It Girl.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 4.5★

 

 Thank you to publisher, Ballantine Books for providing with complimentary E ARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own. 

 

New York, 1900. At the dawn of a new century, the city’s streets teem with electricity, automobiles, a brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artist’s muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot. 

But the journey to stardom was not simple or straight. As a young girl, a grieving Evelyn is forced to take care of her widowed mother and kid brother. While working as a shopgirl, she is recruited as a studio model, and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of her age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity, a “Gibson Girl,” the most sought-after face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premiere “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers. 

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” the sins of the men in her life are blamed on her. In the media frenzy that erupts, Evelyn realizes that—to survive—she will have to take charge of her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life? 

  🌷

 
A story that will stay with you. 

It didn’t take long for It Girl to engage me in the story of Evelyn Tablot. There was so much I loved about this story; I was intrigued by her, and every page had me craving more. I was curious to see what was next for Evelyn. It Girl was a beautifully written novel, but also heartbreaking at times, and yet, I couldn’t pull myself from the story. One more chapter would turn into five more. I liked that the story was told from Evelyn’s perspective; making you feel as if you are going on the journey along with Evelyn. I was always eager to see where she would end up next. 

The story flowed well, starting with Evelyn as a young girl and her rise to fame. I can’t imagine rising to fame at such a young age, but I understood why she took that opportunity. Although I sometimes questioned the choices her mother made for her. Evelyn’s mother was one of the characters that I didn’t like from the start; to me, she didn’t treat Evelyn the way a mother should treat her daughter. As the story progressed, I disliked her even more. I wished Evelyn would stand up to her mother and make her own decisions, but I also understood why she couldn’t. I admired Evelyn; despite everything she endured, she didn’t give up on her dreams and kept on going. 

I liked that each part of the book featured a different part of Evelyn’s story. There were times when my heart broke for Evelyn. It Girl is a story that will have you go through a range of emotions. I knew this book was loosely based on the life of Evelyn Nesbit, which I had never heard of. I loved reading the author’s note at the end, and did my own research afterwards because I was intrigued by the story. This was my second book by Allison Pataki, and I cannot wait to check out her others.

One Night On The Island.

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

Spending her thirtieth birthday alone is the last thing that dating columnist Cleo wanted, but she is going on a self-coupling quasi-sabbatical--at the insistence of her boss--in the name of re-energizing herself and adding a new perspective to her column. The remote Irish island she's booked is a far cry from London, but at least it's a chance to hunker down in a luxury cabin and indulge in some quiet, solitary self-care while she figures out her next steps in her love life and her career. 

Mac is also looking forward to some time to himself. With his life in Boston deteriorating in ways he can't bring himself to acknowledge, his soul searching has brought him to the same Irish island in search of his roots and some clarity. Unfortunately, a mix-up with the bookings means both solitude seekers have reserved the same one-bedroom hideaway on exactly the same dates. 

Instantly at odds with each other, Cleo and Mac don't know how they're going to manage until the next weekly ferry arrives. But as the days go by, they no longer seem to mind each other's company quite as much as they thought they would...

   🌷

 
A sweet, heartfelt story about love, and self-discovery. 

I adored this story! This book had me going through so many different emotions. For most of the book, I felt as if I were on Salvation Island in Ireland; actually, I wished I were there. The emotions in this book were so raw, and I felt every single one. Although it did start slowly and had a few slower parts in the middle, the rest of the book, I couldn’t get enough of. Just when I thought I could put the book down, I was proven wrong. Almost every page had me craving for more. On multiple occasions, I didn’t even realize how much time had passed because I was so engaged in the story. 

I found myself laughing when Mac and Cleo ended up at the same cabin, at the same time. I knew that they liked each other; they just pretended not to at first, just based on how they acted around each other. I wondered what would happen once one of them had to leave, and I hoped that they would somehow find their way back to each other. I loved the way the connection between Cleo and Mac grew, and after that I couldn’t get enough of two of them. 

You won’t just fall in love with the main characters in this book, but the side characters as well. The way Josie described Salvation Island had me wishing it was real so I could go there for a couple of weeks; it sounds magical. I had always wanted to visit Ireland, and now I want to visit even more. One Night On The Island is a story that you won’t forget; a story that you will find yourself revisiting in the future. A story that you should check out.

Cowboy Casual(Calloway Ranch,#1)

 

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 

Blaire Monroe is the only woman I’ve ever loved, and the only one I’ve let break my heart.
It’s been ten years since she ran from this town, chasing a life that didn’t include the cowboy next door who blurred the line between best friend and something more. 

Now she’s back. Fresh off a busted engagement and hiding out on her grandmother’s crumbling strawberry farm like the past never happened. 

Like she doesn’t still linger in every part of me I’ve spent years trying to erase.
But Blaire isn’t the kind of girl you forget. She’s wildfire: reckless, untamed, and impossible to hold without getting scorched. 

We collide the second we’re in the same room. Too much heat. Too much history. Not nearly enough distance. The tension crackles, the pull is impossible, and before long, we’re right back where we swore we’d never be—pressed against the wall, her hands in my hair, my mouth on hers like I’ve been starving for a decade. 

I tell myself I can handle it. But the truth is, this cowboy was never meant for casual. Not with her. And sure as hell not again.

 

 🌷

 
I can see why people were talking about this book. Cowboy Casual is the book that will have you hooked from the first page until last. Now that I have read the first book, I cannot wait for the next one to come out. I had always loved westerns and had read a few through the years. That was one of the things that drew me to this one, besides the cover. Second-chance romance has become one of my favorite ones, and Holly did an amazing job with Colt and Blaire; you can’t help but root for the two of them. I knew that Blaire was in trouble from the moment that she came back and saw Colt. I was curious how long they would be able to stay away from each other. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t last long because of the attraction between the two of them; everyone saw it. 

One of my favorites in the book was the bond between Blaire and Ruby; it had me smiling every time. It didn’t take Blaire long to fall in love with Ruby, but then Ruby is easy to love. I adored Ruby. I was rooting for two of them, for Ruby. Cowboy Casual had one of the best family tropes I have read, and the bittersweet moments between Blaire, Colt, and Ruby had me falling in love with the story even more. Maggie was another character I adored, and I think she was the kind of friend Blaire needed. The attraction between her and Hunter was as bad as Blaire and Colt's. I’m excited to read their story in the next book! 

The descriptions in this book were beautifully written. The way she described Strawberry Fields and the scenes during horseback riding, if I closed my eyes, I saw myself there. It sounded like the perfect place to escape to. I loved the way the author developed the reconnection between Blaire and Colt. Although I loved all the characters, I thought that Blaire had the most depth. I’m so happy I had chance to read this book, and I cannot wait for the next one in series.

A Bookish Story.

 

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 Thank you to the author, Heatherly Bell and The Author Agency for eARC, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

 03.10.26   

A female ghostwriter is recruited to be the face of the bestselling novel in the country, secretly written by a man. 

Luci Santana believes in love, especially when it comes to books. Since being forced to give up her apartment, she’d love to get out of her over-involved family’s backyard she-shed and resuscitate her life. She’s given a chance to supercharge her career when she’s recruited to be the face of the country’s bestselling novel. 

The romance book secretly written by a man. 

Years before he wrote the book that changed his life, literary author Ryan Brady was caught shaming the romance genre in a video. When his book is chosen by a celebrity morning show, a face to face interview is required. Suddenly his secret pen name desperately needs a woman’s face. 

Enter Luci. 

Luci hates the book everyone else raves about but it becomes her job to defend the book, the genre, and try not to get caught falling in love with the enemy.

 🌷

 
This was such cute story! 

When I came across this book, it was the title and the cover that first caught my attention. I think that the title, A Bookish Story would capture any readers’ attention. Once I read the blurb; I knew that this is the book that I had to read. I’m so glad that I got a chance to read this book! I adored Ryan and Luci from the beginning. It didn’t take me long to feel a connection to both. I enjoyed the banter between the two of them; some made me laugh out loud, and some just had me shaking my head. I was just waiting for them to figure out that the reason was not that they disliked each other. I don’t think that Luci would agree to help Ryan out, if she didn’t have some sort of feelings for him. I rooted for them both from the start. 

I was curious to see how their arrangement would work out and how long Luci would be able to keep up the pretense. On the other hand, I wondered what would happen if the truth were discovered. I hoped that it wouldn’t, because I knew that it wouldn’t end well for either of them. I liked the way that Ryan and Luci’s relationship developed; it felt realistic, like it would happen in real life. Almost every page had me wondering what would happen next with Luci and Ryan, and whether Luci would finally write her own book. 

I love books that are set in literacy words, so I loved that bother of them were authors. What I loved about A Bookish Story is that it didn’t only focus on Luci’s love life, but also on family, friendship, self-discovery. Although I enjoy spicy novels, I loved that this one wasn’t. I loved seeing Ryan and Luci’s relationships develop through conversations as they worked together; there were quite few bittersweet moments between the two of them that had me smiling. This was my first book by the author, and I cannot wait to check out her others.

When I Was Death.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 Thank you to publisher,G.P Putnam's Sons Books For Younger Readers, for providing with eARC via Netgalley, in exchange for honest review. All opinions are my own. 

 

A group of teen girls does Death incarnate's bidding in this haunting speculative young adult novel.

 
Roslyn Volk isn’t herself anymore. It’s been a year since her sister, Adeline, died in the woods under mysterious circumstances, and Roslyn is still tormented by her absence. So when the elusive caravan of girls that Adeline spent her last summer with rolls back into town, Roslyn joins them to finally figure out what happened to her sister. 

Strange, beautiful, and intriguing, the girls are closed off from the world. And as it turns out, they’re brought together by a force more sinister than Roslyn’s nightmares could have conjured Death himself. 

Death has spared the girls from untimely endings, and to pay for their lives, the girls travel the country reaping souls on his behalf. Now Roslyn must decide if finding closure is worth the price of striking the same deal.

   🌷

 
I was hooked from the very beginning. A story about Death and teenage girls who work for him; how can you help but be curious about the story? That was one of the first things that caught my attention about this book. I wasn’t sure what I was expecting when I picked up the book, but it had exceeded my expectations. When I Was Death was a beautifully written book about death and grief. This book is not the type you can put down once you start it. There were multiple times when I had to force myself to put the book down to study. However, when I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it and wondering what was going to happen to the girls next. 

I liked the way Alexis developed the girls' relationship. You could see how their connection grew throughout the story. I don’t think I had a favorite; each of them had something unique. However, I felt I could connect with Roslyn the most. She had to give up so much just to find out what happened to her sister; at least that was how it started. I was curious why Death had teenage girls do his work for him, a unique twist. I have read a few books featuring Death, but nothing like this one, and I think it’s my favorite. 

I loved all the descriptions in the books, especially when the girls were working. I imagined it all so vividly. When I Was Death turned out to be a much more emotional book than I thought it would be, and I loved everything about it. It’s one of those books that I will be re-reading in the future. When I Was Death was the second book I read by Alexis Henderson, and I am eager to check out her others. Highly recommend checking this one out.