Oh, Christina Lauren - how do you repeatedly capture my heart in such a vise grip? Tanner and Sebastian - so sweet, so cute, so heartbreaking, so angsty & thought-provoking. How could I not fall in love with their love story? This book gave me all the feels.

Tanner is a bi-sexual high school senior living in Mormon Utah. Due to the environment, he is "in the closet" to everyone, except his immediate family. When his best friend, Autumn, convinces him to take The Seminar during their last semester of high school, he opts to enroll. How hard can it be to write a book in four months?

When local Mormon turned author/celebrity, Sebastian Brother acts as TA for the class, Tanner's entire world shifts. The moment he lays eyes on him he can't help but feel instantly infatuated.

His smile ruins me. The feeling makes me uneasy, a dramatic lurch that tells me I need to have him of I won't be okay.

Theirs is anything but an easy love story. Sebastian is fighting his urges, his Mormon faith deeply rooted. His struggles are evident - the shame he feels in disappointing his family and going against his religion versus the very real feelings he has for Sebastian are constantly at war within him. I loved watching him grow throughout the book and become more confident with himself.

Tanner though - he completely stole my heart! His family = #familygoals. His BFF relationship with Autumn was both complicated and beautiful. His pure love for Sebastian = #relationshipgoals! This book is also his book, his Autobiography, and the raw emotion Tanner writes with about his "love story" was poetic, honest and heartbreakingly beautiful.

Thank you Christina Lauren for this book and its message of love, acceptance, friendship, family and finding yourself.

Mary Beth Keane's novel, Ask Again, Yes is ultimately about family, love, mistakes, forgiveness and being able to move forward in life, to move past tragedy and embrace our lives - both the good and bad moments.

This is definitely not my typical type of read but I'm so glad I gave it a try. The Gleesons and the Stanhopes fully captured me. I easily found myself invested in these people as I followed their family histories through time.

Brian Stanhope and Francis Gleeson are rookie cops who meet at the academy and are then assigned to the same precinct. Years later they find themselves living next to each other, their children becoming friends and the families forever intertwined.

This is also a story that sheds light on some of the darker aspects of family life - alcoholism, mental illness, abuse and infidelity.

On a night when young Peter Stanhope and Kate Gleeson sneak out to be together, tragedy strikes causing a huge rift between the two families. The two teenagers are ripped apart from each other despite their love for each other. Can their love survive distance, time and familial obligation?

I loved Kate and Peter so much! I was fully invested in their story and how it evolved over time. Though this was a slow moving novel (which I'm typically not a huge fan of), I found myself coming back to it every chance I got. The characters were well fleshed out and Keane wrote about mental illness with sensitivity. What I enjoyed most was that the relationships were not fluffy and easy - they were messy, complicated and deeply moving. This thought provoking book is one that should not be missed!

Thank you to Mary Beth Keane, Scribner and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review an arc of this book!

4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adorable, Left Me Feeling Content Stars for Beth O'Leary's The Flatshare

This book worked its way into my heart with its:
~ slow burn romance (and I'm usually not a slow burn fan!)
~ adorable post-it notes (I LOVED reading the back & forth notes!)
~ fierce, quirky & hilariously inappropriate friends (everyone needs a Tribe like this in their life!)
~ subtle yet frank look at emotional/psychological abuse (totally unexpected but handled appropriately for this type of read)

There is unexpected depth and so much heart in this sweet little book! I had one day to read it before having to return it to the library and was worried I wouldn't be able to do it. It says a lot about the book's pull that I managed to finish it in a couple hours, in 1 sitting.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for this contemporary romantic comedy with a whole lot of heart ❤️!

This book completely stole my heart - or I guess I should say that Henry & Alex stole my heart. Yet, that feels incomplete somehow. Yes, it was a love story between the Prince of Wales and the First Son of the United States (fairytale romance anyone!) and their love story was full of swoon worthy, heart melting moments and amazing banter making it absolutely captivating but, honestly Casey McQuiston did such an amazing job with the diverse side characters in this book that it's impossible not to fall in love with everyone.

Watching Alex and Henry come to terms with their feelings for each other was just so satisfying. The emails, texts and quotes shared back and forth between them was like a bearing of their souls. It felt intimate to read, makes you feel connected to each character and undoubtedly invested in their relationship.

This book made me laugh out loud (the humor & banter was perfection!), feel heartbreak (the emotions were so intense!) and left me feeling hopeful and content (although I was sad to see it end).

This is one book you MUST place on your TBR - go place that library hold or better yet order it now! Your heart will be swooning and gushing for days (and every time you think of it thereafter!)

I was really expecting to LOVE this book. It had everything you'd want in a contemporary romance - romance, humor and emotion - so much emotion! This isn't your typical light-hearted romance. It deals with the issue of infertility and all the feelings of sadness and inadequacy that plague so many women who are not able to conceive naturally. I was all in - from the first page right up until that ending! Wham, you broke me with that ending Abby Jimenez and not in a good way. I just can't see the reason behind it. It felt like too much. I won't spoil things for those of you who haven't read it by being specific.

What really got me was that this was absolutely a solid read for me until that ending. I didn't agree with it and it took some of the enjoyment out of the book for me. I have to be honest and say that I'm a sucker for heartbreak and emotion, just not when it seems to be done for a big wow factor or at the expense of other characters just to have some supposed life-altering impact on the main character. It just didn't sit well with me and truthfully undid most of the feeling behind the book for me.

So 3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ because I did enjoy most of the book but that ending - I'd give it 1 star if I could judge it on it's own. 😢

4.5 emotionally wrought stars for this book that completely broke my heart. 💔 How It Feels to Float was beautifully written and I was completely taken in by Biz. Oh, how I wanted to pull her out of the pages and just hug her. 💖

I loved the relationships Biz built with Jasper and Sylvia. Not at all what you'd expect, but simply perfect.

Helena Fox who also lives with mental illness expertly shared Biz's thoughts, reactions and feelings - pulling us into it all right along with her. You feel as if you are struggling through the depression, anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks and dissociative episodes right along with her. I found myself trying to make sense of it all just as Biz does.

This is not an easy or light hearted read. It's full of anguish, despair and emotion. You have to be ready for that. Yet, it was also filled with sparks of healing, love and hope. Though Biz struggled with many mental, emotional and physical issues she did find the support, acceptance and love she needed.

This is one of those books that remains with you long after you turn the last page.

Blake Crouch has done it again!!! Recursion was fascinating, confusing and brilliant!

Dark Matter is one of my favorite sci-fi books of all time so I was almost scared to delve into Recursion - nervous it wouldn't live up to my expectations for Crouch. This book was ambitious. Thankfully, I had nothing to fear. Mr. Crouch's brilliant mind hasn't failed us yet.

Recursion deals with memory - preserving memory, and using it to shift our reality. What a roller coaster ride this was. Can you imagine going back into a specific memory with all the knowledge you have now? What would you change or do differently if given the opportunity for a "do over"?

Barry Sutton is a NYPD Detective who answers a "jumper" call. As he attempts to talk her down from the ledge he learns she is suffering from False Memory Syndrome - vivid memories of an alternate life. These memories feel real and those suffering from FMS have difficulty reconciling the dual memories/lives.

Meanwhile, neuroscientist Helena Smith has devoted her life to memory research. She wants to map memories to preserve them. Her greatest hope is to help people with Alzheimers, Dementia and brain injuries. Ultimately she uncovers more than just a way to map memories. Her research leads to the discovery that causes FMS. Helena and her researchers travel back into past memories. This leads to changes which cause dual timeline memories for everyone involved.

Barry and Helena's stories intersect as they find themselves face to face with the darker implications of the research. Each change comes with a cost. As more and more people suffer from FMS, mass hysteria builds. Are our minds strong enough to handle dual realities? Can multiple timeline memories coexist in the same person? Can the world handle this type of technology?

Recursion certainly made me think and question everything I know about reality. I couldn't help but wonder about those moments of deja vu we all experience. What if there was more to them? Ultimately our memories make up who we are. They are definitely powerful and I love how Crouch explored this topic. It was thought provoking, emotional and made for fascinating reading.

A huge thank you to Blake Crouch, Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the opportunity to read & review an arc of this book.

This was my first Kimberly Belle book & I couldn't put it down! Why did I wait so long to give her a try?

Beth Murphy is on the run from her abusive husband. She knows he's coming after her, it's simply a matter of time before he finds her.

Sabine Hardison is missing. Her life is anything but what it seemed. Is she on the run or has she met with a more sinister end?

Marcus, the investigating Detective will stop at nothing, tracking down leads, determined to bring the missing woman home.

Told in 3 district POVs Dear Wife was filled with secrets, lies, suspense and a whole lot of tension that kept me steadily turning the pages. If you crack this one open - be sure you have carved out a big chunk of time. This is one thriller you will not be able to simply put down.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harlequin - Park Row and Kimberly Belle for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 A string of grisly murders on Long Island, a serial killer and a BAU profiler with doubts that her father might be the killer - I was ALL IN for this book. I mean, it sounds like it could be an episode of my fave show Criminal Minds. How could I not read it? This book totally lived up to my expectations! If you enjoy mystery thrillers pick this one up - it will not disappoint.

The book was twisty, tension filled and mysterious, the writing was excellent and the main character was a strong, courageous bad a-- female! Nell Flynn hasn't seen her father in 10 years when she is forced to return home following his death. Nell's shaky relationship with her father is about to get even rockier as she is pulled in to a local investigation of a young undocumented latina sex worker that is suspected to be the work of a serial killer. Nell quickly realizes that her old hometown might be harboring deadly secrets and there are few, if any, people she can trust - including her own father.

Girls Like Us kept me on the edge of my seat, furiously turning the pages. I loved that there were so many strong females in positions of power who weren't afraid to do what had to be done in the face of men who were trying to keep them subservient. I also appreciated that these women were duty bound and determined to uncover what happened to these young women and saw them as "girls like us" despite the hometown boy consensus that these undocumented, latina sex workers were "less than" and not worthy of a full blown, intensive investigation. Nell and her FBI crew were definitely the kind of people you want to see in law enforcement and I'm hoping we might see more of them in the future. Hint, hint Cristina Alger! 😉

Huge thank you to Cristina Alger, Putnam Books and Edelweiss for an arc of this book in exchange for my honest review. Obviously, I loved it! 🥰

The Kiss Quotient was heartwarming, charming and quite steamy!

Stella Lane was completely endearing. She is smart, driven and living with high-functioning Aspergers. She also has relationship and intimacy issues. How does one overcome those? With a master teacher of course. Enter Michael Phan. He is suave, sexually experienced and a male escort. Sound familiar? It definitely had a flipped Pretty Woman vibe and you know what - it totally worked!

Amidst their "lessons", Stella and Michael discover there is much more to each other than meets the eye. They were just so cute together. Michael so patient, understanding and caring of Stella's need. In turn, Stella truly seeing him for who he is - encouraging him and accepting him. Is that a bit idealistic? Yes, it is but this is a romance novel. Isn't that part of its appeal. I easily got lost in their romance and found myself rooting for them to have their happily ever after. 🥰

Helen Hoang has firmly rooted herself as a must read author for me. We are 2 for 2 with her novels and I am beyond excited as I anticipate book #3 with one of my FAVORITE & swoon-worthy side characters! Write quickly Ms. Hoang - your readers are anxiously awaiting more steamy, romantic goodness!!!!