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bookrecsbyjess
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for this ARC of While the City Sleeps by Elizabeth Camden. All opinions are my own.
This was my first Elizabeth Camden book, and I really enjoyed it! I’m definitely interested in reading more of her books in the future.
I haven’t read many books set in this time period, but I found the historical setting very well done. The setting seemed realistic, and I felt immersed in the early 1900s New York City scene.
One of the standout aspects of this story was the plot. I found it super interesting, and I liked how the author used different aspects of that time period to really add to the plot. The night workers, bomb squad, and dentist parts of the story were very educational and unique.
I also enjoyed both the mystery and romance aspects to the story. The mystery came together nicely, and the romance was sweet.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction books and interesting plots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Murder
Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Suicide
I typically love her books, but this book was pretty gross. It was all about lust, and I just couldn’t listen to anymore of it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
While I was enjoying this story, the content is just way too graphic. Not only was there too much spice, but the way people and animals were treated was too much for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Blood, Vomit, Murder
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to Hachette Audio, Forever Publishing, and NetGalley for an ALC of Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday. All opinions are my own.
This was my first Jenny Holiday book, but it definitely won’t be my last! I absolutely loved it!
There were so many enjoyable aspects to this story, but here are some of my favorites:
The characters were just so lovely. They felt real with their own personalities and faults, but I just adored each one (except for Aurora’s mother). Mike was so thoughtful, gentle, and not at all a stereotypical hockey player. I loved how good of a father he was to Olivia and how much he cared about Aurora and the other people in his life. Aurora was such a sweetheart, and I loved the relationships she formed with both Mike and Olivia. Also, Aurora’ best friend Gretchen was really fun.
Another aspect of this story that I appreciated was the mental health representation. Multiple characters had therapists to deal with trauma, and it was talked about in a positive light. Also, I thought that the author was delicate with the topic of eating disorders and parental abuse.
I listened to this book as an audiobook, and it was narrated by Joshua Jackson and Emily Ellet. This story was amazing as an audiobook. I loved how the production included sound effects like text message sounds. It really added to the story and made it feel real. The narrator voices also just fit the characters so well, and I appreciated how the narrators fit the tone of the story and added realistic touches such as the sound of yawning.
Overall, I highly recommend this book. It’s especially good if you like meaningful romances with wholesome friendships and character growth.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Grief
Minor: Death of parent
I hated the characters. Chelsea was so selfish and such an immature jerk. Basil was okay but has no good reason for liking Chelsea. Also, I felt that the author stereotyped Christians and wrote some anti-Christian comments that I hated.
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Thank you to the author for this ARC of Where You Belong by Stacy Williams. All opinions are my own.
After reading I Got You by this author and absolutely loving it, I was excited to read this book. This is book two of The Abandoned Brothers series, but this book can be read as a standalone.
This is a story about two people learning to get over past traumas in order to move forward and let others in. It’s a beautiful book with characters that feel real, and I loved several of the side characters as well.
Stacy is so good at writing an emotional romance that still feels lighthearted. I really liked these characters, and it was nice to see cameos of the characters from I Got You.
Overall, I would recommend this book if you’re looking for a romance with depth, character growth, and some fun tropes (I won’t spoil them for you).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief
Minor: Death, Sexual harassment
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I Got You by Stacy Williams is such an underrated gem! I loved everything about this book.
This is a story of dealing with trauma and overcoming your past with the help of the people around you. I Got You is such a beautiful and emotional story full of depth and wonderful relationships (romantic and familial).
I loved the characters so much in this book! They were lovable and hilarious. The strong bonds of family were so nice to see, and I loved the romance as well.
If you like closed door romance books with depth, then I would recommend this story. It’s got found family, the grumpy x sunshine trope, and is a sports romance.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Terminal illness, Death of parent
lighthearted
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC of Till There Was You by Lindsay Hameroff. All opinions are my own.
This book was an enjoyable and easy read.
I liked Jake Taylor a lot as a character; although, he did seem a bit too perfect at times. Lexi was an okay protagonist, but I found some of her decisions frustrating and immature.
I enjoyed some of the movie references such as Twilight and Ten Things I Hate About You.
While this is a sweet romance, I do feel like I have read several books that have been similar to this as far as plots go. I also felt that so much of this book was predictable, and that certain aspects were very stereotypical such as the snobby girl that always seemed to be in pictures with Jake and Jake’s manipulating manager.
Overall, this wasn’t a bad book but also not very memorable or unique. I did enjoy myself most of the time while reading it and would recommend it to people who like romance books with a lot of cliches.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent