Conflicted about this one 😭😭😭 didn’t love it..

I can appreciate what Robinne was trying to do. This is much more of a literary exploration of identity, privilege, marriage, and desire than a straightforward love story. But I never found myself invested in the characters or their lives. The constant jumps between timelines made it hard for me to stay grounded, and by the end I realized I just didn't care enough about what happened to anyone.

There were moments of beautiful writing, and I'll absolutely continue reading Robinne Lee because I think she's an incredibly talented author! This one just wasn't for me, and I honestly finished it because I loved The Idea of You so much.

It’s like Lisa knows to deliver a book when I need her the mist 🙏🏾

I really enjoyed this one. Lisa Jewell always knows how to keep me turning the pages and keeping me curious. I liked that the ending wasn't built around one huge big twist, but instead slowly unraveled generations of buried secrets, abuse, and family trauma. Everything came together in a satisfying way...or did it?

I loved that there were still a few questions at the end that let you decide what really happened. It's definitely one of her more unsettling thrillers, but Jane's ending gave the story just enough hope to balance all the heartbreak.

I really enjoyed this one. I'm always excited to pick up a Karin Slaughter book because I know I'm in for a dark, twisty mystery, and this was no exception. Some of the themes are very uncomfortable, but that's expected with her books.

This one took a while to get going for me personally, I had a hard time getting fully invested at FIRST. Once it picked up, though, I was hooked. This kept me guessing until the end. It’s satisfying, but the emotional gut punches for Gerald, Jude, the family dynamics, and the institutional betrayal..

Also the title is so fitting because it really goes over how so many people ignored the warning signs for protected reputations in this town.

Finished this on the beach on the first day of summer, as it should be read 🏖️

I love Jenny’s writing and storytelling. The way she’ll flow from different characters, simple stories, with emotional depth. The setting focused on the south shore of Massachusetts (hypothetically) but between New York, throughout New England. Characters who grew up together in their 30’s (I’m in my 30’s and appreciate this) and it was messy! I loved it, loved how it wrapped up. I really appreciate the conversations, I laughed out loud, I was glued in. A lot of literary discussions if you’re familiar with the publishing space too!

“Maybe most people sought out that kind of unconditional love and romantic partners, but Bailey didn’t. She got it from her friends, and it was a gift of a lifetime.”

This was everything I love about a Tia Williams romance: witty, undeniable chemistry, characters you can't help but root for, and funny. It was such a fun read that had me smiling. My only wish is that the ending had given us a little more but I had such a good time getting there that I didn't mind too much. Sasha is also VERY relatable and I loved Wes. A perfect rom-com to toss in your beach bag for the summer!!!

Girl’s Girl brought me right back to being fifteen. The friendships, the first love, the changing relationships with the people who know you best. It felt incredibly authentic and relatable. I loved the sapphic romance and the girls discovering that, the nuanced mother-daughter relationship, and the way this book captured that one pivotal summer that changes everything :’) The suburban setting felt so familiar to me (suburban legends), and as a Sims-obsessed teenager, those references were the best to meeeeee.

Tender, nostalgic, full of heart, this is a coming-of-age story that reminded me just how transformative those teenage years can be. I love her writing and the descriptive setting! The details on feelings to paper. Happily will read more from Sonia!

For the crippling anxious girls and especially from dating!!!!!! Super cute and wholesome 💘 loved listening to it—felt like a love letter from Brooke’s podcast for the real ones. Loved the outcome. And adored the friendships in it, even more than the romance! Felt so similar to my crew.

Biographical and just swept away by the writing! Jacqueline ❤️ a book written in verse, absolutely adored the new audiobook for it in multi-cast.

New favorite Annabel book unlocked??? This surpassed Nora for me! Dolly was just so relatable to me and for all the caretakers out there 😭😭😭😭 this one’s for you. I adored her family, the Northeast setting, being in Rhode Island. Being with a woman in her 30’s! ” I think you were put on this earth to make everything better.” I cannot. That would mean so much to me, hearing that from someone. Stuart and Dolly, I loved them.

Annabel’s books always are always such perfect beach reads, start of the summer. I love her writing so much. And the floppiness of her paperbacks!

Black stories and black creatives ❤️ love them DOWNNNNN. I love Kennedy Ryan so much! She is so thoughtful with her approach to her writing and her characters. You can tell so much thought and research went into this beyond the romance and as a reader—I’m so grateful for that. I always learn something new from her stories and most especially about BPD!

It was great being back in the Hollywood Renaissance world, and with these two as our angsty characters!! I see you Verity and Monk (loved their names).

I love animals so I very much loved listening to this! It’s niche NYC lore, about pets, and a vet who genuinely cares about her job.

Felt like a hot gos newspaper but ALSO a memoir of her life 🐕 🐈‍⬛

If Haunting of Hill House + Inkheart + fairytales when you were younger could be blended into a book, but give the feeling of Narnia and A Series of Unfortunate Events…

I can’t describe it but this book gave me extreme nostalgia for a time in my life, with blending past and present in a speculative fiction way with suspense. It’s honestly like a fairytale version of their childhood (The Children). Edith was best character for me in the book, hands down. Very immersive and lyrical writing! It’s long but all comes together.

I finished Our Perfect Storm and this definitely was not my favorite Carley Fortune book, but also not my least favorite? I liked it, but I didn’t love it!

Carley Fortune always writes the setting SO WELL. She genuinely makes me fall in love with wherever the story takes place, and I love that every book introduces me to another part of Canada. I loved the Tofino setting so much, the whale conservation storyline, and all the atmospheric coastal details. Those parts honestly carried the book for me! Carley is summer to me and genuinely makes me excited for the new season.

I had a hard time connecting to Frankie and George as a couple. It felt like the book was constantly telling me how deeply connected they were instead of letting me naturally feel it through their chemistry and interactions, with the jumps from the past. There was so much emphasis on their history and the friends-to-lovers aspect that at some point I was like…okay, but I still don’t fully feel why this relationship/friendship blooming 😭

And honestly, I could not fully buy that Frankie had no idea George loved her this much. He has clearly always been in love with her but I know this is a fiction book and her story, lol. I know the book was heavily inspired by the Jo/Laurie dynamic from Little Women, and Frankie definitely had that stubborn, emotionally avoidant energy, but sometimes it felt more frustrating than compelling. I also thought George was an absolute KING to Frankie. I understood him emotionally!

Overall, I enjoyed reading it, but I wanted to love it way more than I did.

I can’t even express my feelings for this book. I liked, did not love. I understand the middle book move here, some filler, slower movements. The characters felt all over the place but they’re just living too and figuring it out. But 😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️ it felt angsty???? But also I felt..annoyed (I’m sorry)? Question mark?

We’ve got to figure out this incest stuff like I already know but am I supposed to know so I’m reading like I don’t know. Whatever this review is just dumb, lol. I’m just being real for the 3 star!!! Not bad, average. I’m still kicking and reading through. Still love ya, CC 💋 love the Shadowhunters.

A book that span years from their 20s into their 40s for five different friendships. I gravitated towards this book because I adore books about friendship, growing up, and going down different paths for different units. This one WAS messy but tbh, very really (to me, at least).

“There’s nobody you love or hate more than your old friends.” — my friend Josh said this, who recommended this to me! And he’s right and I loved this. This author also does a magnificent job of marking the time and place the book setting is in, in NYC. Biggest takeaway for me in this book was the emotional turmoil of different life paths as they grew older, and some felt forgotten by their own journeys. From single people in their 30’s to someone who is married and has children and the stark difference of the two. Low key, some of the characters were unlikable sometimes (many times) but I can’t deny that so many of us have people like that in our life from growing up.

I recommend, it just takes a minute to get your footing in the book with the five characters!

It took me legit forever to start this series after The Infernal Devices, I mourned them for a year. Not to say I was dreading starting this, but I was?? Mostly because I know how outdated these are and I wasn’t expecting a lot but I had a good time and loved the characters introduced.

The ending of this book??? Yeah i’ve heard of it through the grapevine and especially since my sister was obsessed with these books when I was younger, but I don’t know why I thought it happened like later on in the series so 😂 surprise surprise

I really love Jessica’s writing! She has such a strong way of building characters that feel real and grounded in everyday life. I felt that in Maame with her relationship with her dad and her upbringing, and in Love by the Book she shifts that lens toward female friendships and what it looks like to navigate your 20s and 30s with Remy and Simone. It took me a minute to really settle into the group dynamic, but once I did, I was completely in it. I really felt the nuance of those friendships and how hard (and meaningful) it is to build and maintain them as an adult.

This book found me at a good time! Platonic relationships are just as important, if not more, than your romantic ones. Especially as life pulls everyone in different directions with careers, relationships, and everything in between. I appreciated how it all came together in the end in a thoughtful way. Also the meta element of it being a story about a book/author just made it feel extra 👌🏾

I absolutely loved Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About. I’ve followed Isabel Klee (aka @simonsits) for a while, and it was so special getting to read about her life: growing up in NYC, navigating her 20s, and leaning on what’s clearly such a supportive family. I loved how honestly she shares her heartbreaks and relationships, alongside the joy of meeting her fiancé and adopting Simon, plus all the dogs she’s fostered along the way.

Her writing is so immersive and full of heart, you really feel everything with her. As someone who lost my childhood dog Tiger last year, parts of this hit especially hard (in the best, most cathartic way), and I found myself tearing up more than once. What’s so special too is that she signed a book for my sister who brought our dog into our life (and who also loves Isabel’s fostering and content). Reading about Tiki?! So special. Be brave like Tiki.

If you love dogs, animals, or just deeply emotional, personal stories, this one will stay with you. I’m so grateful I got to read it, and even meet her at an early release event! It’s just a really special and loving story that I think so many people will connect with.

I realized that Isabel and I are the same age—I loved watching Isabel grow up throughout this book and the love letter to NYC was a special touch 💌