GoodReads Reviews
 Secretly Yours by Tessa BaileyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Ok I loved It Happened One Summer and Hook Line and Sinker, didn't love My Killer Vacation, so decided to try again with Secretly yours to see if it held up. I didn't hate it but I didn't love it. At some times it felt like I was forcing myself to read it just to finish and others I was totally absorbed and loving the MMC. Hallie lost her grandmother who was basically her anchor to making more conscious decisions so she was not as reckless. She is disorganized and a little chaotic. She was in love with Julian, or the idea of him in high school, almost kissed him, but then it never happened. Julian is tightly wound, adhering to all schedules because a few years ago there was a fire and he ended up having an extreme panic/anxiety attack and instead of dealing with it shut everyone out and caused a divide with his father and their vineyard. Julian comes back to town for a sabbatical from teaching to write a book and this is where our story begins. His friend had a breakdown and that freaked him out because of his previous attack so he decided to take a break although everything was ridigly schedule until Hallie comes into the picture. They meet again - he doesn't remember naturally and he can sense that upsets her - because she talked to his mom about doing their garden. Of course he doesn't remember 15 years ago Hallie because they didn't actually kiss or talk really soooo...the premise of her being upset about this irritated me. They get together, try to date, of course something happens (hello "3rd act breakup"), then we get our sweet ending. Pros *Julian is hot - professor and uptight in public - dirty in private *Hallie is sweet although over the top *Julian realizes how he handles his anxiety needs to change *Julian's family seems to start coming back together with his sister returning and I would have liked more of that with his sister and mom *spicy scenes if you're into that, we love how Julian talks □ (Hallie is a virgin FYI -actually makes sense with her personality and that she has been stuck on Julian for years) Cons *The love letters - I dunno, this whole thing came from a drunk idea with her friend and it was nice that she was able to get her emotions out to Julian and vice versa It seemed like this shouldn't have been the main premise. Like, c'mon (view spoiler) *The miscommunication - OMG so much could have been solved if they talked. *Julian's anxiety - as someone with anxiety and married to someone with it I like that it has been more common in stories. BUT I really wish that there would have been more with it. Like, it caused so much strife in his life and he didn't really handle it or seek help? I wish there would have been more at the end about But overall professor Julian is □ "That's right, sweetheart, I deliver for you" I read some reviews that were like "that doesn't fit his personality" and I would just like to put it out there that helloooo, how you act in public is not how you have to act with someone you have a relationship/sexual tension want to date. "I feel as if I'm going to explode if the situation isn't fixed for her. When she isn't smiling, the word becomes a terrible place" "You're worth burning for. You're worth turning and driving straight into the fire." View all my reviews  Never Lie by Freida McFaddenMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I could not put this book down. I would have read it in a few hours in one day but I had to go to bed, it was seriously so good I didn't want to stop! Read this now! Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are searching for the house of their dreams and end up at the remote manor that belonged to Dr. Adrienne Hall, a renowned psychiatrist who vanished without a trace four years earlier. The newlyweds get stuck in a winter storm and are trapped at the manor unable to leave. While waiting out the storm Ethan is working and Tricia explores the house and stumbles on a secret room full of Dr. Halls recordings of her patients. Tricia starts playing the tapes without telling Ethan and the secrets keep pouring in. I don't want to give any spoilers because I audibly gasped out loud when the twist happened! The ending of this book so was good, the were actually multiple twists and McFadden ended out this book where I wanted even more after the epilogue. I was never a thriller reader before but I will say now that I will absolutely be reading more of her books! View all my reviews |
 Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn PainterMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Alright I couldn't get into this book at first and I think it was the writing style? I felt like chapters were unnecessary when the perspective would change mid chapter? But let's talk about the story. Olivia is a hot mess, everything always goes wrong and that is where we meet her. Living at her brothers apartment with his best friend trying to get her life back together. She is a writer and is trying to find a job. Of course she finds one but more things go wrong per usual. Colin is her older brothers best friend that she has known forever. They always rag on each other and he always has the upper hand on her. Olivia gets a text from a wrong number and ends up being friends with this stranger and talking with him. It's cute and then you get the hammer dropped when Colin realizes it's her and decides he needs to end it. So naturally instead they get together and you get a glimpse of their relationship and how cute they are together. I enjoyed the story and was here for all the cute and funny moments, there was basically no spice but there were quite a few sweet moments - basically all from Colins perspective because he realized he never really knew her and judged her. Overall it's cute, I would recommend if you want a fluffy rom-com without the spicy details. Fave quotes: "I'd gone from finding her the most annoying girl on the planet to being inexplicably obsessed with her" "She was the first thing I thought of when I woke up in the morning, the last thing before I fell asleep. I would blow off anything to be with her, because everything was brighter when Olivia was around" View all my reviews  The Housemaid by Freida McFaddenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the first time I’ve really gotten into reading thriller style books but my friend from book club picked this one. I wasn't sure how I would feel about it but I really enjoyed it! Her writing style is very easy to read, it wasn't too long, and it held my attention and I kept wanting to read more to figure out what happened! It said there was a "jaw dropping twist" but I wasn't that surprised? It was a really good ending and I enjoyed it because it brought the book full circle but I didn't gasp out loud or feel that "shocked". Overall it was a good read though and can't wait to read the second one! View all my reviews  The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva RoseMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Sarah Morgan is a successful and powerful defense attorney in Washington D.C. while her husband Adam is a struggling writer who is not as successful. He is tired that his wife is never home because she is constantly working and ends up having an affair at their second home in the woods with Kelly Summers. This is where the murder comes in, Adams mistress is stabbed to death and found in their bed in their cabin and he is arrested for her murder. Sarah is now defending her own husband in this twisted murder trial and of course knows that he was having an affair and was planning on leaving her. The sheriff and town are involved, the case gets messy, and then it gets even more twisted. I was actually surprised with how this ended, how so many people were involved in the case, and how the whole thing was planned out perfectly! If you are into murder mysteries I would definitely recommend this one! View all my reviews Click to set custom HTML
 The Hating Game by Sally ThorneMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Okay, I’ve just started reading romance novels this year and I will see I’m pretty hooked! I like a story that I get swept up on and this one definitely did that since I couldn’t put it down. I loved the characters, how they obviously were going to fall in love, but loved the ride to get there. Definitely recommend the book over the movie, I watched it to compare, it was cute but I would have never watched it if I didn’t read the book first. View all my reviews  It Ends with Us by Colleen HooverMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I heard this book was great; I went into reading it without totally knowing what it was about and I got wrecked. Oh my goodness this story was amazing. It’s about breaking the cycle of abuse and the ending was just amazing and I cannot wait for her to continue this story. View all my reviews |
 A Court of Thorns and Roses Box Set by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Oh my, what I thought was going to be a lighthearted fantasy novel turned into so much more! I found a Court of Thorn and Roses in a discounted section and snagged it because the storyline sounded interesting. Here I am a month later reading another one of Sarah J Maas’ series because I am hooked. I saw a few people mention that it was hard to read, the plot took too long to develop, there isn’t enough foreshadow but in my mind that makes me want to read more because I had to know what was happening. Too often books are predictable, you know how the love story will end, the hero is who you expected, etc and I loved how that wasn’t the case. This is the story of a mortal girl, Feyre, who kills a Fae in the woods one day. She’s whisked away to Prythian, home of the Fae, where she will live the rest of her days as punishment for murdering the wolf. The story develops with Feyre and Tamlin - gets real spicy in there, and then comes Amarantha our villain. Honestly it took me a bit to figure out the whole plot of why Tamlin took her but I like that. I hate when books get too predictable. I ended up falling in love with Rhysand over Tamlin and was so glad to get more of him at the end of the book and then of course throughout the rest of the series. Through the series you follow Feyre’s story twisted with Tamlin, Rhysand, and her sisters as well. Speaking of, Nesta (eldest sister) is such a good character, so hardened and cruel which made her character development so much better - the last book was one of my favorites and centered around her. I wasn’t sure if the Fae and Faeries would be for me but I am all about it now. These books were so easy to read and the story just kept me wanting more. If you are not into spicy novels be warned there are some scenes you will need to skip because hellllloo details (not mad about it) but overall I enjoyed the story and how it had a true ending. View all my reviews  Ugly Love by Colleen HooverMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Are you in the mood to have your heart crushed? Then read this book. Oh my gosh I was so engrossed in this story, I absolutely cried, and I am so glad that the whole story was wrapped up and had closure. I have been sucked into CoHo books and this one did not disappoint, I saw a few people say they hated it because it was all about lust, and no strings attached, and blah blah blah, but you have to read it knowing it's about a hookup turning into love. Plus, Cap is probably the best character in the story and I love how he was the grumpy old man that knew best. View all my reviews  War of the Sea by Dana ClaireMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Okay so I'm not going to lie, I was a little unsure about what was going to happen in this book but I figured it sounded like something I would like because I love a good fantasy store. In the beginning you are introduced in Lou’s point of view then Rylanders. Lou is the youngest pirate captain on the Caviar Sea and is seeking revenge on her father's killer. Rylander is the royal navy captain of the Isle of Cava with his one mission of killing the Siren Queen to end the War of the Seas. Now I was not expecting this to have a mix of mythology in it so I really enjoyed that! In the beginning there was a lot of story building so once you get past that and figure out who is who, what their purpose it, and how the gods are involved, the story moves quickly. I ended up reading it in two days, and enjoyed how it ended! I really hope Claire continues this story from where she left off in the epilogue because I enjoyed her writing and this new fantasy world! I received a complimentary copy of the book from the author via Voracious Readers Only to post my honest review View all my reviews |
 Throne of Glass Box Set by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars I loved this series! I started off my Sarah J Maas experience with the ACOTR series and was so addicted I had to try her others. I loved the stories of each character, the development, and the twists. I have a full blog post coming soon about my thoughts on each book. Not as spicy as her others in case you’re looking for something with a little less heat. View all my reviews  Good Girl Complex by Elle KennedyMy rating: 4 of 5 stars Full blog post here https://www.mrsmathfashion.com/books/avalon-bay-series I had read Elle Kennedys Off-Campus series and loved the way she wrote, so I decided to try our Good Girl Complex. Of course after I finished I immediately had to get the next one in the series because I wanted both brothers stories. AVALON BAY SERIES 11/17/20220 Comments Do you get easily sucked into books? I sure do, and the Avalon Bay Series was so good I read them both in a few days! I had read Elle Kennedys Off-Campus series and loved the way she wrote, so I decided to try our Good Girl Complex. Of course after I finished I immediately had to get the next one in the series because I wanted both brothers stories. Picture I've been on such a reading kick this year and have been loving trying new authors and genres. I never used to read any type of romance novel and now I just can't stop! I first found Elle Kennedy on my Kindle and then stumbled upon these at Target. Her writing is just so easy to read and her stories just suck you in! At first I was unsure about Good Girl Complex because when reading reviews I saw quite a few people compared it to After but I wouldn't compare them at all. Yes they both start with a bet but After is much more cruel and a very intense love story with a lot of humiliating and extreme situations. Good Girl Complex starts with Cooper making a bet to get back at Mac's boyfriend for getting him fired. The small townies don't like the "clones" aka rich kids that come for school and this is where the story begins. So obviously this is the one correlation between the stories, but this is a much more lighthearted and has closure all in one book instead of needing four. I do wish there was more of an epilogue but I was okay when I started reading Bad Girl Complex because then you get more of Mac and Cooper along with Evan (Cooper's brother) and Gen's story. View all my reviews |