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.

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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.

In Time With You.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

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

 

03.03.26 

 

  

 

A gripping speculative romance about one girl saving her first love's life by falling for the last person she ever should - his best friend.

 
Nieve Monroe is devastated after her boyfriend Carter dies saving her from drowning. Even worse she blames herself for his death… and so does his best friend, Max. He was there with them on that fateful day, and he’s never liked Nieve. 

Unable to pull herself from her grief and wanting to hide from the accusation in his eyes, Nieve goes to stay with her grandmother, who has always had strange stories to tell of uncanny happenings, of magic and make believe. The next morning, Nieve wakes up on the first day of college, the year before.
This time she plans to make sure Carter never follows her into that river. She’ll do everything in her power to keep him safe, even if it means losing him in other ways. But the more distance she puts between her and Carter, the closer she gets to Max, drawn to him in ways she never expected. 

But is she betraying Carter if the only way she can save him is to move on? And can she ever forget her past to embrace her future?

 🌷

 
Be prepared for emotional ride! 

You know when a book will be one of your favorite books. In Time With You will break your heart multiple times, only to be put back together, and it will continue throughout the book. When you have trouble putting the book down but find yourself thinking about the story, you know you will fall in love with it. In Time With You was so beautifully written. There were so many things that I fell in love within this story: the characters, the plot, the dialogue, and even the setting. There wasn’t a single page in this story where my eyes weren’t glued to the page. If I had the time, I would have finished this book in one sitting. 

I liked the transitions in this story. I have read books with a time travel aspect before, and sometimes the timeline shifts would get confusing. That wasn’t the case in this story; there wasn’t a single moment when I couldn’t follow the story. Kristin did a fantastic job! There was so much tension between Max and Nieve whenever they communicated; I wondered what would happen between them next. Although I felt bad for Nieve about what happened with her boyfriend, Carter, over time, I wondered if what they had was love. I did wonder what happened the day that Carter died. 

In Time With You is much more than a love story; it's a story about grief, friendship, and a second chance at love. I loved how Max and Nieve's relationship grew throughout the story, and you couldn't help but root for them. I could keep going on about this beautiful story, but I don't want to give away too much. You will have to pick up the book and find out for yourself. This book deserves much more than five stars.

No Passengers.

 

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

   Thank you to the author,Elainie La Force and BookSirens for providing me with EARC, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

 

Anastasia Pestova is a quiet teller at the Bank of Moscow, in a city that doesn't notice if she breathes. But when millions of rubles vanish through her terminal, she is suddenly the centre of a money laundering conspiracy. 

A frantic tip-off offers a harrowing lifeline. But to take it, Anastasia must shed her identity and slip through a dragnet of watchful eyes. 

With authorities watching the gates and her passport flagged at every checkpoint, she has less than twenty hours to do the impossible. One mistake, and it will be her last. And even if she succeeds, her ordeal is only beginning.

  🌷

 
What I loved about this novella is that it takes place in Moscow. I’m from Moscow, and I don’t come across many stories that take place in my hometown. I did feel that the beginning was a little slow; there was some suspense, but not as much as later. Once Anna was on the run, that’s when it got interesting for me, and I couldn’t put the book down. Almost every page had me on the edge of my seat, wondering if Anna would be able to get away. There were a few times when I was terrified and thought she was going to get caught. The descriptions in this book made me feel as if I were watching a movie while reading. 

I liked the fact that we got to know Anna a little before the novel. I’m curious to see what happens with Anna in America. I know she feels safe, but I know that is not the case. I got so invested in Anna’s story that it makes me wish that the book was out, so I can see what’s next for Anna. If you enjoy short stories and thrillers; check this one out!

Isn't She Lovely(Clairsville,#2.5)

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

   Thank you to the author,Nicole Mikell for providing with with EARC, and Rattle The Stars PR for letting me be part of  ARC Team!

 

 03.15.26 

 

 

Years have passed, but some things never change when it comes to Whiskey Jane’s.
The regulars are quirky, the drinks are strong, and karaoke is still an off-key tradition.
Olive Rowe has everything she could ever dream of: the lively bar, the perfect man, and the picture-perfect home. So why does she feel like there’s still something missing? 

Hunter Rowe has always tried to be the best husband possible, so when he notices that his wife hasn’t been herself, he plans to do everything in his power to bring the light back into her eyes again.  Step back into Olive and Hunter’s love story to see how their future unfolds.

 

   🌷

I loved everything about this novella. I have read all the books that Nicole Mikell has written, and I feel like I shouldn’t be surprised by now. Yet I am. Isn’t She Lovely is such a heartwarming story of Olive and Hunter, but it also deals with some heavy topics. It’s one of those stories that will make you think, but it will also make you smile at the bittersweet moments between Olive and Hunter. I loved Olive and Hunter in the firs book, Baby, It’s You , and I think I adore them even more in this book. 

When I found out that Nicole was writing this novella, I knew that I had to check it out. I’m so glad that I did! Olive and Hunter, I think, are my favorite couple in the Clairsville series; just the way they are with each other, you can tell how much in love they are. What Olive had to face; it couldn’t have been easier, and I’m so glad that she had Hunter by her side. There was part of me that wished the story were a little longer, because I loved it so much. I’m still smiling while thinking about the story. Nicole has become one of my favorite authors since I started reading her books, and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for us next.