fiction is discovering events I knew nothing about. This story is told from Rosa’s perspective, who is the wife of one of the accused men. At her son’s request, she writes letters for her young daughter so that she may someday understand the events that led to her father’s arrest & execution. The author does a great job of showing the reader what it must have been like for Rosa. The fear, uncertainty & heartbreak of what happened to her husband; not knowing what was true & what wasn’t. There is also a section at the end of the book where the author describes her research, which parts of the story were from her own imagination & which were real. I thought this was a really valuable asset to have, & I like how she blended the real with fictional events. I would highl...

Genre: Contemporary Romance Publisher: Rosewood Books Pub Date: 11/22/2022 Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ Read if you like: 🐚 Second Chances 🐚 Family support, love 🐚 Soul Mates “Life is a journey. Some roads will curve, but it’s up to me to walk straight.” When I first started reading this book, I wasn’t sure I was into it, but I am so glad I kept going! This was one of the most lovely, heartwarming, and raw stories I have ever read. It encompasses some of romance readers’ favorite tropes & has no bad language or fillers. Just writing at its best. I would read all of Mary Ting’s books after this one. This is one of my favorite paragraphs from the book. The main character is painting & it is as if she has entered the painting itself. I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you so much  @katieandbreypa ,  @vesuvianmedia , &  @authormaryting  for letting me be part of this book tour ❤️

Want to read more books but don’t want to spend a fortune? You’ve come to the right place!  Here are three of my tried & true ways of reading on a budget: LIBRARY CARDS: A library card costs $0, and your local library is filled to the rafters with books just waiting for someone to take them home. You will find books from every genre you can think of in all formats: eBooks, kindle downloads, & physical books. All these options are available to anyone who has a library card. Signing up is easy! Search for the library closest to you & give them a call or stop by for a visit. Most librarians want to spread their joy of reading & will be eager to help!  BOOK SWAPS: What’s a book swap you ask? Bring a book, swap a book! It's that simple! Whether you are the host or a participant this is a time for neighbors, friends, or relatives to gather & exchange books. What a great way to spend an afternoon or evening, & chances are there will be a book that will peak y...

Author: Emily Henry Genre: Romantic Comedy/Contemporary Romance Publisher: Berkley Pub. Date: May 03, 2022 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read if you like: 🤓 Witty Banter 💪 Strong Female Character 👯‍♀️ Close Sister Relationships 💕 Hallmark movies 🏘 Small Towns I cannot believe the 5-star reads lately, but I cannot rate this one any lower. I loved everything about it!  Synopsis: Nora Stephens is a high-powered literary agent in New York City, seemingly unlucky in love. She is forced to take some time off in Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her little sister, Libby. Libby, who is having problems of her own, wants to see what life is like in the small towns from her favorite romance novel.  Nora is constantly bumping into Charlie Lastra, a testy and brilliant editor who she had a very confrontational lunch with a couple of years earlier. The more they are thrown together, the more you find what motivates their actions & behaviors. Maybe they are more similar than they know? This book ...

Genre: General Fiction Publisher: St. Martin’s Press Pub. Date: May 15, 2018 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Read if you like: Family Secrets Quirky sisters Working hard to overcome a serious obstacle Unlikely romance Close-knit father-daughter Ok, everyone! I found my new auto-buy author! This was the first book I have read by Katherine Center & I loved absolutely everything from beginning to end.  It centers around Margaret Jacobsen who is living this seemingly perfect life when after one incident, everything changes.  You are pulled right in & you immediately feel invested in the characters. I felt every possible emotion you could name throughout the book & I loved the relationship between the characters, particularly Maggie & her sister, Kit.  As the story unfurls, and secrets are revealed, you can’t help but love each person in the story even more. I would read this book again & again! I can’t wait to pick up Center’s other novels because this was a 5-star for me!...