I was a fan of Margaret Peterson Haddix when I was younger, so I had to pick this up based on the nostalgia factor alone. This definitely had a bit more whimsy than her Shadow Children series (thankfully), and was definitely geared more towards a middle grade audience. We follow Max and Josie, with a few narrator asides interspersed, as they navigate elementary school with a twist... That being that the "whatnot rules". I don't want to say too much, but the psychological aspects of this book were amazing! You never know who to trust, what's real, or what's going to happen next. The narrator was phenomenal, with her intonations for each character.

*Thank you to Harper Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review*

Sometimes you just need to read a sweet sapphic book with a little bit of steam, so I'm glad I finally got to this one. Did I read the series out of order? Absolutely! BUT I'm happy to tell you that it doesn't matter and you can still fully enjoy this series in any order. Elle and Darcy are so cute together, be it thrifting for ugly sweaters or trapped in an escape room. Plus this didn't suffer from your usual fake dating cliches, feeling more like a twist on the trope. I'm just OBSESSED. This book left me wanting to move to Seattle, and given how much I hate rain... that says a lot.

This book reminded me of Memento in all the best ways. It's a psychological thriller that will keep you turning the pages. I found the ending to be a bit unexpected, though I did guess the killer. There may not have been enough foreshadowing to figure it out directly (at least on the first readthrough). But Megan Goldin is the queen of leaving 1 clue 50 pages in that tells you immediately who did it, so maybe I just missed it! Liv felt tortured and manic throughout as she copes with her trauma and sleep-induced amnesia, all while trying to solve a murder. I loved the switches in time and perspective, as we also got to see how the police's investigation was proceeding. It's the perfect mix of police procedural, serial killer mystery, and intricately plotted thriller that will leave you gasping.

*Thank you to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

After reading this book, I have never wanted to visit a city that smells like urine so badly. I loved how much of a disaster Franny was and seeing her perfectly offset by the uptight Hayes. They don't have a meet-cute, they have a meet-catastrophe. The mere idea of having a dress rip up my ass on a subway train already had me rolling with laughter, not to mention the fact that it goes VIRAL on the internet after! I was smiling the entire time I read, which is honestly a feat for a romcom. Usually I find myself questioning their actions or mumbling about how that's not how it would work in real life.

BUT THIS BOOK!!! It's a realistic love story about real people who have their own issues and actual adult lives. I also now want to buy a table made out of reclaimed wood, so thanks a lot Kate Spencer. (Oh and there's just a teeeensy bit of steam for those who like it. Otherwise it's perfectly sweet.)

*Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Speechless. This book is just so many things - thrilling, speculative, surreal.. It's disorienting to read, yet flows so well. Not to mention that the audio narrator is PHENOMENAL. You can really feel Echo's pain as she adjusts to college life and the strangeness that ensues after a university hypnotist dubs her a "Chosen One". We're able to discuss institutional racism, learned helplessness, and the importance of culture all through Echo's unique perspective. I honestly can't wait to read more books by Echo Brown.

*Thank you to Hachette Audio for the ALC in exchange for my honest review*

I haven't read a long book in awhile, but this one was quite lovely. We hop between 6+ PoV's, spending major time in about 5 of them. This had the potential to be overwhelming, but Tara Sim managed it nicely. It's honestly really hard for me to pick a favorite character, though it might be a toss-up between Taesia and Nik. Or maybe Julian. Agh! I did run into some confusion at times with the world and certain characters, but I think that was fully intentional. It was twisty, dynamic, and full of representation across sexualities, races, and neurodivergence. This really reads like an epic D&D campaign tailored for a New Adult audience and I love it so much.

*Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is a slow burn of a psychological thriller that will leave you questioning everything until the ending. This combined with the short chapters kept me engaged throughout. One thing that threw me off though was how abrupt the ending felt. Without giving too much away, I felt as though it was mostly expository and lost the emotional connection. However it was still gripping and I enjoyed the 4 PoVs.

*Thank you to Dutton and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review*

This was a fun concept - a woman wakes up from a coma with the ghost of a relationship in her mind. The only problem is that the guy of her dreams doesn't exist... or does he? This was full of Angie Hockman's wit and charm, with a little bit of a sweet slow burn romance. While parts felt a little rushed, I loved focusing on Cass's law career and the flower business.

*Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I'd never read a John Scalzi book before, but I am ALL in for his books from now on and until the end of time. This book flew by and had such an interesting premise. (And Kaiju of course.) Plus the actual science discussed was very digestible (in some cases literally) and realistic. There was so much snark and humor that I barely noticed its setting of the pandemic, and going to alternate dimension really eliminates any fears you might have about the time period. There's a lush atmosphere, a cast of characters that will leave you giggling, and a plot that's honestly just FUN! I'd recommend this to sci-fi fans and newbies alike, especially if you love Godzilla.

*Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*