Tag Archives: romance

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March 7, 2022

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January Wrap-Up

What a whirlwind of a month! Our little girl joined us in early February, and let’s just say that I’ve been a little busy!! Now that we’ve established a routine, I am catching up on my blog posts!

I read a good amount of fantasy books in January, as well as a 5-star read! (Haven’t had one of those in a while).

Here are the books:

The Dragon Republic (The Poppy War series #2) by R.F. Kuang

The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

I can’t get enough of The Poppy War series! The Dragon Republic was incredible. While The Poppy War felt like a slow burn, this book was very fast-paced and filled with action. I enjoyed every moment.

The Burning God (The Poppy War series #3) by R.F. Kuang

The final book of The Poppy War series doesn’t disappoint. The ending is fantastic. I don’t want to give much away, but you can read more about my thoughts on the series here.

And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman

This novella fell a little flat for me … which was surprising. It was hard to follow and I couldn’t connect with the story. I’m happy to share, however, that I’ve read all of Backman’s work!

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

This book was funny, quirky, romantic, and super entertaining! The characters are lovable and you root for all of them! You can learn more about why I loved this book in my review.

The Drowning Faith (The Poppy War series #2.5) by R.F. Kuang

Nezha is one of my favorite characters in The Poppy War series, so I was so happy when a fellow bookstagrammer let me know that Kuang wrote a collection of short stories from his point of view. Definitely wish it was longer, but I enjoyed hopping back into the series and learning more about his story.

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air series #2) by Holly Black

I am still forming my thoughts on this complicated series that I wanted to love so much, but I will say that the books are short, fast-paced, and interesting enough. I felt like this book dragged a little in terms of plot, and left me wanting more at the end. Luckily there was one more book in the series…

The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air Series #3) by Holly Black

…and it fell flat! I plan on writing a full series review, but throughout the books, I always wanted more. I wanted more from the prose, the plot, the characters … it was disappointing! I read them and instantly forgot about them. Not much of an impression.

Red White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

But thank goodness for this one! One of my first 5-star reads in some time. I absolutely ADORED this book. It’s perfect. The characters, the politics, the romance, the steam. I loved every second of it. More to come, but I can see why this is a reread for so many folks!

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January 23, 2022

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Book Review | Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Last weekend, I read Rachel Lynn Solomon’s new book, Weather Girl, and I absolutely loved it!

I am such a big fantasy reader, so reading a contemporary romance was a nice change of scenery. The book was quirky, cute, funny, well-written, and super entertaining. If it was a movie I would watch it nonstop. (Please make it a movie!)

A little more about Weather Girl:

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.

In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

My thoughts

I knew I was going to love this book the moment I saw the author’s note about mental health and for the reader to be gentle to themselves if they are triggered by mental health content. I remember turning to my husband and saying, “this is going to be a good one.” It shows the author is aware of the content she is writing about and cares about her readers. There are so many authors out there who do not do this, so I really appreciated the extra effort there.

Ari and Russell are such lovable characters. They are so sweet and you root for them to succeed. As they try to get their bosses back together, they start to fall for each other too. The friction and steam is REAL, friends! I really enjoyed following their story. It’s super fun, feel-good, and will leave you smiling at the end.

Sometimes you need some predictability in your life — and I love a good romance for those moments. While this book delivered on that front, it also had body positivity, LGBTQ rep, Jewish rep, and overall diversity rep. I am so happy I picked this one up. You should too!

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March 31, 2021

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March Wrap-Up

“March went out like a lion …” Any Carousel fans out there?

No?

OK, well, it’s time for my March wrap-up!

What a month. I am submitting my Master’s thesis in April, so I am going to admit that leisurely reading will be a low priority for me until that is submitted. BUT, I did read 3 books this month, which I am proud of.

I originally had 6 books planned for March, but I was only able to commit to 3. Two were audiobooks and one was a physical book. I LOVED listening to my audiobooks and coloring on my iPad in my reading nook with my cats. It was so relaxing and I highly recommend it.

So, here’s what I read this month:

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy)

Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2)

I flew through this book in early March, and I am really enjoying getting swept away in the Grishaverse. I was hoping to get through all of the books by the time the show comes out on Netflix in April, but I will try my best! This book was slower to start than the first one, but I really fell in love with Nikolai and how morally grey the characters are. The ending of this book was incredibly fast-paced and intense, so I am looking forward to picking up Ruin and Rising soon.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (The Brown Sisters #3)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)

This was definitely my favorite of the Brown Sisters trilogy, and Eve definitely has my heart. While Dani is still my favorite Brown sister (nerdy, witchy, academic type), I really loved this story. I love Eve’s empathy and personality. I didn’t realize how much I loved the enemies to lovers trope until I picked this one up! This was a fantastic audiobook. I recommend listening to this one … just maybe not in public because the STEAM is real. *blushes*

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Beartown #2)

Us Against You (Beartown, #2)

Cried my eyes out. First, Marin Ireland is an amazing narrator. Second, I loved this book more than Beartown. *gasp* Backman really knows how to write about the human experience. There were times when I wanted to end the book out of frustration, but there were also times when I had to keep on listening with happy tears in my eyes. Humanity is ugly, messy, and beautiful. This book is all about that (with some hockey thrown in).

What did you read this month?

Thanks for reading!

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March 3, 2021

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March Hopefuls

It’s March … Wait a minute, again?

Hasn’t it been March 2020 all this time?

Jokes aside, I am looking forward to reading more books this month. I have been planning out my reading list each month this year and I’ve stuck to them. Typically, I am a mood reader, but with COVID-19 and all of its uncertainty, I decided to add some structure to my reading to keep me in check.

Last month, I read a lot of fantasy, so I decided to keep to my buddy reads but also add in some fiction, romance, historical fiction and a thriller. Super excited.

Here’s what I’m hoping to read this month:

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy)

Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2)

The synopsis spoils the first book, but I am already halfway through this one (they are super fast, engaging reads), and I can’t get enough. I just want to say one thing: Nikolai. OK. That’s all.

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman (Beartown #2)

Us Against You (Beartown, #2)

Another sequel, and I know I am going to love it. I look forward to revisiting Beartown and learning more about these beloved characters. Also, I know. It looks like a book about hockey, but it’s so much more than that! Check out my review of Beartown to see what I mean.

Act Your Age, Eve Brown by Talia Hibbert (The Brown Sisters #3)

Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)

More sequels?! What can I say, I love me a good series. I have really enjoyed Hibbert’s romances focusing on the Brown sisters (Dani Brown was my personal favorite out of the two). This one comes out March 9 and I was pumped to get an advanced listeners copy (ALC) from Libro.fm. I really look forward to learning more about Eve’s story.

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass, #6)

I am almost done with the Throne of Glass series (happy face/sad face). This one focuses on Chaol and Nesryn’s story and I heard it has so many great, new characters in it. I am super excited to pick this one up.

Sunflower Sisters by Martha Hall Kelly (Lilac Girls # 3)

Sunflower Sisters (Lilac Girls, #3)

… Pretend you didn’t see that series reference. First of all, Martha Hall Kelly is a delight. Second, Lilac Girls is a MUST READ. It has Connecticut ties, so of course I jumped at the chance to read it when it came out. I was fortunate to receive an advanced readers copy (ARC) of Sunflower Sisters from NetGalley and can’t wait to read it. This book comes out March 30.

The Last Flight by Julie Clark

The Last Flight

Hey, look. This isn’t part of a series! Now this one just sounds cool. I usually read tons of thrillers in the summer, but I decided to add one to my list this month! Even looking at the cover gives me heart palpitations. Can’t wait to dive in.

What are you reading this month?