This was a good coming of age, queer awakening romance with amazing mental health rep (depression and anxiety), a pet chinchilla and amazing found famThis was a good coming of age, queer awakening romance with amazing mental health rep (depression and anxiety), a pet chinchilla and amazing found family.
Isobel takes a new job moving out of her mother's house with just her bet chinchilla Abigail to start living her best life in London with new queer roommates who help encourage her to start dating for the very first time, this 28 year old virgin, tries to find her own happily ever after.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review! While I didn't love this one personally, it still has important representation and is sure to resonate with many readers.
Another standout, STEAMY, emotionally deep, dual POV romance between Dylan, a curvy, singer/songwriter trying to heal from a bad breakup and Brady, thAnother standout, STEAMY, emotionally deep, dual POV romance between Dylan, a curvy, singer/songwriter trying to heal from a bad breakup and Brady, the scarred firefighter suffering from the loss of his friend, his PTSD over the fire that almost took his life too and his hangups over his physically scarred back. I loved how the two MCs helped one another see past their individual insecurities and boy was this one SPICY!! It has everything you can want in a good romance and was excellent on audio too narrated by two favs, Andi Arndt and Sebastian York! While it is the second in the Malone brothers series it can be read as a standalone. That said I will be listening to Grant and Grayson's stories ASAP!!...more
A heartfelt YA graphic novel about two teen gymnasts, Riley and Kota who both dream of going to the Olympics. I really enjoyed the disability rep in tA heartfelt YA graphic novel about two teen gymnasts, Riley and Kota who both dream of going to the Olympics. I really enjoyed the disability rep in this book (Riley is hard of hearing and Kota has anxiety). The friendship between the two is heartwarming and I loved how they found a unique way to communicate with one another that was all their own and help each other with their worries and grief. Riley is feeling lonely having moved from California and is also still grieving the death of one of her fathers. Highly recommended with good illustrations too! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!...more
I absolutely LOVED this grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, dual POV, YA reality tv show story that sees two college students paired up to compete inI absolutely LOVED this grumpy x sunshine, forced proximity, dual POV, YA reality tv show story that sees two college students paired up to compete in a competition race to hike the Appalachian Trail. The mental health rep in this book was outstanding! I
loved how much focus was spent on FMC, Natalie' anxiety disorder as she learns how to deal with negative thoughts, panic attacks and more. The chemistry between her and partner Finn was top notch and I loved that Finn was a nerdy, book-loving grump who does his best to encourage and build Natalie up once he realizes there's more to her than the superficial blonde Southern persona she projects.
Great on audio narrated by Amanda Stribling and perfect for fans of books like Grandma Gatewood's walk, Anita Kelly's Something wild & wonderful or Katherine Center's Happiness for beginners. Many thanks to NetGalley and @prhaudio for a complimentary digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!...more
This was a great debut novella from a new Icelandic author and a perfect pick for women in translation month!
The chronic pain and mental health rep wThis was a great debut novella from a new Icelandic author and a perfect pick for women in translation month!
The chronic pain and mental health rep was my favorite part and I found it so relatable and well written.
Horror isn't my fav genre but this was more horror light/psychological women's fiction.
Good on audio too and perfect for fans of books like Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder.
I look forward to seeing what this author writes next! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
⚠️CW: cat lovers might want to skip this one but there is no graphic on page violence...more
This was a satisfying and SUPER spicy conclusion to the Beyond the Play college sports romance series featuring the Callaghan siblings - each of whom This was a satisfying and SUPER spicy conclusion to the Beyond the Play college sports romance series featuring the Callaghan siblings - each of whom specializes in a different sport. I really liked that this book focused on Isabel who plays college Volleyball and her forbidden romance with her brother's Russian hockey star rival, Nik.
Full of emotional depth, great mental health rep (Nik has a physically abusive father and suffers from panic attacks) and, again a TON of open door heat, this book was great on audio (I must applaud narrator Oscar Reyes and his excellent Russian accent!). Nik might have been the product of a troubled childhood and had a toxic relationship with his father, but he sure knew how to treat a lady right!!
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review. This book is PERFECT for fans of authors like Elle Kennedy and HIGHLY recommended for those who love spicy sports romance, the likes of which only Tessa Bailey can compare.
What a standout debut!! I loved the humor, heart and emotional depth in this unique, #ownvoices BCRA 1 gene mutation story about recently dumped AllisWhat a standout debut!! I loved the humor, heart and emotional depth in this unique, #ownvoices BCRA 1 gene mutation story about recently dumped Allison who is dealing with the death of her ex and being forced to work on cleaning out his apartment with his grumpy best friend, Adam over the course of four weekends leading up to the Christmas holidays.
I loved that this book had quirky chapter titles, a complicated mother-daughter relationship, tough medical decisions, great mental health rep, lots of pop culture references, a tight-knit friend group who likes to win pub trivia challenges, a secret he falls first MMC and a TON of While you were sleeping, fake dating your dead ex vibes!!
Main character, Allison is struggling with survivor's guilt in the face of her preventative breast cancer double mastectomy, trying to live her life to the fullest doing things she 'thinks' she should be doing rather than things she actually enjoys doing. Adam helps Allison see that she's great just as she is and she needs to stop trying to live to please others.
Perfect for fans of books like Just playing house by Farah Heron (another #ownvoices BCRA romance) and EXCELLENT on audio narrated by Karissa Vacker. I am excited to read what this talented new author writes next and highly recommend not skipping over the author acknowledgements at the end.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @prhaudio for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review!
Hannah, a socially anxious, hard of hearing and recently divorced best-selling fantasy author moves to Sapphire Springs to try to finish her latest boHannah, a socially anxious, hard of hearing and recently divorced best-selling fantasy author moves to Sapphire Springs to try to finish her latest book only to get caught up working (and falling) for the local cafe/bookstore owner, George.
This was another swoony, seasonal Sapphic romance from one of my fav queer indie romance authors. It featured cameos from the main characters in the first book but definitely can be read as a standalone and had great #ownvoices mental health, therapy and disability rep.
Highly recommended for fans of authors like Ashley Herring Blake and Meryl Wilsner and a perfect book to pick up and take to the beach this summer. Many thanks to the author for sharing an early digital copy. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book and all opinions are my own.
It took me a minute to get into this debut family drama but once I did I couldn't get enough!
Engrossing, heartbreaking and full of emotional depth!! It took me a minute to get into this debut family drama but once I did I couldn't get enough!
Engrossing, heartbreaking and full of emotional depth!! The story starts with an older couple, Evelyn and Joseph, sharing with their adult children their plans to jointly end their lives at the end of the year due to a Parkinson's diagnosis.
Told from alternating POVs from each family member and across six decades, we get to see how the couple met and fall in love in 1941, are tested over the years by war, addiction and the ups and downs they have with each of their children and extended family members.
Excellent on audio narrated by a full cast and perfect for fans of authors like Claire Lombardo and books like The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. This would make a great book club pick rife with relatable and controversial content sure to spark fruitful discussions.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy and @Libro.fm for a complimentary ALC in exchange for my honest review. I look forward to reading what Amy Neff writes next!!
CW: drug addiction, Parkinson's disease, plans for medically assisted suicide...more
This was a moving YA coming of age romance told in alternating chapters of verse and prose. Beautifully written, this book takes place over 3 summer nThis was a moving YA coming of age romance told in alternating chapters of verse and prose. Beautifully written, this book takes place over 3 summer nights spread out over 3 years and sees two teens falling in love and grappling with mental health, parental divorce and debilitating chronic illness (nystagmus, that causes loss of sight and balance issues).
Passionate about photography, Jude also has anxiety hates that his parents are divorcing and later gets diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, whereas as Florence has a degenerative eye condition that is growing increasingly worse and threatens to derail her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina. Sweet, poignant and very relatable, this was a quick read that I enjoyed a lot as an audiobook! Highly recommended and I really hope to see more collaborations between Zentner and Cavallaro.
Fav quotes:
“I was thinking that this is what you hope love is: you enter a house full of monsters with someone and then you fight for each other until you can’t fight anymore.”
“Sometimes I think the only things we’re put on this earth for are to create art and make connections with the people we’re supposed to connect with.” ...more
This was such a heartfelt and inspiring middle grade story about a young boy who loses his hand and his twin brother in a tragic car accident and the This was such a heartfelt and inspiring middle grade story about a young boy who loses his hand and his twin brother in a tragic car accident and the way he learns to keep playing the sport he loves despite his disability.
Great on audio, this book tackled some heavy topics, from parental separation, depression, PTSD, panic attacks, bullying, friendship, first crushes and more. I loved how real and relatable this story felt, both the main character and his father are struggling in the face of their mutual loss but find a way to keep going through baseball.
Highly, HIGHLY recommended!! Especially for fans of real life MLB player, Jim Abbott, who was born with a missing hand and still managed to become a major league professional athlete!...more
This was an emotional, dual POV, steamy, slow burn traditional pub debut from a talented new author. I loved the Isle of Skye setting, the actress x wThis was an emotional, dual POV, steamy, slow burn traditional pub debut from a talented new author. I loved the Isle of Skye setting, the actress x whisky destiller MCs, the great female friendship and the he falls first pining. Not to mention the great disability and mental health rep (cleft palette and anxiety). Great on audio with an excellent Scottish accent by Martin Quinn and perfect for fans of authors like Alexandra Kiley or Jacquelyn Middleton....more
A moving, highly relatable #ownvoices poetry collection about a Filipino Canadian woman who loses some of her fingers and her lower legs due to a debiA moving, highly relatable #ownvoices poetry collection about a Filipino Canadian woman who loses some of her fingers and her lower legs due to a debilitating disease. Great on audio and highly recommended for anyone looking to better understand the life of someone who has had a hysterectomy or lost part of a limb. Highly recommended!...more
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