Should one panicked, bad choice dictate the rest of your life?  Does that split second decision determine your character for your entirety? 

 

If you need a good cry, look no further.  This is an emotional journey, especially to the tender mama heart. 

 

Kenna just got released from prison.  She’s haunted by the time she lost with her daughter, and all she wants is to finally see her daughter’s face.  But that fateful decision she made five years ago might prevent that from ever happening. 

 

This is my second CoHo, and it is vastly different from my first, Verity.  While I found the storyline lacking in depth, it did connect strongly to my emotions.  Just as I wanted to roll my eyes at the oceans of tears that Kenna (continually!) cried, I found a lump in my own throat.   

 

I read this one quickly, starting it one night and finishing it the next morning.  The short chapters  held my attention and allowed me to ponder thoughts on growth and forgiveness.  While this story felt a bit too predictable and perfect for me as a whole, I see it being another big CoHo hit.    

 

Thank you Colleen Hoover, Montlake, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

What if you could find your perfect match?  Mars has created an original and interesting premise in this fast read.

 

The storyline moves swiftly as it is told in alternating perspective.  We follow five individuals on their quest to find love.  But questions quickly arise as secrets are revealed indicating that perfect may not be the right word for these matches.  

 

What I liked:
-Concise chapters that kept me hooked. 

-Thought provoking morally gray, ethical questions

 

What didn’t work:

-Cringeworthy characters that I didn’t care about   

-Details that were WAY too outlandish and over the top

 

I see the broad appeal to this novel.  I did like the questions this book posed.  But overall, I just didn’t care about the characters and what happened to them, making this book a bit of a miss for me.  

 

 

I didn’t get to read as many holiday books as I had planned over Christmas.  BUT.  This book.  It made up for all of the ones I didn’t get to.  I was completely drawn into this delightful book!  

 

Duke Actually was exactly what I wanted in a holiday read… a bit of a fairy tale, enemies-to-friends-to lovers story that referenced Love Actually and Dirty Dancing.  Need I say more?  

 

Dani never expected to invite Max into her world.  She had sworn off all men, and her focus was on her career.  Plus, Max had quite the reputation as a playboy, and Dani had no use for men like that.  But after a spur of the moment invite, Dani quickly realized that Max could make a great ally…and maybe even a good friend.  

 

What I loved most about this book was how Dani and Max cultivated such an enviable friendship.  First and foremost, they were friends.  And when that friendship bloomed into something more, it made that slow build 100% worth it.  

 

The holidays may be over, but I wouldn’t brush this one off just because it’s holiday themed.  It’s a story worth reading any time of year.  But if you’re determined to keep festive reads in the November-December timeframe, make this book top of your 2022 holiday list!  

 

Thank you Jenny Holiday, Avon, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

A crazy, twisted, WILD ride!  As I finished this book, all I could think was, “WHAT did I just read?”  

 

Camille Gardner is obsessed with vengeance.  Her daughter is dead, and the man that’s responsible is not just living a full, free life.  He’s also being bestowed a humanitarian award.  Just as Camille’s anger threatens to upend her, a stranger approaches, giving her an option she never knew existed.

 

This isn’t your typical tale of revenge.  This is a group of grieving mothers taking justice into their own hands. There’s that old adage about a woman scorned.  But that is nothing compared to mothers set on retribution.

 

This book made for a great discussion with my book club.  So many grey areas and morally ambiguous ideas.  Just where does that line between justice and revenge fall? 

 

 

What a book!  This was one of my most anticipated rom-com picks for 2022, and it did not disappoint.  This is a romance with depth and heart!

 

Russel and Ari team up to “Parent Trap” their bosses, but as they plot and scheme for others, real sparks start to fly between the two of them!  The romance that unfolds is a messy reflection of real life that is beautiful and spicy!  (That pajama scene! 🔥)

 

Solomon created characters that are authentic and loveable yet also flawed. When Ari got tipsy, threw her hair in a messy bun, and started problem solving… I wanted be her friend.  And then there is Russel…  Total sports dude that is sensitive and thoughtful and can also rock a dad-bod.  I won’t even get started on how attractive it was to watch him with his daughter.  Melt. My. Heart.  These are characters I wanted to get to know and root for.

 

But they aren’t perfect.  Solomon unpacks some important themes through Russel and Ari.  Both are professional individuals dedicated to growth and success even while struggling.  The focus on mental health, self-awareness, depression, therapy, and medication is well executed through these characters without ever feeling heavy handed.  It brings an honest spotlight to its importance in a relevant and thought provoking way.  

  

This book is a complete treat.

 

Thank you Rachel Lynn Solomon, Berkley, and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

“It has been observed that birds feel a sort of pain before taking off, almost like fear and that nothing alleviates that feeling except the rapid motion of wings.”

 

Heart wrenching and utterly compelling.  This book completely captivated me and took me through the gamut of emotions.  Even days (and another book) later, No Land to Light On still sits deep in my soul.  

 

This is the story of Hadi and Sama, Syrian refugees very much in love, expecting their first child, and planning a future steeped in freedom.  The American dream is vivid and personal to them.  But very quickly that dream collapses as Executive Order 13769 strips away the very hope that the United States once offered to them.  

 

Zgheib’s storytelling is poetic and lyrical. I was drawn in from the first page and couldn’t put it down until last.  And when I turned the final page, I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to them.  I found the added details about migratory birds perfectly symbolized the plight of these refugees, not having a place to call home.   

 

Although the premise is rooted in The Muslim Ban, Zgheib takes great care to make this a personal story rather than a political one.  It is a raw portrayal of the immigrant experience, giving a human face to the stories we hear in the news. It’s a look at how fragile and transient the experience is, full of both hope and desperation.  

 

I loved this book immensely and cannot recommend it highly enough.

 

*As a mom of a NICU baby to fellow NICU moms:  this book gives vivid detail of many of our experiences.  

 

Thank you Yara Zgheib, Atria, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.

“I’m not sure if this raw version of me even existed before,” said Laura.  

“She was always there,” he said.  “You just hadn’t met her yet.”

 

Heartwarming and sentimental with plenty of sigh worthy moments! Just Haven’t Met You Yet was exactly the pick-me-up I needed, and I devoured it in one sitting.  

 

Laura is host of the popular “Love Life” spot where couples tell their swoon-worthy meet-cute stories.  Her own parents had an epic love story, and Laura won’t settle for anything less.  Off on assignment, Laura accidentally grabs the wrong suitcase. But was it really the wrong suitcase? It appears to hold evidence of her perfect mate!  Maybe this is fate’s way of intervening!  Will Laura finally get her own idyllic love story?  

 

I really loved the main character, Laura.  She felt authentic and relatable, struggling with ideology that plagues many modern day women.  That juxtaposition between longing for a partner while definitively taking control of your own future is adeptly undertaken.  Can I be a bit of both Meg Ryan circa 90’s rom-coms and also an empowered, dissenting RBG?!  

 

This book oozes charm!  From Phil Collins to flying tampons to seedy chaise lounges (I may never look at a chaise lounge the same!), I had a smile plastered on my face as I turned page after page compulsively.  It had everything I love in a good uplit: main characters I wholeheartedly root for, an endearing cast of supporting characters, the loveliest “take me there” setting, and a message that made my heart grow three sizes.  

 

Cousens charmed me last year with This Time Next Year.  But she’s at her knock-your-socks-off-best with Just Haven’t Met You Yet!     

 

Thank you Sophie Cousens and Putnam Books for a #gifted copy of this book to read and review.

 

What a wild and twisty ride!  Was it entertaining?  Yes!  Was it convoluted and completely surprising?  Also YES.  If you’re looking for a  book that’s fast paced and shocking, look no further.

 

Sam and Annie are the perfect newlyweds.  So in love, they celebrate their anniversary every week.  But not long after moving to upstate New York to be near Sam’s aging mother, Sam goes missing.  There’s absolutely no sign of Sam, but the secrets he has painstakingly kept quickly surface.  

 

My best advice: Go into this story blind.  While the story ends a bit implausibly, the ride you take to get there is definitely worthwhile.  That first twist had me gasping and rereading.  What?!  How?! And that was just the first of several well plotted twists.  There were clues I could’ve picked up on.  But those assumptions pulled me in, and I enjoyed each surprise along the way.  

 

In order to best appreciate the ending, there is a need for suspension of belief.  In today’s day and age, it’s not nearly as easy to garner medical supplies, much less narcotics.  And as the story moves into the portion that pays homage to another hugely popular novel, it becomes a bit too familiar, bogging down the twists that were so well executed earlier.  

 

Ultimately, I was able to put aside those details for the sake of the overall crazy journey, allowing me to enjoy this compulsively twisted read.  

 

Thank you Aimee Molloy and Harper Books for a #gifted copy of this book to read and review.

 

 

“This is a Hallmark movie.  Or a poorly written YA novel.  That will not sell well.”

 

This line was perfectly executed, and also *oh so wrong.*  (insert scene: author laughing all the way to the bank.)  This is a rom-com that hits all the right notes from tropes to plotline to characterization to steam, and also manages to make fun of itself.  

 

What I loved:

 

🔬Intelligent characters in an academic, scientific environment.  

🔬Rom-com tropes acknowledged and made fun of by the main character, Olive

🔬Witty Banter and snarkiness between love interests, Olive and Adam

🔬That Olive is both smart/competent AND emotional.  (Women can be both!)

🔬Swoon-worthy lines

🔬Perfect cast of supporting characters 

🔬Important messaging

 

🔬Almost EVERYTHING

 

  This book really has it all.  It’s a stunning debut.  I will be watching for whatever Hazelwood does next, which I hope features Malcolm!  

 

Expansive historic fiction set during the nearly half century long struggle for Korean independence.  From courtesan chambers to the streets of Seoul ripe for change to war impoverished homes, Kim’s debut is a sweeping tale of love, desperation, longing, and expectation. 

 

There is a depth to this narrative.  Following a full cast of meaningful characters, Korea is the standout, main character.  It’s evolution from struggling to thriving to impoverished to hopeful is well developed and evocative.  

 

The meaningful cast of characters is developed around the Korean ideology of Inyeon, the belief that all human encounters and relationships are destined, creating ongoing ties to one another.  That thread of connection is adeptly executed within each association in this novel from beginning to end, none going to waste or superfluous. 

 

I particularly enjoyed watching Jade, the primary character, as she blossomed throughout this novel.  Her gender and societal station put her at a disadvantage, but she never let that hold her back.  Harnassing inner determination and resolve, Jade continually found a way to push past boundaries, fighting for happiness, survival, love, and purpose.  

 

This book is exceptionally executed in all literary respects.  It’s certainly hard to believe it is a debut.  I will be on the lookout for whatever Kim does next.  

 

In reading this novel, I partnered the text and audio, which worked incredibly well.  The text allowed me to more easily keep track of the characters, while the audio created a depth, hearing proper pronunciations and character voices. If possible, I highly recommend combining modalities for this novel. 

 

Thank you Juhea Kim, Ecco Books, LibroFM, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an advanced copy of this book.