1st read of 2025...trying to be better about reviews this year, we'll see how long it lasts...

I actually wrote down a quote from this book in my planner, that's how enthralled I was.

The goods:
- As someone who loves puzzle, I love Maddie's quirker hobby and how she explains her personality towards people she's comfortable with vs at work. I feel like I can relate to her a lot.
- The idea of having tasks set forth to you by your deceased brother is definitely a reason to travel the US and I love how present that was throughout. you never forget what Maddie and Dom are doing, just like grief sometimes cannot leave us.
- The side plot involved the Perry twin brothers was a breathe of fresh air constantly and I would not be against following their stories in another book.
- The ending was literally perfection. I cannot think of a standalone I've read recently that has left me as fulfilled and satisfied as this one.

The loss of a half star (sue me)...
- There was just tooooo long of a stretch of spice. Like, after the 3rd scene in a row, I got the point and wanted to get back to the plot of the book.

Overall, if you can handle a romance book with heavier topics (definitely read the content warnings), I would highly recommend this one, even if I did think it was too spicy at one point.

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

General Description: Anna, Rhea, and Maggie find themselves in charge of a private school gala. However, the three of them quickly discover that something isn't right at the school, which isn't great because Anna's married to the headmaster, Rhea is the PTA president, and Maggie sends her kid there (well, they all do). On top of the school concern, each woman is reaching a pivotal point in their life that completely shakes up their life. Can the women figure out what's going on in the school, and get over whatever hardship is thrown at them in their personal lives?

The goods:
- I really loved Anna, Rhea, and Maggie. While all have their faults (and secrets), I really liked all of them.
- I thought the audiobook narrator was fantastic!
- I liked the number of plots you get in this book, it kept me engaged the entire time.
- The TWISTS in the book were insane to me. I predicted literally nothing.

The loss of a star:
- A major plot twist happens that is just never explained. And it continues to bug me even weeks after I finished the book, so I can't give it higher than.4 stars as I know it'll never be explained.

If you're looking for a mystery novel with older MCs and a found family trope, this is the next book for you!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book early.

General Description: Jessa has always been the perfect girl. She hates staying home alone, especially with a serial killer on the loose, so she invites her 3 friends over. 1 friend has been drifting away but surprisingly shows up. However, when the power goes out and a storm rages outside, and more than just Jessa's 3 friends are in the house. Will Jessa and her friends survive?

The goods:
- I felt like the audiobook narrator did a good job and I could tell who was talking when, which made the story easy to follow along with.
- There were a few good twists in here that kept me on my toes. 
- The book was wrapped up nicely at the end and left me with no questions.

The loss of 1.5 stars:
- It felt like there was just too much crammed into one book. I felt like we got 2 different stories that hardly overlapped, and then another plot line that did not need to exist. It just felt like a disjointed story that was tough to follow at points.

Overall, if you need a thriller, this is okay, but there are other high-action ones out there that don't feel so clunky.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early.

General description: Quinn moves to be closer to her grandmother, but thankfully she left a toxic ex-friend group behind. however, starting at a new school in the middle of winter is never easy. Luckily, Quinn falls in with a livestream D&D crew, with one member specifically catching her eye: Logan. But when Quinn learns of the no dating rule, Logan quickly turns against her. Quinn really wants some new friends, including Logan, but maybe she was wrong to join this group. Can Quinn manage getting into another friend group, or will she be burned like she was before?

The goods:
- I ADORED the action brought forth by the D&D campaign. It was so fun to see more of D&D in the traditional sense vs in Dungeons and Drama.
- The side plots in this book only added to the depth of the story.
- Everything wrapped up very nicely which I appreciated.
- I loved Quinn's personality and I feel like Logan matched her very well in this book, along with all the side characters. Everyone (except a select few) were fantastic.

The half-star off:
- There is one point that in my opinion makes this a very YA book but I didn't feel it was necessary. It took me out of the book for a few minutes.

Overall, I'd highly recommend if you love D&D or if you're looking for a cute YA romance to read next!

Thank you to Sourcebooks and Netgalley for an advanced e-arc of this book. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it DID NOT disappoint. 

General Description: Brooke Goodwin is on her redemption arc. After an accident at her party in September, she's finally going to make her parents proud by getting into Yale. Of course, she has to celebrate with her friends. And of course, she lies to her parents about the party. It doesn't matter that someone has been harassing her about the accident over the past few months, Brooke deserves a break. On the way home from the party, after a scary encounter at said party, it seems the harasser is finally ready to actually pressure Brooke to make a decision: tell the truth about the accident, or die. What will Brooke do, especially with her best friend in the passenger seat, going 90 miles an hour in the dark, and with no cell service. Will Brooke walk away alive?

The goods:
- I was actually scared during some of the scenes, which I feel like hasn't happened in a thriller in a while.
- I did not see any of the twists coming at all. The characters have you on your toes the entire time.
- I feel like this was a departure from That's Not My Name in the best way. It wasn't a recycled story line and felt unique. I don't think I've read a thriller like this in a minute.
- This was an extremely fast paced read that I wish did not end.

The loss of a half-star:
- I just wish it wrapped up a bit better. I feel like I still had questions at the end. I thought the ending was creative, but I wish it was just a bit clearer.

Overall, if you're looking for a fast-paced, heart-pounding, and twisty thriller, this should definitely be on your 2025 TBR.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book!

Please note: This is the 2nd book to "The Davenports". If you have not read "The Davenports", there will be spoilers below!

General Description: Following the 4 women of Chicago's upper crust, we have Helen, who, with the help of her brother and a race car driver, trying to usher her father's carriage company into the future by producing a car. Helen's older sister Olivia is exploring a new love interest and finding her voice in the suffragist and civil rights movements. Olivia and Helen's old friend Amy-Rose had gone to NYC to sell her hair care product, and that was successful! So successful, she was able to get her salon off the ground in Chicago! However, Amy-Rose must handle grief and navigate love while trying to keep her business afloat. Lastly, Ruby's awaiting marriage and trying to find her own footing in a society that is slowly turning against her.. How will the four women fair?

The goods:
- I definitely enjoyed this more than book 1. I liked how we got to see each story continue.
- Helen's storyline was so interesting to me and I loved the business side we get to see of her when creating the car.
- Ruby's and Olivia's perspectives on standing up for themselves was inspiring (and honestly I hope we see more of specifically Olivia's)
- Amy-Rose is my favorite character. Her pushing through so much grief to keep her dream alive just made my heart smile as i read it.

The loss of a star:
- It was a slower start overall and I wish I had a bit more back-pacing done, considering you had to remember the multiple perspectives from b00k 1. It also feels like we may get another book? I feel like it's open for that.

overall, if you liked book 1, definitely check this one out!

Thank you to Forever Publishing for an advanced copy of this book!

General Description: Magda and Mackenzie have been town rivals for the last decade. Magda has had a dream to be on Cake Off and she finally gets in. However, and what Madga won't find out until the last possible second, is that this is the Archrival season of Cake Off, meaning that Mackenzie will be competing against her. What will that mean for their rivalry? Will all be revealed on camera, or will they find some common ground on national television?

All the goods:
- The reality TV show aspect was so fun. I love the Cake Off idea and the drama around the TV show was excellent.
- Magda was such a fun character. I truly felt the enemy-to-lover pipeline was done so well because of Magda's attitude and arc.
- Mackenzie was a great main character. I really loved seeing his perspective and struggle throughout the book.
- I feel like the challenges in the reality TV show were described extremely well and made me hungry. Would recommend snacks while reading.

the loss of a half-star: This is DEFINITELY on me, but I felt a bit lost in some conversations 

Overall, if you're looking for a reality TV show-based romance book, you'd enjoy this and should add it to your TBR!

General description: Matt Pines is at the center of our story. However, he's not been at the center of his family. Matt is in New York trying to ignore all the attention his brother's documentary has gotten. His brother, Danny, was convicted (under a false confession ) of killing a young woman and the documentary brought the story to the national audience. Matt's parents and siblings were involved in the documentary. However, when Matt's parents and siblings travel to Mexico, they wind up dead and Matt is left to figure out how to free his brothers and get justice for the rest of his family. Luckily, the FBI is on the case, but can they figure it out?

The goods:
- I did enjoy most of the ride we took trying to piece together the multitude of mysteries.
- I liked being able to see the multiple perspectives in the case, and I felt jumping time made sense in this book.
- I thought having the FBI was an interesting perspective, and that entire subplot involving the FBI was one I was not expecting, but enjoyed.

The loss of 1.25 stars:
- I did listen via audio and I really think the narrators did not do the book justice. Luckily, there is a male and female narrator to help distinguish who's speaking, but that's as different as it gets.
- The ending seemed odd and thrown in there. It was a twist, but one that truly came out of no where that bugged me.

Overall, if you like books with multiple mysteries going on at once, and can handle jumping back and forth not only in time but in perspectives, you'd most likely enjoy this book!

Note: This is the 2nd book in a duology, so please read Foul Lady Fortune 1st before moving forward. There will inherently be spoilers. Proceed with caution!

General Description: Rosalind is on the hunt for Orion, but can't be so obvious. So she goes under the guise of touring the country since she can no longer hide behind the mask of Fortune. Celia, Rosalind's sister, is working with Orion's brother Oliver on the Communist side of this battle and is also searching for Orion. Who will find Orion first? 

The goods:
- I loved the resolution of the duology, it was extremely satisfying (especially the extra epilogue in the Barnes and Noble edition was great to read).
- I thought the plot lines were extremely smart, guiding us through the twists and turns without overwhelming the reader.
- The romance in this book was appropriately YA, which I thought was very sweet.
- I liked the writing of the action scenes, I felt like I could see everything happening like a movie in my head.

The loss of a star:
- I don't think it's officially said, but I really felt lost in this book because I have not read These Violent Delights and Our Violent Ends. I wish it was clearer to read that duology first as I think it would have enhanced my reading experience. You get a lot of characters from the Violent Delights duet in this book that I feel like you lose context on if you don't read that duology.

Overall, if you liked Foul Lady Fortune and have read These Violent Delights and Our Violent ends, I would recommend you continue!

General Description: Jo works in a movie theatre in a mall. It's the last day at Jo's workplace because the movie theatre must shut down to allow for renovations/destruction of the mall and theatre to occur. However, when Jo's manager goes off the traditional schedule, Jo and her co-workers have to figure out how to approach him to get their keys and phones back from the locked safe. When the lights go out, and a dead body is found, Jo quickly realizes it is a life or death situation to get out of the movie theatre/mall with as many co-workers as possible. How many will make it out alive?

The goods:
- I know the book is titled 4 found dead, but the journey of the deaths was interesting and twisty.
- I have not read a lot of books where they take place in one setting without the folks leaving, but i felt like this was dynamic enough of a place where it kept me engaged in the book without itching to leave the theatre/mall.
- The side characters were all different and made me root for each of them in their own way (well, except the manager. he sucked).
- I did not really see any of the twists that came in this book, which kept me on my toes.

The loss of a star:
- Half a star off -- It was a bit slow and confusing in the beginning, especially once you get further in the book because...
- The other half star off -- ...I feel like there were some plots that were not completely tied up, and for this being a stand-alone, I want all the plot holes tied up.

Overall, I would recommend the physical book over the audio due to the narrator, and if you're looking for a book set in one place, with lots of tension and twists, this book should be next on your TBR!