elle_laine's Reviews (126)

Marian Schembari recounts her life as a child, teenager, and adult struggling with undiagnosed Autism Spectrum Disorder. Schembari received an official diagnosis in adulthood, but the journey to that point was not an easy one. From being bullied, to moving across the world, to struggling to maintain a job, Schembari dives into her life and openly invites the reader in to give us her experience as an adult diagnosed with autism.

Thank you Marian Schembari and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook version of this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

This was probably a difficult story to tell, but Schembari tells it in such a way as to leave the reader with knowledge of someone’s experience in a world catered to neurotypical individuals. I find real-life accounts, such as this one, so valuable for readers. It shows a difference of how people are raised and shows how everyone struggles, but some people struggle more because of the expectations placed on us as humans, and specifically on girls and women. 

I really loved that the author narrated her own memoir. I always appreciate it when an author is able to narrate, and this book was no exception. It makes the story so much more raw and real and like the author is telling the reader her story in person. I highly recommend the audiobook.

There has been a murder committed in the lush community on West 74th Street in Manhattan. And the only person who witnessed the murder is out to accomplish her own purposes. No way is she going to give up her secrets to the police. Eddie Flynn is on the job as John Jackson's defense attorney for the case. He knows Jackson is telling the truth when he says he did not murder the victim. But how can he possibly figure out who did when all evidence points to Jackson?

Thank you Steve Cavanagh and Atria Books for the eARC of this book. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

I greatly enjoyed this domestic murder mystery! I loved reading about the process of going through court for a murder charge and learning more about how to sway a jury. This whole book was like an episode of an epic police or lawyer show, such as The Lincoln Lawyer, but better! I liked how Cavanagh uses several different characters' voices to tell the story through their individual eyes. And I really liked how the storylines connected. I will definitely have to go back and read the other Eddie Flynn books.

This book comes out in March of 2025, and when it does, I highly recommend you pick this one up! It is a delight from start to finish, and the perfect read for anyone who enjoys a good high-stakes lawyer-oriented mystery.

•Ren is not your typical teenager. She grew up on a farm performing chores and completing school at home for as long as she could remember. But all of that is about to change as she embarks on a new journey at Corona College on a scholarship. Her parents are far from pleased, but somehow they let her go. And her life will never be the same again. 

•This was a lovely modern retelling of Tangled! I really enjoyed the characters and how the story progressed. I didn’t get super strong Tangled vibes, but I definitely enjoyed the story for what it was. I definitely recommend!

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When Riley is laid off her marketing job during the holiday season, she is dismayed. But then she finds out that her mom, Beth, had a minor accident and needs her help at the inn she runs in Riley's hometown. Riley is promptly cheered up with mugs of hot cocoa and excursions around the decorated town. 
Beth is frustrated that her accident is keeping her from running her inn with the same vigor as she is used to. But with the arrival of her daughter, the inn is brought back to life and Beth can finally enjoy herself around the holidays.
Franny just lost her sister, but her sister was sure to leave a piece of herself behind in the letters that are gradually doled out to Franny. Will Franny change her mind about the small town her sister called home?

Thank you Pamela M. Kelley and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed her are mine.

This was such a perfect book to curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea with! The storyline was so sweet and made all the characters endearing. I thoroughly enjoyed this book the entire time I listened to it.

I am glad that I listened to this book via audiobook because it just makes sense for this book. It gave all the vibes of a hallmark movie and having a narrator read it to me made the experience so cozy and enjoyable. I highly recommend the audiobook!

When disaster strikes and Edie becomes an outcast at her office, she is assigned to move back to the town where her dad and sister live to ghostwrite a memoir of a famous actor. Unluckily for Edie, this actor seems to be a difficult one. Thus begins the connection of Edie and Elliot. 💕 ✍️

This is such a delightfully funny and poignant book! I often found myself laughing out loud and gasping at all the drama. The characters are so lovable and you can’t help but cheer them on.

Edie and Elliot are together after their tumultuous meeting and whirlwind romance. But will it actually work out in the long run? Elliot's fame as an actor is only growing and Edie is finally in a good place with her sister. She simply is not going to give up her life to follow Elliot around the world as he picks up acting jobs. Is their relationship sustainable?

Thank you Mhairi McFarlane and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ebook ARC copy of this poignant and funny story! All thoughts expressed here are mine and mine alone.

This book picks up right where the first book left off which was so necessary because of how the first book ended. I really liked the continuation of how two people try to form a lasting relationship when one is a famous actor. This book tended more toward the serious side, but at the same time, upheld the hilarious nature of the first book. But that ending? Phew! It really was a rollercoaster and I felt all the emotions right alongside Edie.

I think it is so challenging to write a sequel of a romance because the reader cannot simply finish the story with "and they lived happily ever after." More context and more struggles are depicted, which is so much closer to reality than most romances portray. I really appreciated the reality of love in this book, but I was not expecting it to be so sad.

Juliet has a new neighbor. And boy is he attractive. But when her attempts to get to know Adrian do not go as she planned due to his grumpiness, Juliet decides to take a different approach at getting to know him. And (unsurprisingly) Adrian finds himself unable to ignore his cute blonde next-door-neighbor. 

Thank you Annah Conwell and Dreamscape Media for the audiobook ARC of this delightfully refreshing book. All thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.

This book was one satisfying cup of tea paired with a delightful scone. All the references to classic books was the cherry on top. Although this book had a lack of a plot, it did not matter. I greatly enjoyed cheering for Adrian and Juliet and their inevitable relationship. All the encounters between the two were like scenes from a Hallmark movie that made me kick my feet up and squeal a little.

I had no issue with listening to an audiobook version of this book. It did not add or take away from the experience. The narrators were fine even if pacing was a tad slow. You cannot go wrong with listening to the audiobook or reading the hard copy of this adorable love story!

Stella, a best interest attorney for children, takes a case with a new client who is younger than the clients she usually takes. Her name is Rose, and as a nine-year-old caught in the middle of her parents' divorce, she needs the best and most neutral advocate she can get because of recent circumstances that led her to witness the accidental death of her nanny. Or was it an accident? Stella sets out to be the best she can for Rose because she too remembers being in a vulnerable position as a child.

Thank you to Sarah Pekkanen and Macmillan Audio for the audiobook ARC of this book via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions shared here are solely mine.

This was definitely an edge-of-the-seat thriller that kept me hooked the whole time. Every time I had to set down the book, I was eager to pick it up again. That is one of the main things I look for in a thriller. I also liked the ending and how the story was wrapped up neatly. Although the main twist was not as gripping as some other thrillers are, I really liked how it all turned out.

The audiobook version of this book added to my enjoyment of the story. The narrator was excellent at putting fear, joy, sadness, and all the other emotions into each of the characters' voices. I definitely recommend getting ahold of an audiobook version of this book. What a wonderful read for the end of summer!

Chloe, a fourteen-year-old resident of a care home for troubled teens, is a suspect in the murder of one of the staff members of the care home. But DI Vera Stanhope quickly deduces that Chloe isn't a suspect; rather, she is in grave danger. Chloe must be found in order to figure out what is going on before she and others get hurt.

I received an audiobook copy of this ARC on Netgalley from Ann Cleeves and Macmillan Audio. All thoughts and opinions here are mine and mine alone.

I enjoyed the elements of the police force and those politics, but the mystery surrounding the murderers was rather disappointing. I think I knew that it would be a political and money-focused wrap-up, but it still disappointed me. I also found it difficult to follow who was who purely because this was an audiobook. Having the physical book in my hands and being able to visualize the characters better would have made it easier to follow.

The narrator did a great job of changing her voice for the characters, but she did speak quite slowly. I prefer a narrator that chugs along with the book and does not try to speak slowly. It just made the story drag on a bit too long. I was ready for the book to wrap up around hour 7. 

Quinn le Blanc is the reigning queen of the chateau. And her next target? A rich nobleman. But this con is not the same as the others. Quinn is upping the stakes and putting more on the line for this job because desperate times call for desperate measures.

I received a complementary electronic copy of this book from Alex Hay and Harlequin Trade Publishing in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

I really wanted to like this book. The idea of it was intriguing, but the execution did not quite capture what I was hoping for. The details and certain characters were too complicated and it was hard to keep everything straight in my mind. I also felt like the story was dragged out too much in the middle.

What I liked: I enjoyed the drama of the ending and the overall mystery that encompassed the story. The mystery definitely added to the story, so I am glad that was included. 

Overall, I might recommend this to someone who was looking for a historical con artist novel, but I do not see myself recommending this to all of my friends and followers.