Review: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Sep24
Love, Theoretically Book Cover Love, Theoretically
Ali Hazelwood
RomCom / Contemporary Romance
Berkley
June 13, 2023
Audiobook
391
Public Library
August 7 - 15, 2023

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

Review

I have read all three of Ali Hazelwoods published books and this one is probably my least favorite, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it!

Elsie is a theoretical physicist slaving away as an adjunct professor making almost no money, therefor to pay the bills, she has a side gig as a fake girlfriend. Through a service, she can be hired to act as a fake girlfriend. A pathological people pleaser, Elsie is a pro at becoming exactly what someone else wants her to be. 

Enter Jack. He’s the brother of her favorite fake dating client, and also a roadblock to her gaining employment as a tenured professor. Of course the sparks fly! 

This book is far too smutty for me. So, so much smut. But I loved the characters (though Jack is a little too alpha for me) and I loved that some old friends from previous Hazelwood books make an appearance. Elsie’s character growth was great as well, and much of that she has Jack to thank for. 

If you’re into romcom contemporary novels, and you’re okay with a high level of smut, this could be the book for you! 

Review: Off the Map by Trish Doller

Sep15
Off the Map Book Cover Off the Map
Beck Sisters #3
Trish Doller
Contemporary Romance
St. Martin's Griffin
March 7, 2023
E-ARC / Audiobook
272
NetGalley / Public Library
August 7 - 19, 2023

On the road to love, you don't need a GPS... 

Carla Black’s life motto is “here for a good time, not for a long time.” She’s been travelling the world on her own in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade, stopping only long enough to replenish her adventure fund. She doesn’t do love and she doesn’t ever go home.

Eamon Sullivan is a modern-day cartographer who creates digital maps. His work helps people find their way, but he’s the one who’s lost his sense of direction. He’s unhappy at work, recently dumped, and his one big dream is stalled out—literally.

Fate throws them together when Carla arrives in Dublin for her best friend’s wedding and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. But what should be a simple drive across Ireland quickly becomes complicated with chemistry-filled detours, unexpected feelings, and a chance at love - if only they choose it.

Review

First of all – I grabbed this book when I first dove back into NetGalley and had zero restraint. I received an email with a few romance novels available and I requested them all. Even though I don’t particularly like this cover. (I think it’s the fact that her hair makes it look like it takes place in the 1920s or something, when it does not.) I do appreciate that the cover is actually a scene from the book. That’s not super common. 

With that out of the way, this book has a lot of heart. Carla has a lot of baggage (despite traveling with very little baggage! Haha) Her father, the only parent she has, is slowly fading away from her, losing his memory to dementia or Alzheimer’s (sorry, I can’t remember which.) He doesn’t want her to watch him suffer, so he tells her to keep traveling—which was their thing—and see as much of the world together as they could. He doesn’t want her to watch him waste away and forget her.

When Carla arrives in Ireland for her BFFs wedding, the grooms brother, Eamon, picks her up. And they almost immediately jump into bed, which is something I absolutely abhor in romance novels. Buuut they won me over in the end. What starts as a fling, becomes so much more once the pair get to know one another.

Eamon is Carla’s opposite. While she’s home, she works as a bartender saving all her money to travel the rest of the time. Eamon has a well paying desk job, and has never given himself the chance to travel, despite his desire to do so. Despite being so opposite, they connect. And experiencing that relationship build up was a joy. And, as with any good book, both of these characters have to face the things in their lives that are pulling them down and make some big choices.

Bonus points for all the descriptions of Ireland. That’s a location on my bucket list, for sure!

So, do I recommend this book? Well, I plan to read books 1 and 2 in the series, so what does that tell you? 😉  

Review: The Confidant by Judy Corry

Sep14
The Confidant Book Cover The Confidant
Eden Falls Academy #4
Judy Corry
YA Contemporary Romance
Cherry Blossom Romance
October 13, 2022
E-Book
478
Amazon
June 17 - July 11, 2023

I love Judy Corry’s books, but I was a little nervous going into this book because I knew it delved into the subject of religion. Typically, in my experience this means having religion shoved down my throat. However, Corry did a fabulous job of depicting a relationship between a believer and a new non-believer. In no way did she disrespect the views of anyone who did or did not believe in any religion. 

This was Hunter and Scarlett’s story, who we’ve met in the previous Eden Fall’s Academy books. Though we’ve met them, I never felt like we got to know them very well. They always seemed just a little bit apart from the others. (Note: I have not yet read book 3, but I’ll get around to it one of these days!) 

Scarlett is a true believer of The Fold, the religion she grew up in. Her father is even her pastor. Hunter was a believer as well, until something happened in his life within the past year that made him rethink his beliefs. Hunter hasn’t found the right time to tell Scarlett about his change of heart though. 

Scarlett’s dad is very protective of her and has forbid her from dating until she’s 18, which means she and Hunter, despite loving one another deeply, can’t be together. Not yet anyway. 

Once the truth comes out about Hunter’s change of faith though, can Scarlett still accept him? Can he still accept her, knowing what he knows about The Fold and her devotion to her religion? 

This is a wonderful story about tolerance, love, and there’s a little bit of suspense and danger thrown in for good measure. One of the best books in Judy Corry’s catalog. 

Review

I love Judy Corry’s books, but I was a little nervous going into this book because I knew it delved into the subject of religion. Typically, in my experience this means having religion shoved down my throat. However, Corry did a fabulous job of depicting a relationship between a believer and a new non-believer. In no way did she disrespect the views of anyone who did or did not believe in any religion. 

This was Hunter and Scarlett’s story, who we’ve met in the previous Eden Fall’s Academy books. Though we’ve met them, I never felt like we got to know them very well. They always seemed just a little bit apart from the others. (Note: I have not yet read book 3, but I’ll get around to it one of these days!) 

Scarlett is a true believer of The Fold, the religion she grew up in. Her father is even her pastor. Hunter was a believer as well, until something happened in his life within the past year that made him rethink his beliefs. Hunter hasn’t found the right time to tell Scarlett about his change of heart though. 

Scarlett’s dad is very protective of her and has forbid her from dating until she’s 18, which means she and Hunter, despite loving one another deeply, can’t be together. Not yet anyway. 

Once the truth comes out about Hunter’s change of faith though, can Scarlett still accept him? Can he still accept her, knowing what he knows about The Fold and her devotion to her religion? 

This is a wonderful story about tolerance, love, and there’s a little bit of suspense and danger thrown in for good measure. One of the best books in Judy Corry’s catalog. 

The Confidant by Judy Corry

Review: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton

Sep6
Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard Book Cover Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard
Tom Felton
Memoir
Grand Central Publishing
October 18, 2022
Audiobook
288
Public Library
July 24 - August 2, 2023

From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen in this #1 New York Times bestseller.

Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.

Tom Felton’s Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.

Review

This is a must read for any Harry Potter fan. Scratch that, this is a must listen as any memoir read by the author should always be listened to rather than read. 

Tom Felton aka Draco Malfo was, apparently, cast in the role he’s become most famous for simply because as a child, he was a little shit. From the sounds of it, all of the children cast to play the roles because their personalities were similar enough to their characters. Tom and I would not have been friends back then, but maybe we’d get along now.

A lot of this book talks about how it was on set for both Harry Potter and Tom’s first big role in The Borrowers. It was fascinating to me to hear about how live on set is, especially for a child. The bits about Alan Rickman cracked me up. It sounds like he was a very intimidating man (RIP). 

This book also delves into Tom’s personal life, growing up with his brothers who kept him grounded. He wasn’t allowed to let his fame get to his head. It was also interesting to hear about how he was actually bullied for being in the Harry Potter films!

Felton also touches on mental health, both his family history and his own. On rehab. On a lot of personal issues. I also learned about what drove him to continue looking for acting jobs once Potter was in the past.

As far as memoirs go, this one is very entertaining and enlightening, one of the better ones I’ve read (er, listened to). 

Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan

Sep5
Thank You for Listening Book Cover Thank You for Listening
Julia Whelan
Contemporary Romance
Avon
August 2, 2022
Audiobook
432
Public Library
June 8 - 19, 2023

From the author of My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan’s uplifting novel tells the story of a former actress turned successful audiobook narrator—who has lost sight of her dreams after a tragic accident—and her journey of self-discovery, love, and acceptance when she agrees to narrate one last romance novel.

For Sewanee Chester, being an audiobook narrator is a long way from her old dreams, but the days of being a star on film sets are long behind her. She’s found success and satisfaction from the inside of a sound booth and it allows her to care for her beloved, ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger.

On her return home, Sewanee discovers one of the world’s most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book—with Brock McNight, the industry’s hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee doesn’t buy what romance novels are selling—not after her own dreams were tragically cut short—and she stopped narrating them years ago. But her admiration of the late author, and the opportunity to get her grandmother more help, makes her decision for her.

As Sewanee begins work on the book, resurrecting her old romance pseudonym, she and Brock forge a real connection, hidden behind the comfort of anonymity. Soon, she is dreaming again, but secrets are revealed, and the realities of life come crashing down around her once more.

If she can learn to risk everything for desires she has long buried, she will discover a world of intimacy and acceptance she never believed would be hers.

Review:

Right off the bat, this book was too steamy for my young adult reading ears. I almost quit. I just wasn’t connecting. But I stayed with it and it paid off.

What drew me to this book was that it was a romance about an audiobook narrator who started in romance before moving on to more “serious” books only to be coerced back into the romance audiobook world to narrate the final book of the author who helped her get started in the business.

What I didn’t like was her jumping into bed with a man hours after she met him, but I was able to move past that as the story went on.

I’ll be completely honesty with you, it’s been…a while between listening to this audiobook and writing this review, but I can tell you this, fans of romance will enjoy this one.  

There’s family drama (Sewanee and her dad), overcoming tragedy (right away we learn that Sewanee lost an eye, ending her dream of becoming an A-list actress), and a whirlwind romance with a mystery man and an email/text flirtation with her narration partner. 

This could’ve been just another romance, but those things listed above really made this more.

NetGalley Roundup – August 2023

Aug21

It’s been, oh… eight months since I last did this. Whoops! But I’ve been pretty good at holding back and not requesting everything and anything that caught my eye.

Below, I will list the new NetGalley titles that I’ve been approved to read, the publication date and genre, a very brief summary, and why I chose this book.

Also included is my current, at time of writing the NetGalley roundup, feedback ratio. (This is the percentage of reviews I’ve submitted in comparison to the total number of books I’ve been approved for.)

In January I had a list of 15 NetGalley titles to read, of those 15 I’ve read… 9. Not too bad!

Current Feedback Ratio: 77% (up 2% since January!)

The Seaside Library by Brenda Novak

The Seaside Library (April 11, 2023) – Women’s Fiction

ABOUT: There are secrets that bring friends together, and others that drive them apart…

WHY I chose it: I’ve enjoyed Brenda Novak’s romantic thrillers, so I thought I’d try another side of her!

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot
Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot

Enchanted to Meet You by Meg Cabot (Sept 5, 2023) – Paranormal / Romance

ABOUT: A witchy rom-com from New York Times bestseller Meg Cabot about a plus size witch who must team up with a handsome stranger to help protect her village from an otherworldly force—but will she be able to protect her heart?

WHY I chose it: I like Meg Cabot! I like witches! Plus, everytime I read the title, I start singing Taylor Swift “I WAS ENCHANTED TO MEET YOOOOUUUU!”

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revi
Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revi

Night of the Witch by Sara Raasch and Beth Revi (Oct 3, 2023) – Paranormal / Romance

ABOUT: Fritzi is a witch. Otto is a hexenjäger—a witch hunter. They team up and…. ?

WHY I chose it: The unlikely pairing of the witch and witch hunter sold me. Plus the cover is suuuuper pretty! (I’ve actually started this book and I have ZERO regrets asking NetGalley for an ARC copy!)

Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines by Garrett Ryan
Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines by Garrett Ryan

Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines by Garrett Ryan (Oct 6, 2023) – Non-Fiction / History

ABOUT: Did the ancient Greeks and Romans have conspiracy theories? Did they come close to an industrial revolution? Did they drink beer? In a series of fast-paced essays, Insane Emperors, Sunken Cities, and Earthquake Machines answers 40 questions that ancient historian Garrett Ryan has been asked in the classroom and through his popular YouTube channel ToldinStone.

WHY I chose it: Sometimes a girl just wants to learn about history!

Inheritance by Nora Roberts
Inheritance by Nora Roberts

Inheritance by Nora Roberts (Nov 21, 2023) – Paranormal / Mystery

ABOUT: Inheritance is the first in The Lost Bride Trilogy by #1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts—a tale of tragedies, loves found and lost, and a family haunted for generations. Sonya discovers that not only did her father have a secret twin nobody new about, but she’s inherited a majestic Victorian house on the coast of Maine…and it just might be haunted.

WHY I chose it: Family secrets and a haunted house. Need I say more??? (Plus the cover looks like a fairy tale!)

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper
The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper

The Couple in the Photo by Helen Cooper (Dec 5, 2013) – Drama / Mystery-Thriller

ABOUT: From the author of The Downstairs Neighbor and The Other Guest comes a propulsive suspense novel that asks how far you would go to keep a friend’s secret.

WHY I chose it: I was in the mood for an adult mystery/thriller and this one sounded interesting enough. I actually requested this and The Heiress at the same time, along with a couple others that I was denied. (That was probably for the best, TBH!)

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins (Jan 9, 2014) – Drama / Mystery-Thriller

ABOUT: New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins returns with a twisted new gothic suspense about an infamous heiress and the complicated inheritance she left behind.

WHY I chose it: The cover was intriguing, and I love sound of all the drama surrounding the family drama.

Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands Book 2 of the Emily Wilde Series by Heather Fawcett
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett

Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Jan 14, 2024) – YA Fantasy

ABOUT: When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

WHY I chose it: I read the first book this past year and enjoyed it enough to want to know what happens next for Emily and the fair folk.

So, did any of these titles catch your interest? Share in the comments!

Review: A Cowboy’s Wish Upon a Star by Caro Carson

Aug15
A Cowboy’s Wish Upon a Star Book Cover A Cowboy’s Wish Upon a Star
Texas Rescue #5
Caro Carson
Contemporary / Western / Hollywood Romance
Harlequin
November 21, 2016
Paperback
224
Goodreads First Reads
June 7 - 17, 2023

From Hollywood… 

A cattle ranch is the perfect place for movie star Sophia Jackson to escape her scandalous past and the paparazzi hot on her trail. But foreman Travis Chalmers makes it clear who's running the ranch. When their constant clashing ignites unexpected attraction, Sophia takes on her greatest acting role: pretending she isn't falling for the sexy, domineering cowboy.

…to Motherhood 

Once Travis sweeps her into his arms at her sister's wedding, she knows the feeling's mutual. But a precious secret followed Sophia to Texas. And now a Hollywood hurricane is about to blow through Travis's peaceful Texas town. Is the mother-to-be ready to fight for her future and see her most passionate Christmas wish granted—she and Travis vowing to love each other forever?

Review

I’ll be real with you, I 100% thought this was going to be a quick romance with zero depth that made me roll my eyes every other page. 

I was wrong.

Sophia is a Hollywood A-List actress who fell in with a bad boy rockstar who’s trashed her reputation. In order to avoid more scandal, she’s agreed to lock herself up at a Texas cattle ranch.

Enter Travis, the ranch’s foreman, who wants nothing less than to “babysit” this city girl. Except, from the moment he lay eyes on her, he’s enchanted. He sees below the facade she wears, but knows nothing can happen between them.

What Travis doesn’t know, and Sophia won’t admit even to herself, is that she’s pregnant, and her isolation is also to keep her pregnancy a secret until she gives birth and gives the baby up for adoption. 

Despite a rocky start, these two find a connection. But can it last with Sophia’s big secret looming between them? 

This was such a charming story. It wasn’t too country/cowboy western, and it wasn’t too Hollywood. It was really just the story of two people. Absolutely recommend this one to fans of the romance genre.  

Review: Suddenly a Murder by Lauren Muñoz

Aug13
Suddenly a Murder Book Cover Suddenly a Murder
Lauren Muñoz
YA Mystery
G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
September 5, 2023
E-ARC
320
NetGalley
July 12- 28, 2023

Seven friends throw a 1920s-themed party, where it's all pretend—until one of them is murdered. One of Us Is Lying meets Knives Out in this killer locked-room mystery.

Someone brought a knife to the party.

To celebrate the end of high school, Izzy Morales joins her ride-or-die Kassidy and five friends on a 1920s-themed getaway at the glamorous Ashwood Manor. There, Izzy and her friends party in vintage dresses and expensive diamonds—until Kassidy's boyfriend turns up dead.

Murdered, investigators declare when they arrive at the scene, and now every party guest is a suspect. There's the girlfriend, in love. The other girl, in despair. The old friend, forlorn. The new friend, distressed. The brooding enigma. And then, there's Izzy—the girl who brought the knife.

To find the killer, everyone must undergo a grueling interrogation, all while locked in an estate where, suddenly, the greatest luxury is innocence.

Review

The blurb for this book compares it to One of Us is Lying and Knives Out… and while I can see the parallels, honestly, I think Suddenly a Murder is far more entertaining. I was engaged in the story from the very beginning. 

Izzy is a student at a high school for rich kids, and the only reason she’s able to go there is because her mother is a teacher at the school. She and her bestie, Kassidy, are both obsessed with the 1920s and for a graduation gift, Kassidy rents out a beautiful historic house on a private island for Izzy, Kassidy, Kassidy’s boyfriend Blaine, and a group of their fellow graduates to celebrate their freedom from high school—bonus, this house was where one of their favorite 1920s movies was filmed!

Kassidy, being the dramatic young woman that she is, insists that in order for the week to be authentic, nothing modern is to be allowed on the island. That means no cellphones, no modern clothing, nothing! She’s stocked each room with period clothing for each guest and after instructing them to change, has everything modern shipped back to the main land. The week is going to be epic.

But not everything is champagne and glitter when one of them ends up dead. And we know from almost page one that Izzy brought the murder weapon to the island.

Enter the detectives who work to read between all of the lies and piece together the real story of what happened to Blaine, Kassidy’s boyfriend-of-four-years-turned-murder-victim. Everyone loved Blaine, who could do such a thing? But as the friends tell their stories, we quickly learn that more than one person has motive for murder. 

To be honest, a lot of the characters blurred together. I don’t think this was poor writing, more just a me problem. I read this book in small pieces over a longer period of time than it would’ve taken me if I only read one book at a time, and when there are as many characters as this book has, and they’re all introduced relatively quickly, I sometimes struggle to keep them straight. I was able to keep up well enough and it didn’t affect my enjoyment of the story at all.

All of the characters in this book were enjoyable but my favorite was Pilar de León, the detective merely consulting on the investigation. She was a woman seemingly full of secrets, who could easily act like your best friend one moment only to arrest you the next. She was wonderful. I’d love to read more books based on her investigating crimes and mysteries. 

As for the books ending…I didn’t call it. At all. I love when a book is able to literally keep me guessing until the very last pages and Lauren Muñoz succeeded in doing so. This is an author I will keep on my radar. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next!

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was the cover (sorry!) 

5 glorious stars for Suddenly a Murder and, hands down, one of my top reads for 2023. 

* Shout out to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for a review in exchange for my honest review!

Review: People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

Jul31
People We Meet on Vacation Book Cover People We Meet on Vacation
Emily Henry
Contemporary Romance / Women’s Fiction
Berkley
May 11, 2021
Audiobook
364
Public Library
May 31 - June 8, 2023

Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One last chance to fall in love.

Poppy and Alex. Alex and Poppy. They have nothing in common. She’s a wild child; he wears khakis. She has insatiable wanderlust; he prefers to stay home with a book. And somehow, ever since a fateful car share home from college many years ago, they are the very best of friends. For most of the year they live far apart—she’s in New York City, and he’s in their small hometown—but every summer, for a decade, they have taken one glorious week of vacation together.

Review

It’s a hard thing to determine, but I think this may be my favorite Emily Henry book so far. 

Poppy and Alex met in college. They both grew up in the same small town in Ohio and ended up at the same Chicago college, but that’s where the similarities end. And yet, thanks to a shared road trip home from college that first year, they quickly became the best of friends. 

Just. Friends. 

Bouncing back and forth between present day and the many annual summer trips the pair have taken over the past decade or so, we watch Poppy and Alex’s friendship grow and change. No matter what happens to the other, a bad breakup or a serious illness, the other is always there for them. They have the friendship dreams are made of.

Except something happened two years before the story begins. We don’t find out what that something is until later in the book, but we know that whatever it was, it led to Poppy and Alex not speaking for two whole years. 

Feeling lost in her life and career, Poppy sends a text to Alex and asks him if he’s open to joining her on one more vacation, for old times sake. Turns out, he can’t, his brother is getting married in Palm Springs, but…would she like to come? With that, Poppy winds up in Palm Springs with Alex on the worst vacation ever. From the joke of a rental car to the Air B&N’s AC failing. Basically, if it could go wrong, it will.

But despite all that goes wrong, Poppy is just so happy to have Alex back in her life again. But is their friendship beyond repair? Can they go back to the way things used to be? 

I love these characters. So much. I love all of Emily Henry’s characters, but these two were by far my favorite. Poppy, the wild free-spirit big city girl and Alex, the quiet and reserved home town school teacher/writer. 

Their journey’s, both independently and together, were a joy. I felt like I was there with them on every trip they took. 

This is a 5 star read and I would absolutely read it again. 

Review: Beach Read by Emily Henry

Jul30
Beach Read Book Cover Beach Read
Emily Henry
Women's Fiction, Contemporary Romance
Berkley
May 19, 2020
Audiobook
358
Public Library
May 6 - 11, 2023

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters. Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast. They’re polar opposites.

Review

It is my firm believe that Emily Henry is unable to write a bad book. Every book of hers I’ve read (and I’m quickly working my way through her entire backlist) has been varying degrees of amazing. Beach Read is no exception. 

January is in a writing rut. Little does she know, her college nemesis, Agustus, is also in a rut. And fate has thrown them together. 

When January’s father passes away unexpectantly and his secrets come to light, January begins to doubt everything she believed about love. When your lifelong example of a perfect couple experiencing true love turns out to be a sham, how are you supposed to write a believable love story? She’s blocked. 

It’s as January is attempting to clear out the house her father owned in a small town she never knew about, that she reconnects with Agustus. He is also a writer struggling with his latest book. The pair exchange words and a bet is presented. He could never write a book with a happy ending, and she could never write a book where terrible things happen to the characters.

With the bet going strong, the pair take turns opening the others eyes to the romance and the darkness of the world, respectively. 

What I love most about Emily Henry’s books is the characters. No two characters she writes are the same, each one has their own quirks and personality, and I love them all. 

In the end, will January find her passion for romance again, or will her writing take a darker turn? And what about Agustus? And during their bet, will the pair move past their old college rivalry? 

Look, if you read this review you’ve wasted time. Go find a copy of an Emily Henry book. This one, another one, I don’t care. They’re all amazing.