ARC Review: Summer Reading by Jenn McKinlay

When a woman who'd rather do anything than read meets a swoon-worthy bookworm, sparks fly, making for one hot-summer fling in New York Times bestselling author Jenn McKinlay's new rom-com.

For Samantha Gale, a summer on Martha's Vineyard at her family's tiny cottage was supposed to be about resurrecting her career as a chef, until she's tasked with chaperoning her half-brother, Tyler. The teenage brainiac is spending his summer at the local library in a robotics competition, and there's no place Sam, who's dyslexic, likes less than the library. And because the universe hates her, the library's interim director turns out to be the hot-reader guy whose book she accidentally destroyed on the ferry ride to the island.

Bennett Reynolds is on a quest to find his father, whose identity he's never known. He's taken the temporary job on the island to research the summer his mother spent there when she got pregnant with him. Ben tells himself he isn't interested in a relationship right now. Yet as soon as Sam knocks his book into the ocean, he can't stop thinking about her.

An irresistible attraction blossoms when Ben inspires Sam to create the cookbook she's always dreamed about and she jumps all in on helping him find his father, and soon they realize their summer fling may heat up into a happily ever after.

Title: Summer Reading
Author: Jenn McKinlay
Publisher: Berkley
Expected Publication Date:

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book to read and give an honest review.

First, the cover. LOVE! I know these covers are all the rage right now and this cover really is top notch. It's what drew me to the book. It's what made me want to read it.

Then the blurb.I've been really into rom com lately. I love a good love story. And one that involves books, even better. The premise of this book intrigued me. Nerdy book guy versus girl who doesn't read. Plus it touches on a disability subject. Since I knew very little about dyslexia and neurodivergence, I felt a need to dive in and find out.

I also asked around about the author as I'd never read her before and heard all good things.

Despite the draw and really wanting to love this book, I just couldn't. I had a very hard time connecting with the main female character, Sam. I appreciate the delve into dyslexia, but I also felt like this defined her throughout the whole story. She was so focused on what she could not do she barely saw into what she could actually do. And the love story fell flat for me. It was dull.

I also had a hard time sex scenes. To me, there was no build up. The scenes had no build up throughout the story, so when they happened it just didn't fit for me.

I know there are those who will love this one but it just was not for me.

Jenn is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author of several mystery and romance series. She is also the winner of the RT Reviewer's Choice Award for romantic comedy and the Fresh Fiction award for best cozy mystery. Her work has been translated into multiple languages in countries all over the world. A TEDx speaker, she is always happy to talk books, writing, reading, and the creative process to anyone who cares to listen. She lives in sunny Arizona in a house that is overrun with kids, pets, and her husband's guitars. (Please note: Jenn is not active on Goodreads).

 

ARC Review: In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune

In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots--fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They're a family, hidden and safe.

The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled "HAP," he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio-a past spent hunting humans.

When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio's former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic's assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.

Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?

Author TJ Klune invites you deep into the heart of a peculiar forest and on the extraordinary journey of a family assembled from spare parts.

Title: In the Lives of Puppets
Author: T.J. Klune
Publisher: Tor Books
Expected Publication Date: 4/25/23

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Tor books for providing me with an eGalley of this title to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed here are my own.

I learned about TJ Klune in one of my book groups last year when I picked up The House in the Cerulean Sea. I tore through that and Under the Whispering Door. So I had high hopes for this book when I saw it for review.

Let me start by saying I did not even read the blurb. Often times, I just want to dive into a book by an author I love without any information about it. I don't want to have any preconceptions. I'm glad I read this one without looking at it.

I loved the idea of this one. Another magical book with futuristic undertones. But I will say this one did not keep my interest as the last two did. And I was actually disappointed to not like it more.

I liked the characters enough but I really didn't connect with any of them as I would have liked. I didn't feel the emotional connections between the characters and I didn't feel an emotional connection to any of them. 

I did love the humor imbued in the book. Specifically Rambo the anxious vacuum. The scenes with him are probably what kept me reading along. Lots of banter with him and Nurse Ratched.

The robotic aspect of the book was interesting and fun. And I liked the parallels to the story of Pinocchio. And there's definitely a Star Wars vibe with the scenery and setting.

Overall it was enjoyable enough but not nearly as entertaining as his last two. That's not to say I would not pick up future books by Klune because his writing is excellent. But this would also not be my first choice to recommend to a friend.

TJ KLUNE is a Lambda Literary Award-winning author (Into This River I Drown) and an ex-claims examiner for an insurance company. His novels include The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Extraordinaries. Being queer himself, TJ believes it's important—now more than ever—to have accurate, positive, queer representation in stories.

 

ARC Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

A couple who broke up months ago make a pact to pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends in this glittering and wise new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Emily Henry.

Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t.

They broke up six months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends.

Which is how they find themselves sharing the largest bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blue week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the people who understand them most.

Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. Because the cottage is for sale and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. Harriet will be the driven surgical resident who never starts a fight, and Wyn will be the laid-back charmer who never lets the cracks show. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best?

Title: Happy Place
Author: Emily Henry
Publisher: Berkley
Expected Publication Date: 4/25/23

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an eGalley of this book to read and give my honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I've become a big Emily Henry fan. I was introduced to her writing through an online book club when I read Beach Read. I subsequently went and read all her novels I had not yet read. She doesn't disappoint. The humor and love stories she writes are fun and light and wonderful. This one did not disappoint with any of that.

I have to say I was a bit skeptic at first. How can you write a breakup to reunited story without it being sappy and boring? Well, Henry did that.

My favorite part of this book was Harriet's growth. All of which happened while she reminisced about her past with the long time friends at their annual gathering place. Drop in the angst that goes along with losing something so close to the heart, and growth is bound to occur. Harriet's struggles are relatable. to just about anyone whose had heart ache, heart break, and love.

Henry threw in a bit of the steamy and sexy to really show the attraction between the characters. There's something to be said about that type of attraction. It's raw and honest.

And let's not forget the friendships in this book. Long term friendships that have endured, and continue to do so. A very important part of life and emotional growth.

Overall, another fun read by Henry who has yet to disappoint me with her writing. Highly recommend to any romance reader.

Emily Henry is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Book Lovers, People We Meet on Vacation, and Beach Read, as well as the forthcoming Happy Place. She lives and writes in Cincinnati and the part of Kentucky just beneath it.

Find her on Instagram @EmilyHenryWrites.

 

ARC Review: A Door in the Dark by Scott Reintgen

One of Us is Lying meets A Deadly Education in this fantasy thriller that follows six teenage wizards as they fight to make it home alive after a malfunctioning spell leaves them stranded in the wilderness.

Ren Monroe has spent four years proving she’s one of the best wizards in her generation. But top marks at Balmerick University will mean nothing if she fails to get recruited into one of the major houses. Enter Theo Brood. If being rich were a sin, he’d already be halfway to hell. After a failed and disastrous party trick, fate has the two of them crossing paths at the public waxway portal the day before holidays—Theo’s punishment is to travel home with the scholarship kids. Which doesn’t sit well with any of them.

A fight breaks out. In the chaos, the portal spell malfunctions. All six students are snatched from the safety of the school’s campus and set down in the middle of nowhere. And one of them is dead on arrival.

If anyone can get them through the punishing wilderness with limited magical reserves it’s Ren. She’s been in survival mode her entire life. But no magic could prepare her for the tangled secrets the rest of the group is harboring, or for what’s following them through the dark woods…

Title: A Door in the Dark
Author: Scott Reintgen
Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing
Expected Publication Date: 3/28/23

Review:

I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for providing me with an eARC of this book to give my honest review. All opinions are my own.

This is a book a read the blurb of many times but kept passing on it as I wasn't sure it was one I really would like. Then I was contacted by the publisher and asked if I would like to review it and decided there was some type of fate in that email and told myself I should take a shot. I'm really glad I did.

This is my first title by Scott Reintgen so I had no idea what to expect with the writing. Boy was I happy after just the first page. The prologue truly sets your intentions for the book and this helps draw you into the story because you're wondering when that particular scene will pop up and why it even happens. This author truly has a grasp of how to make his words flow easily off the page and how to keep his reader interested in his subject matter. I rarely wanted to put this one down and  was even upset I had to.

And can we talk about the cover? Artistically, it's very beautiful. But once you read the story and then go back to look at it, it takes on a completely different meaning to your eye. It incorporates elements of the story line really well.

The idea of magic existing but people having to actually have a currency in order to use it is so interesting. It never occurred to me that magic could be controlled as such. And that it gets divided unevenly based on where you fall in society is just a reflection on so many things we see in our current society.

I enjoyed all the characters in the book though I think Cora was my favorite. She was quite but fierce and I love that in a female character in a book. The main character and story teller, Ren, definitely through me for a loop. Her revelation at the end was not one I saw coming. I loved her narration and how she was able to desribe things in such detail as to make you feel you were right there with her. Timmons was sweet but I needed a bit more from her. I feel like she could have been fleshed out more. We don't get much of Clyde, either. A little more background about him may have made the story a little more intense (though it was already pretty intense). Avy was a sweet kid, funny, and seemed very kind but had an underlying temper. And from his description I would not want to caught in a dark alley with him as he'd scare me! Theo was hard to really understand. What he does at the beginning of the book makes him seem like a rich brat but that turns out to not be so true. However, I feel like there could have been more from him. 

The world building was good. I was given the background to understand most of what the world was like. I would have liked more background on the magic in the book, though. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would pick up another title from this author to see if his writing is as good in those books, as well.

Scott Reintgen grew up in North Carolina, and took full advantage of the fact that he lived on the same street as fourteen of his cousins. It could be a little crowded, but he threw a few elbows and carved out a space for himself as the family storyteller. He enjoyed the role so much that he decided to spend most of college and graduate school investing in the world of literature. This led to a career teaching English and Creative Writing in the great state of North Carolina, where he currently lives with his wife and family. To his great delight, the demand for stories and storytellers is alive and well. As such, he can often be found at local coffee shops laboring over stories that he hopes his family, and fans, will love.

 

ARC Review: Rogue (The Prep Series) by Elle Kennedy

It's been a long time since Casey Tresscott has felt like her life was her own. After the car accident that nearly cost her everything, she's used to her family's coddling and the relentless whispers at school, no matter how much they sting. After all, she's found a safe harbor in her budding relationship with Sandover's golden boy, Fenn Bishop…or so she thinks.

Beneath Fenn's pretty, party-boy surface is a dangerous truth about the night Casey almost died. He thought lying to her was the right thing to do, but when the secret shakes loose, he just might lose her for good.

Because Casey is done being taken advantage of.

Grasping for the control she's been missing, Casey finally snaps―telling off her bullies, gallivanting with rebels and playboys, and shirking her headmaster father's strict curfews, despite the consequences. A desperate Fenn must ally with his stepbrother RJ and the other Sandover delinquents to uncover the full story of Casey's accident and the ones responsible if he hopes to win her back.

But what happens if Casey is no longer the same girl he first fell for? Is there any hope for their future if she's gone rogue for good?

Title: Rogue (The Prep Series)
Author: Elle Kennedy
Publisher: Sourcebooks Bloom Books

Expected Publication Date: 3/7/2023

Review:

I want to thank NetGalley and Sourcebooks/Bloom Books for providing me with an eARC of this book. This review is my personal opinion.

I really enjoy Elle Kennedy's writing. I especially love how she weaves characters into one story so that she may write their story at a future date. When I read Misfit, I was excited to see her delve a bit into the young adult realm (though these characters really don't seem to embody what I know as young adult). I enjoyed Misfit and it's story. And the many points of view helped me understand the characters.

Of course when I had the chance to request this book to read, I wasn't passing that up.

For the most part, this book was enjoyable but it is not my favorite Elle Kennedy book by far.

My biggest issues with this book is how it seemed to really draw out the story and the fact that there were so many points of view. I feel like Kennedy needed to get this book out in a rush so that impacted the flow of the writing and how the plot unfolded. The multiple points of view in this book at many times made it hard to remember who was talking. It made it difficult to keep things straight about what character knew what and when and how. I do understand this as a continuation of the conundrum at the end of the first book, but I truly feel it could have been dealt with so much more quickly than an entire book.

You definitely cannot read this one without having read the first book or you would be totally lost.

I am truly sad to have given an Elle Kennedy book a rating any less than a 4 but for me it just has to be. 

Does this mean I wouldn't read more in this series? No, no it does not. I pretty much will read anything Elle writes. But I was ask for my honest opinion and this is it.

A New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer, and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager.

Elle currently writes for various publishers. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

 

ARC Review: A Witch's Guide To Fake Dating a Demon by Sarah Hawley

 

I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an eARC of this title to read and give an honest review.

I love me a romcom. I love me a sexy romcom. I love me a enemies to lovers romcom. Throw in a paranormal aspect and all parts of me yelled SOLD!

This is my first title by Hawley. I enjoyed her witty writing and the incorporation of humor. She moved the plot fairly well and kept my interest. 

I enjoyed Mariel and Oz. Mariel was quirky and fun. I was excited to find her coming into herself and gaining confidence throughout the book despite the pressure from her family to be the witch she was prophesized to be. And it was fun to watch her relationship with Oz grow. The sexual and romantic tension was palpable from the start.  And the humor was great. I definitely caught myself laughing out loud during many moments in this book.

Overall this was a quick read and I had fun getting to know the characters and watching them grow!

Title: A Witch's Guide to Fake Dating a Demon
Author: Sarah Hawley
Expected Publication Date: 3/7/23

Publisher: Berkley

Review:

I would like to thank NetGalley and Berkley for providing me with an eARC of this title to read and give an honest review.

I love me a romcom. I love me a sexy romcom. I love me a enemies to lovers romcom. Throw in a paranormal aspect and all parts of me yelled SOLD!

This is my first title by Hawley. I enjoyed her witty writing and the incorporation of humor. She moved the plot fairly well and kept my interest. 

I enjoyed Mariel and Oz. Mariel was quirky and fun. I was excited to find her coming into herself and gaining confidence throughout the book despite the pressure from her family to be the witch she was prophesized to be. And it was fun to watch her relationship with Oz grow. The sexual and romantic tension was palpable from the start.  And the humor was great. I definitely caught myself laughing out loud during many moments in this book.

Overall this was a quick read and I had fun getting to know the characters and watching them grow!

Review: The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond by Amanda Glaze

Sacramento, 1885  
Edie and Violet Bond know the truth about death. The seventeen-year-old twins are powerful mediums, just like their mother—Violet can open the veil between life and death, and Edie can cross into the spirit world. But their abilities couldn’t save them when their mother died and their father threatened to commit them to a notorious asylum.   
 
Now runaways, Edie and Violet are part of a traveling Spiritualist show, a tight-knit group of young women who demonstrate their real talents under the guise of communing with spirits. Each night, actresses, poets, musicians, and orators all make contact with spirits who happen to have something to say. . . notions that young ladies could never openly express. But when Violet’s act goes terribly wrong one night, Edie learns that the dark spirit responsible for their mother’s death has crossed into the land of the living. As they investigate the identity of her mysterious final client, they realize that someone is hunting mediums…and they may be next.Only by trusting in one another can the twins uncover a killer who will stop at nothing to cheat death.

Title: The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond

Author: Amanda Glaze
Publication Date: 10/4/2022

Publisher: Union Square

Review:

I want t0 thank Union Square for providing me with a finished copy of this book to read and give my honest review.

When I was offered this book, I was unsure I would truly like it. But since I have always enjoyed books that take place during the 19th century I was intrigued. And, in all honestly, the premise of the book greatly reminded me of a series I read by VE Schwab which I thoroughly enjoyed. So off I went to read it.

Edie and Violet, twins with the power to communicate and commune with the spiritual world. I love this idea of a connection with those beyond our realm. A connection with a realm dedicated to the in-between. The idea of a true connection to the restless spirits who need one last meeting with their loved ones before they can truly be at peace. This is what Violet and Edie bring to the community. And, while the show they present is mostly fake, it's that bit of realness they are able to infuse into it that keeps the audience coming back.

I enjoyed how these characters were developed, though I think I would have liked to have seen a bit more of Violet. Given the book was written from Edie's point of view, I think it left that little bit of unknown for Violet's character and my connection with her was not as strong because of this. I also enjoyed Laws, who was funny and gentle and kind.

The book moved quickly, the plot forming and shaping well without any holes that I really could see.

I will say, I guessed much of what characters would be involved where and when they would appear. It didn't detract from the story, but it was too easy to figure out and I would have enjoyed more mystery of the "who done it".

The writing flowed very well. The beginning is more a slow burn until you hit about half way into the book, at which time I really didn't want to put it down. You can see the author did her research of how a story from this time period would have been told. I especially enjoyed the afterward where she explained a bit about her inspiration and where she was able to pull some of her ideas.

The cover of this book is also gorgeous. This is one, had I spent some time in a book store, I would have picked up just because of what the cover looks like. I am a sucker for a pretty cover!

Overall, a fantastic read I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys books about spiritualism and historical fiction. I would definitely pick up more books from this author.

Amanda Glaze is the bestselling author of The Second Death of Edie and Violet Bond, a Barnes & Noble YA Book Club Pick. She grew up in Northern California where she spent most of her time with her nose in a book or putting on plays with friends. Since then, she’s lived many lives: as a bookseller, a theater director, and an Emmy award-winning film and television producer. When she’s not running off to the mountains, she lives in Los Angeles with her partner and their two cat writing familiars.

Find her online at amandaglaze.com or connect on Instagram, Twitter, or Tiktok @amandabglaze.

 

ARC Review: The Headmaster's List by Melissa de la Cruz

One of them was driving.
One of them was high.
One of them screamed.
And one of them died.

When fifteen-year-old Chris Moore is tragically killed in a car crash, Argyle Prep is full of questions. Who was at the wheel? And more importantly, who was at fault?

Eighteen-year-old Spencer Sandoval wishes she knew. As rumors swirl that her ex, Ethan, was the driver that fateful night, she can’t bring herself to defend him. And their messy breakup has nothing to do with it – she can’t remember anything from that night, not even what put her in that car with Ethan, Chris, and Tabby Hill, the new loner in school. Was it just a night out that went very wrong? And is it just a coincidence they were all part of Argyle’s esteemed honor roll, the Headmaster’s List? In a place ruled by pedigree and privilege, the answers can only come at a deadly price.

Set against the glitz and glamour of an elite LA private school, Melissa de la Cruz's first YA thriller is an addictive mystery perfect for fans of Gossip Girl and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder.

Title: The Headmaster's List
Author: Melissa de la Cruz
Expected Publication Date: 2/28/23

Publisher: Roaring Book Press

Review:

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Roaring Book Press for supplying me with an eARC of this title to read and give an honest review.

I'm loving mysteries these days. And a good murder mystery at a snooty private school sounded great to me! Who done it?

This is my first title by Melissa de la Cruz. I enjoyed her writing, it flowed well. The short chapters were very helpful in pushing the book along (I always appreciate a book with short chapters!). 

I did guess who done it early on, but it didn't keep me from wanting to continue reading and find out how the main character figured it out.

I was annoyed with the police aspect. They were totally clueless and I feel like there was no real effort on their part to investigate who done it. I almost felt like they were going to be involved somehow beaus why else would they blow off investigating further. Also, the investigation they did do was fairly unrealistic for me, too many things missed. This was an area with plot holes I didn't love.

Overall it was fun. I'd pick up a title from this author again. 

Melissa de la Cruz is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of many critically acclaimed and award-winning novels for teens including The Au Pairs series, the Blue Bloods series, the Ashleys series, the Angels on Sunset Boulevard series and the semi-autobiographical novel Fresh off the Boat.

Her books for adults include the novel Cat’s Meow, the anthology Girls Who Like Boys Who Like Boys and the tongue-in-chic handbooks How to Become Famous in Two Weeks or Less and The Fashionista Files: Adventures in Four-inch heels and Faux-Pas.

She has worked as a fashion and beauty editor and has written for many publications including The New York Times, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Allure, The San Francisco Chronicle, McSweeney’s, Teen Vogue, CosmoGirl! and Seventeen. She has also appeared as an expert on fashion, trends and fame for CNN, E! and FoxNews.

Melissa grew up in Manila and moved to San Francisco with her family, where she graduated high school salutatorian from The Convent of the Sacred Heart. She majored in art history and English at Columbia University (and minored in nightclubs and shopping!).

She now divides her time between New York and Los Angeles, where she lives in the Hollywood Hills with her husband and daughter. 

 

ARC Review: Regrets Only by Kieran Scott

In a fast-paced new novel in the vein of Big Little Lies, a single mom goes undercover to investigate a host of disturbing secrets held by the leaders of a local suburban parent-school association, including embezzlement, bribery, adultery, and murder—by the bestselling author of Wish You Were Gone.

Paige Lancaster, single mom and prodigal daughter, has returned to the East Coast from her prestigious, well-paid job in Los Angeles, writing for the smartest detective series on television. Something terrible happened to her back in Hollywood. Okay, two terrible things, one featuring a misplaced tire iron—and now she’s broke, homeless, and living with her widowed mother and eight-year-old daughter, Izzy, in her Connecticut hometown.

Paige needs to buckle down and find a new writing gig but first, she meets the movers and shakers of Izzy’s school’s Parent Booster Association, run by the intimidatingly gorgeous Ainsley Anderson, who just happens to be married to Paige’s old high school flame, John.

Then she shows up at the annual Parents and Pinot fundraiser, held at Ainsley and John’s dazzling mansion in the toniest part of town, where she’s caught in a compromising position with John, accidentally destroys the guest bathroom, overhears an incriminating conversation, and discovers that her purse has gone missing. And later that night, Ainsley turns up dead at the bottom of her own driveway.

Did she fall? Or was she pushed?

Paige may have only written about detectives, but she is convinced she can handle a little undercover sleuthing. After all, it’ll give her an excuse to spend more time with John. Still, she can’t help but wonder: could he be capable of murder? Or could one of the PBA members have planned a dastardly crime to reach the top? But the most important question of all: will Paige ever get her life back on track?

Title: Regrets Only

Author: Kieran Scott
Expected Publication Date: January 10, 2023

Publisher: Gallery Books

Review:

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Gallery Books for providing me with a copy of this eARC to read and give my honest review.

I enjoy Kieran Scott's books. I also enjoy reading her as Kate Brian (Shadowlands is one of my favorite series). So of course I had to request this.

I enjoyed this story, though I'm honestly not sure I understand the title and how it relates.

It's a fun murder mystery that leaves you guessing.

I will say I had a hard time getting into it at first. There were so many characters and I could not keep them straight (despite their descriptions). The differing points of view made it a bit easier, since those characters showed who they were through their chapters. But I also am curious as to why the author chose to do the differing points of view. It didn't lend much to the story for me, though I enjoyed seeing things through the different eyes. And the blurb certainly makes you think this will be Paige's story, when in reality it turns out to be the story of three different women.

When I got about 1/2 way through the book, I finally had all the characters fleshed out in my mind, and this is also when the story seemed to take off (I will admit I almost gave up prior to this because I just was not feeling a connection to anyone in the book).

It was entertaining, and I certainly would pick up books from Scott again to read. She tells a good mystery. But I did find there to be a little too much mama drama for my taste.

Kieran Scott is the author of WISH YOU WERE GONE, a domestic suspense novel now available from Gallery Books. Her second book with Gallery, REGRETS ONLY, will be published in January, 2023. She has also written several young adult novels, both under her own name and for Alloy Entertainment under the pseudonym Kate Brian. These include the New York Times best-selling PRIVATE and PRIVILEGE series, as well as MEGAN MEADE'S GUIDE TO THE MCGOWAN BOYS and many others. She grew up in Bergen County, New Jersey, attended Rutgers University, and now lives in River Vale, New Jersey with her husband and two sons.

 

ARC Review: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors--and each other.

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He's a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption--yet, she's still not cool enough for the popular kids' table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that's how Celine sees it.)

These days, there's nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she's surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Title: Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute
Author: Talia Hibbert
Expected Publication Date: January 3, 2023
Publisher: Random House Children's Joy Revolution

 

Review:

I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Children's Joy Revolution for providing me with an eARC of this book to read and give my honest feedback.

This is my first Talia Hibbert book. I've heard her books were great but have never had a chance to read them.

I was really looking for a good way to end 2023. I wanted a fast read and this one fit the bill. The pace was perfect, the characters completely likeable, the story cute and romantic and funny! A great way to end the year for sure!

When I read the blurb for this book, I knew I had to request it. It just sounded like so much fun. And I was not wrong.

First, the characters. Hibbert does a fabulous job with character development. Even for those minor characters. Celine is a high achiever who says nothing will stand in her way of getting what she wants. Yet, she encounters a huge barrier she never knew was really there. Brad Mr. Popular who branched out and left Celine behind. Counter them with Jordan, Minnie, Aurora, Sophie, and Raj, and you have a group of amazing characters who help this story move along at a fast pace!

The plot is adorable. I am always down for a cute romance where you know in the end the characters will of course be together but you have to get through all their "stuff" first to get there. Inevitably there is the miscommunication and then the resolution. And it all gets tied up in a perfect little bow at the end.

I don't know much of England, just the London area, so I will say I was not able to really picture much in my mind but I don't think that took away from being able to form a picture I know is probably close. 

I loved how the author put a little guide in the front of the book for us non-British chumps who may have had no idea what some of their colloquialisms mean. Honestly, I don't think I really would have needed it as it was easy to understand from the circumstances what things meant, but it was nice to have it in case I needed it.

I love me a good enemies to friends story! Overall, this was a truly enjoyable read and I'm glad I picked it up to end the year on a 5 star rating! I'll definitely be exploring Hibbert's other books.

Talia Hibbert is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who lives in a bedroom full of books. Supposedly, there is a world beyond that room, but she has yet to drum up enough interest to investigate.

She writes sexy, diverse romance because she believes that people of marginalised identities need honest and positive representation. Her interests include beauty, junk food, and unnecessary sarcasm. She also rambles intermittently about the romance genre online.

Talia self-publishes via Nixon House and is represented by Courtney Miller-Callihan at Handspun Literary.