Two best friends. Ten summer trips. One chance to fall in love.

Alex and Poppy have been friends since college. Every summer they have taken a trip together. That is until two years ago when something ruined their friendship, and they haven’t spoken since. Poppy talks Alex into going on one final trip to try to make things right and fix everything.

I loved this book! I loved Alex and his khaki wearing, book reading, straight-laced self. I loved Poppy and her free spirited wanderlust. I loved how the book was written going from their present vacation to their past vacations. It gave such a great look into these two characters and their development throughout the story. And most of all, I loved the relationship between Poppy and Alex and how they were there for each other through good times and bad.

I enjoyed Beach Read, but didn’t love it! People We Meet On Vacation I absolutely loved, and I highly recommend it. I listened to the audiobook, and loved it. Julia Whelan is one of my favorite narrators, and she was the perfect choice for this book.

3.5 stars rounded up.

When I heard The Chosen and the Beautiful was a retelling of The Great Gatsby, I knew I needed to read it.

This story is told from Jordan Baker’s perspective, and it follows the same timeline as the original. Jordan Baker grew up in 1920’s American society and easily slips in and out of people’s lives. After all she isn’t the normal socialite. She’s queer, Asian, bd adopted so mostly thought of as exotic rather than taken seriously by her peers.

I thought the book was beautifully written although slow at times. It was an interesting take to focus on Jordan in a Great Gatsby retelling, and I liked that her character was queer. There were some magical elements though that confused me.

The story wasn’t that different than the original, and I think it would have been better had it been a new outlook on the classic. I listened to the audiobook and thought Natalie Naudus was a great narrator.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Flash Fire is the second book in The Extraordinaries series by T.J. Klune. I loved book 1, The Extraordinaries and really enjoyed book 2 as well.

Now that Nick has the superhero boyfriend of his dreams, he’s struggling with the fact that he’s just ordinary. With the arrival of new Extraordinaries in Nova City, Nick, with the help of his friends, Seth, Gibby, and Jazz, must figure out who is truly good and evil while dealing with some truths about his past.

T.J. Klune does it again! This is the third book of his that I’ve read, and I truly enjoyed it. The way he writes the friendships in these books along with the relationship between Nick and his father was fantastic. These stories are coming of age, and now that Nick is in a relationship there is a lot of sex talk. At some points it was a bit much, but didn’t take away from the overall story.

I’m looking forward to continuing this series when book 3 comes out in 2022.

Thank you NetGalley and Tor Teen for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Egg Marks the Spot tells the story of Skunk, who loves to cook and read, and Badger, a rock scientist. These unlikely roommates embark on an “X marks the spot adventure” that will help them both and uncover an amazing discovery.

I didn’t know what to expect when I signed up for this blog tour especially since I did not read the first book in this series. This book can be read as a standalone, but if you are reading with children I would recommend starting with book one, Skunk and Badger.

This was a fun read with a lot of lessons for children of all ages to learn. First is not to jump to conclusions and let others explain themselves. Second, is to be accepting of others. Third, try not to hold in your feelings or hold grudges. Finally, accept the help your friends offer you.

Although an unlikely pair, I enjoyed skunk and badgers friendship along with their quirks. I plan to read the first book and continue with the series.

Thank you Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Drew and Shane have always been best friends. When new girl Stevie enters their lives, and they both have feelings for her, that could all change. With the flip of a coin their lives will be altered in different ways.

When I read this synopsis, I totally got Sliding Doors vibes which was a movie I loved. I thought the story being told in dual timelines would be a great way to see how the coin toss would change things, but I wish it was told differently. The first half of the book was one flip and the second half was the other. I think it would have preferred if the stories overlapped to get a better idea of the characters and their development throughout.

My other issue was that I didn’t really like Drew or Stevie. Shane was a better character in my opinion. He was willing to do anything for his best friend which is admirable.

I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the narrators Bailey Carr, Dan Bitner, and Michael Crouch. I felt that were each suited well for the characters they voiced.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced listeners copy in exchange for my honest review.

Lisa and Ava seem like a normal mother and teenage daughter. Lisa is overprotective and Ava just wants her space. What Ava doesn’t know is that Lisa is hiding a secret. A secret from her past that could get them killed. When Ava rescues a boy from drowning and is photographed in the local papers, Lisa’s past comes back to haunt them.

I found the pacing of this book slow and the non-linear timelines a bit confusing. There were a few different POVs which I usually love, but they didn’t work in this one for me. I also found the ending rushed and far fetched.

Most of the narrators are unreliable, and none of the characters were particularly likable besides Marilyn, Lisa’s best friend.

Without giving spoilers, I found the storyline with Lisa’s brother horrible. It truly disgusted me which made this book unenjoyable for me.

I keep reading Sarah Pinborough’s books in hopes that I’ll find one I love, but that just hasn’t happened yet. I know a lot of people love her books though so don’t let me turn you off them!

3.5 stars

When I heard this book was a retelling of Romeo & Juliet my first thought was sign me up! I live Romeo & Juliet so was really excited to read this one. I don’t know why I waited so long to read it.

I don’t think I read the synopsis when I bought this book. I didn’t realize there was a fantasy side to this story, which didn’t take anything away from it, but I did want to point it out for anyone who might expect something different like I did.

I thought the story started off slow, and I did struggle to get into it at first. Once Roma and Juliette start interacting more, I ended up really enjoying the story. I look forward to reading book two.