elle_laine's Reviews (126)

•Lucy has run the Sweet River Festival ever since her grandmother died and left that responsibility to her. This summer was no different. Enter Adam, hired to run the festival for the town. Lucy and Adam immediately butt heads and trouble (with some flirtation mixed in) ensues! ☀️🍬☕️🐕

•This was such a charming small-town summer romance! The chemistry between Adam and Lucy was electric and I also loved the dynamic between Lucy, her sisters, and their mom. Such a fun, light read for the summer!

•THANK YOU @authorrebeccajojackson for the eARC! 🤗🩵

•Witches are hunted and purged. Rune must carefully guard the secret of her identity. But she isn’t just a witch. She rescues witches from being purged by the guards sent to extinguish her kind. Gideon is one of those guards. And suddenly Rune sees the advantage of a connection with him: she can use him for his knowledge on where witches are held captive.  

•This was such a delightful book! I read it in two sittings and thoroughly enjoyed the whole thing. The last few chapters made me gasp out loud! I am very excited for the next book out in this series!

Vanessa and Aaron are thrilled to finally have new next-door neighbors who have children their own kids' age. Both families instantly hit it off, especially Vanessa and Aaron's two sons, Jacob and Lukas, and the new neighbor's daughter, Rachel. But paradise does not last long for the two families and soon there is trouble brewing between the teenagers. And then tragedy strikes, and Rachel's life is in danger. Many point fingers at Jacob, but was it actually him who threatened Rachel's life?

Thank you Karen King and Bookouture Audio for the complimentary audiobook in exchange for my honest and true thoughts. All opinions expressed here are mine and mine alone.

I initially enjoyed this story and plot line and was sucked in, but the ending fell a little flat in my opinion. The buildup and mystery was definitely intriguing and I really liked the multiple points-of-view from the different characters. It gave the story more suspense and inklings that lots of characters had secrets and pasts that they wanted to keep hidden. 

I am glad that I received an audiobook version of this book as I loved how the narrator brought life to the story. For thrillers in particular, I typically enjoy audiobooks more since the narrator can give it an air of suspicion and guilt and intrigue. Even though the ending disappointed me, this was still a fun audiobook adventure and I recommend it for those who are looking for a quick summer suspenseful read.

Kelsey, hardworking and upbeat, finds herself in a hospital room after a freak accident. Sharing a room with her is successful businesswoman Georgina Tate who is hardworking like Kelsey, but in no mood to get to know Kelsey. All odds point to Georgina never seeing Kelsey again, but suddenly, Georgina finds herself embarking on a road trip with Kelsey that will change their lives forever during their summer of yes.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Courtney Walsh and Thomas Nelson Fiction. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I greatly enjoyed this sweet and charming book, set in both the big city of New York and a small town in North Carolina. The characters are lovable and interesting, including the prickly Georgina Tate. I also love that there is a touch of romance, but it does not consume the story. The description promises a journey of taking a step back from the busyness of life and examining what really matters. And boy does it deliver!

This is a wonderful and captivating summer read that I highly recommend. Courtney Walsh delivers a heartfelt journey of two women, each struggling in life in different ways, who need a change of pace.

Living in Minneapolis is not easy or pleasant for Ezra Cloud. He has some friends, but there are other kids at his school who hate him and make his life miserable. Being Ojibwe makes Ezra a target for certain kids, such as Matt Schroeder. After a tragedy occurs in the neighborhood, Ezra moves to remote Canada to learn from his grandfather where he learns many valuable lessons and truly matures and grows up.

I really enjoyed this coming-of-age story about a boy, his father, and his grandfather. I have not read many stories like this one, and I enjoyed myself greatly as the story progressed. I love how it is truly about love and family, but with some mystery and tragedy sprinkled in. 

I received a gifted audiobook ARC copy of this book via NetGalley from Anton Treuer and RBmedia in exchange for a complete and honest review. 

The audio version of this book only made it more enjoyable. The narrator, who just so happens to be the author himself, really added an extra element to this story. I think it is amazing when an author narrates their own story. The only critique I have for the narration is that it was read really slowly, so I did end up speeding up the narration a little.

I highly recommend this book as it has important themes of love, grief, and maturity. It is a well researched, well thought-out, and insightful book on growing up in a society that is not always kind to people who are different.

Cameron Prescott has a bad record of choosing the wrong men. One of those men happens to be a dead serial killer. But when new killings occur in their remote town of Tok, Alaska, questions arise concerning Cameron’s late husband and the new man in her life. Will the dead stay dead or will too many old secrets rise up, risking the lives of everyone?

This was such a spooky and chilling read. I thoroughly enjoyed it and loved how the author took me through a journey between hope and certain doom. I was kept on the edge of my seat, which left me wanting more each time I had to put down the book. I read through this book quite quickly. The only critique I have for the book is the last few chapters. The ending was happy and conclusive, but I was just slightly disappointed in the chapters that wrapped up the drama and thrill of the book regarding the killings. Having said that, I still think this is a 5 star read.

I received an audiobook ARC from Spotify Audiobooks and Audrey J. Cole. All thoughts and opinions here are mine and mine alone. 

The audiobook version of this book only made it more enjoyable. The narrator did an excellent job of bringing angst to the story and personifying the characters in a way that enhances the story. I highly recommend the audiobook version of this book. It is perfect for this summer. You will not regret picking up and listening to The Last Hunt!

This was such a delightful read! The only thing I regret is not reading it sooner. I loved all the vibes that reminded me of other fairy tales (such as Beauty and the Beast). Everything about this is enchanting and captivating. I will definitely be reading the sequel!

I read this book a while ago, but needed some time with it before writing a review. This was definitely unlike any book I’ve ever read. There was a bank robbery and a holdup. The police are panicking. What is going on inside the house where the hostages are being held? Is everyone going to be ok?

Passengers board a typical short flight that suddenly experiences some delays. No one is happy about the delays and tensions are high when suddenly a woman rises from her seats and predicts everyone’s age of death and cause of death. When the flight finally takes off and lands at their destination, no one is the same as they were before the flight. And the lady predicting the deaths? Who is she?

Thank you, Crown Publishing and Liane Moriarty, for gifting me an ebook copy of this novel in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts here are mine.

I was really unsure about what this book was going to be about, but I can tell you that I greatly enjoyed reading this book. On The StoryGraph and Goodreads, the genre is listed as thriller, but I consider this book contemporary fiction. There is an air of mystery, but thriller is the wrong term. 

An aspect of this book that I really liked was the multiple point-of-views. There were several characters that were followed and I was fully invested in each of their lives. I definitely recommend this to everyone as I can see it becoming a must-read. The themes and heavy topics discussed in this book, such as grief, life, and death, are part of reality and important for people to read and give thought to.

Since birth, Cole and Laila have been best friends. They live in the small town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado, and up until the passing of Cole's grandfather, everything was going well and both saw a future in Adelaide Springs. But upon the reading of his grandfather's will, everything changes for Cole. Facing changes, suddenly there is the possibility that Cole and Laila could be more than friends. 

I listened to the audiobook version of this delightful book, gifted by Thomas Nelson and Zondervan Fiction Audio via Netgalley. Thank you! All opinions and thoughts are mine and mine alone.
The audiobook really added to the overall enjoyment of this book because the chapters alternated between Cole's perspective and Laila's perspective. Both characters had a different voice actor to give life to the story. 

Cole and Laila and their best friends were likable characters and I was invested in the story the whole time. This was my first real taste of the best friends-to-lovers trope, and I enjoyed it immensely. The only critique I have with this book is that Cole and Laila's definite more-than-friends feelings they have for each other were discussed almost immediately in the book. I would have liked more of a build-up.