4.5/5 stars

Thank you to Netgalley, Kate, and the publishers for an early read of this book. General warning: If you don't like reality TV/teen reality TV shows like 90210, Degrassi, etc., I'd scroll by and this won't be your cup of tea. BUT if you loved 90210, Degrassi, etc, stick around!!

General Description: Brynn spends the beginning of the 30th birthday with her roommate Josh, who she's barely spoken to in the 6 months he's been her roommate after her divorce, when she was left with a mortgage on her own. When a birthday cake shows up via an app delivery service, Brynn happily blows out the candles to wake up in her favorite TV show: Carson's Cove. However, Josh is there too. Josh has absolutely no idea what is going on. But together, Brynn and Josh have to play their parts in order to get home, But can they play their parts or will they be stuck in Carson's Cove forever?

All the goods:
- Brynn's arc throughout this book was fantastic. I feel like it was paced perfectly and I really loved her!
- Josh is the most down to earth MMC I've read in a while and it was truly refreshing.
- The entire idea of Carson's Cove had me dialed into the book the entire time.
- I felt the explanation to why we ended up in Carson's Cove and how we left Carson's Cove left be satisfied, but...

The loss of half a star:
- ...a bit of the magic to me remains unexplained that keeps bugging me related to one particular person.

Overall, if you like 90210 and Degrassi and want a book that brings you back there but focused on romance, this is your next read!

hank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader copy of this book!

4.5/5

General Description: Alex Mark's always looked up to the advice columnist in The Herald, Francis Kean. Francis gets murdered and a few months later, her job is posted. Alex decides to apply and get selected for the position. Now, closer to Francis than ever, Alex can't help but see the signs that Francis's murder can't stay unsolved for long. Can Alex uncover what happened to her hero?

The good:
- The twists in this book were immaculate. I saw nothing coming and loved every minute of it.
- The way you learn about Alex's backstory is creative and definitely on brand with the book.
- Every side character in this book add a unique element to the story, everyone felt so unique and it was easy to get lost into the world of the characters.
- A lot of tension is built, which keeps you on your toes, but...

The loss of a half star:
-...with all the tension, it does make the book a bit slow, especially in the beginning. It was hard to get into.

Overall: If you love a twisty mystery, this is your next read. I can't wait to see what Jessa does next!

3.5/5 Stars

Please note: this is the 2nd book in a duology (I hope?) so please read The Last Mrs. Parrish before you pick this up as there will be spoilers.

Description: Daphne's kids are begging to see Jackson again, and Amber needs an escape from him. When Daphne decides to bring her kids back to Jackson, Amber sees it as an opportunity to get out. However, when a ghost from Amber's past comes into play, Amber realizes it won't be as easy as she thought to leave Jackson in the dust. Who will come out on top: Jackson, Daphne, or Amber?

The interesting:
- The Daisy Ann storyline was extremely interesting.
- Amber is a villain you can't help but love honestly in this book. I was rooting for her against Jackson all the way.
- You get quite the nice resolution in this book and I'm hopeful we can leave this world alone now :)

The loss of a star and a half:
- DAPHNE'S STORYLINE MADE ME SO MAD. Anytime I was in a chapter with Daphne's perspective after she leaves California just made me roll my eyes. She was clearly still traumatized from Jackson the first time and I feel she just went way to easily, and then it just spirals. I would've just taken the Amber and Daisy Ann storylines, leave Daphne alone.

Overall: If you read the first book, no harm reading the second, but it may infuriate you.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC of Name Your Price!

4/5

General Description: Olivia and Chuck have a tumultuous relationship. When their break up goes viral, a reality show called "Name Your Price" approaches them with an offer: live together for one month and win a million dollars. Both Olivia and Chuck need the money, so when they agree, they recognize that this won't be a cake walk. With no where to go, one bed, and one bathroom, Olivia and Chuck have to decide if living together for a month will be the best thing for their relationship, or the worst.

The goods:
- I love reality tv and this book perfectly encapsulates the over-the-top reality TV scenarios that I love. If you like reality TV, you can't go wrong here. If you don't like reality tv, skip over it.
- You get complete resolution at the end of the book which I always appreciate in stand alones.
- The twists you get with the Hollywood backstory of Chuck were interesting.
- Olivia's family backstory was a unique perspective on scandal.

The loss of a star:
- I felt like Olivia and Chuck were pretty one-dimensional unfortunately. They both seemed to have one problem to fix and that was it. I wish they were able to look deeper into themselves for reflection and had more complexities.

Overall: IF YOU LOVE REALITY TV, PICK THIS UP!

3.5/5 Stars

General Description: Lucy thought she was home free from her hometown rumors around her best friends' murder. However, when a popular podcast picks up the case, Lucy finds herself in a unique position: run from the rumors, or get justice for her best friend. Lucy was there the night of her best friends murder but can't remember a thing. Can this podcast actually help her or will it solidify her as a murderer?

The good:
- The format of the podcast was exquisite to hear in the audiobook format
- It was quick paced
- I really enjoyed the resolution at the end.

The loss of a star and a half:
- The romance subplot was unnecessary and took away from the story for me.
- This book needed no spice. I don't know why there was any in this book.

Overall, if you're looking for a unique audiobook, this should be your next pick if you like mysteries in your ears!

General Description: A Mi'kmaq family in Nova Scotia makes their way down to Maine every summer to pick blueberries. However, one summer, Ruthie, the youngest of the family, goes missing. Joe, the second youngest, was the last one to see her alive. Where is Ruthie? How will this impact Joe?

The not bad?
- You get a resolution at the end.
- There are are no lingering questions.

The Loss of 3 stars:
- If I gave you more of those description, the entire book will be spoiled for you. I did not enjoy anything int he book because I felt spoiled.
- The writing was long and windy, it jumped time a bunch and was not a cohesive book.
- I clearly missed the popular mark, but this character driven story was not executed in a way where i could care about any of the characters.

Overall, if you don't like character driven books, I would not recommend it. If you like character driven books, you will probably enjoy it more than I did.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to this book!

4/5

Note: This is the 2nd book in the...whatever this is, so if you haven't read Threads that Bind, there will be major spoilers below. Proceed at you own risk!

General Description: Io has her fate spelled out to her, but she's not sure how that's going to help her when everyone she knows has either betrayed her or she cannot find. She is holding out hope on a golden thread to find the answers about her fate. Joined by the wraith mob queen Bianca, Io must set out to find the true criminal behind everything that brought her beloved city into chaos. Can she do it in time and accept her fate?

The good:
- The world is beautiful, I love the concept and it feels extremely unique.
- The mystery kept me engaged the entire time.
- I love seeing everyone's powers come to life so vividly, it was pretty each to picture everything that was happening in my head while I was reading.
- Io is a very consistent main character and really makes the story accessible.

The loss of a star:
- The pacing was a bit odd; I feel like so much would happen at times, but we'd only move forward bout 3 pages on the story? It threw me off.
- the ending was just extremely lackluster and it really took away from the entire book for me. I'm left feeling a bit confused on what is going to happen next? I'll change my review to 4.5 stars if there is another book coming out but I dont' think it's clear at the time of writing this if there is.

4.5/5 Stars

Note: While this is a prequel, I would recommend reading The Last Storm and The Last Draig first.

General Description:
Elora lost her parents at a young age and was adopted by the leaders of her kingdom. She has gone to a political meeting every year. One year, in the orchard, she meets a man named Wryn and they develop a friendship over letters. However, Wryn is not who he says he is. Wryn is Vaelor, ruler of his kingdom. What will happen when Vaelor realizes he wants Elora more than just a friend? Will he be able to tell her the truth while keeping his kingdom together?

All the goods:
- Vaelor was the character I was most excited to see (iykyk). I loved seeing the magic he had and how it was explained
- I loved seeing Elora's supportive family throughout the novel.
- It felt like meeting the side characters for the first time and I loved the feeling of seeing them grow.
- JD warns you that it's a tragedy and she delivers in the best way.

The loss of a star:
- The spice is always a bit much for me, but always makes sense in terms of the plot. Maybe one day I'll be a spicy reader lol.

Overall, if you are a spicy romantasy reader, you need to read all of JD's books. Again, I'd recommend reading this third. But that's just my opinion.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you Netgalley, the publisher, and Yume for the advanced reader copy of this book!

General Description:
Maya Hoshimoto used to be an intergalactic thief. However, now she's in college, so she's changed her way. However, one object that would take her out of retirement would be the Stardust Grail, an object that her friend Auncle could use to have children and create nodes (the intergalactic airways). When a journal from a famous explorer is found, Maya feels the grail is closer than before. Then, her friend Auncle reappears and Maya knows it's time to officially find the grail. However, the government wants the grail too. Who will get to it first?

All the goods:
- Yume is SUCH a creative. I loved the world that was built and wish I could be as creative.
- Maya is such a great main character. She's quick witted, smart, and leads with her heart which I love.
- There are some twists in this book that had my jaw on the floor.
- I would read more about the side characters and other beings in this book. I was left wanting more stories from the universe but also felt the book tied up with a bow at the end, which is a weird feeling but I was very happy with it.

The loss of a star:
- This is definitely on me as a reader, but due to me needing to essentially see a movie in my head while I'm reading. Some of the places were just very hard to imagine in my mind and it took me out of the book a bit. Maybe if I went to space it'd be easier to imagine...oops.

Overall, Yume does it again with a great sci-fi book. I feel like any sci-fi fan needs to add Yume immediately to their TBR. If you're unsure about sci-fi, I think Yume's books are also accessible enough that they are great books to introduce you to the genre.

4.5/5 Stars

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for early access to one of my most anticipated reads, and it did NOT disappoint.

Note: This is the 3rd book in the series, so there will inherently be spoilers in the description/review. Scroll at your own risk!

General Description:
Millie's back, but in her mom era. With two kids and luck in the market, Millie gets her family out of a small apartment to her dream home on Long Island. However, the cul-de-sac is not what Millie expected. One neighbor relentlessly flirts with her husband to the point where Millie is shocked her husband is allowing this, while the other wants nothing to do with her and keeps her kid on a leash (literally). However, once a dead body is discovered in the cul-de-sac, Millie has to bring back her old ways to figure out how to protect her family while finding the true murderer in the cul-de-sac. Will Millie be able to do it?

All the goodies:
- The callbacks to the other two books in the series were amazing, I loved seeing some surprising characters in this novel.
- Freida is the queen of plot twists and this is on par with the twists in the other Housemaid books.
- I like the personalities of Millie's children. They really added to the story in a way I was not expecting.
- This definitely has a lot of tensions filled, creepy vibes that kept me turning the pages until I was sad it was over. Such a fast-paced book (as always with Freida).

The loss of a half-star:
- I was expecting our most intense book yet. However, I felt it was not as intense/violent as the previous books. Which made it a bit lackluster in that aspect.

Overall, if you're read the other 2 books in the series, I don't see how you could NOT want to continue!!