Clare Pooley does it again!! I was head over heels for The Authenticity Project, but I feel like Iona Iverson knocked it out of the park. It's a book about community, honesty, and kindness. I loved it on audio as the narrator helped me distinguish between each of the perspectives with ease and I felt like I really got the sense of who each character was. My boyfriend listened to parts of it with me in the car and was seriously invested! It's so easy to just sink into this book and pretend you're on the train from Surbiton to Waterloo with this eclectic cast of characters. At several points I thought to myself "okay, so it's wrapping up?" only to find that there were quite a few more hours to go. And yet? I was NEVER bored!! I feel like this is a perfect cozy book for a rainy commute or for fans of Ted Lasso.

*Thank you to PRH Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

Hoooooooly... I didn't realize this would be a horror going in, but it becomes apparent VERY quickly. The imagery is so vivid and gory with Kat's dehumanized classmates, and jarring when we flip back to the other timeline. And it hurts, it really hurts as we begin to put the pieces together. There's one moment where the narrator is just repeating the same word over and over again... my heart. This isn't a book for everyone, especially in these times, but it's such a good representation of *grief*. Now to snuggle up with a cozy happy book to get me out of these feels.

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

I love books with cute kids and romance, so this was an obvious choice for me. While the story is mostly focused on Colby and Rip adjusting to parenthood after the untimely death of Monica and Brooks, there's still quite a bit of longing and romance thrown in. We get tropes like forced proximity, fake dating, and grumpy/sunshine, though all combine in ways I've never seen before. Plus STU!! Who knew that cat poop could bring people together?

I'd recommend this book to fans of The Parent Trap and anyone who just wants to get in their feels a bit.

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

Full disclosure - This is my first time reading Julia Whelan, but not my first time listening to her. But you know how a good actor can make you feel things? Imagine a great actor recording her own book that SHE WROTE!! So many feels. I laughed, I gasped, and I got misty. The range of her accents (and her male voices) is next level.

This book works in so many ways. An audiobook narrator ends up on her own romance journey, full of all of the tropes she's so reticent about. (Like literally SO many tropes and they all spoil the story sooooo...). But I loved every bit of it, even the sad parts... And there were plenty of sad parts - from the story of how Sewanee lost her eye to her grandmother's journey with dementia - but it's also so uplifting and cozy. Annnnnnnnd the STEAM. Make sure your phone is *actually* connected to your phone, you've been warned.

*Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review and LibroFM for the gifted audiobook*

I was really disappointed by this book... And perhaps it's because it's another take on And Then There Were None, but more likely it's because there was no real TWIST! I was expecting something more. The audio was nice, but given that we're following 10 points of view.... Physical is the way to go. And after several deaths, it felt like there was no point in becoming attached to the characters. You KNOW they're done for.

I dunno, I usually really enjoy his books but this was a miss for me. The bright side is that the chapters are incredibly short, so you can get through it quickly.

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

Kitschy fan service? Yes please. This is the perfect finale to the superpowered series, with the stakes being higher than ever. And with that, we also get to see some of the most humorous scenes of the series. A how-to on an Enema gone wrong? The absolute KING that is Burrito Jerry? I was dying. I feel like TJ Klune finally hit his stride in this book - we get dynamic action scenes, wish fulfillment in the Nick/Seth romance, and some real TWISTS!

This one pushes the YA label a bit with some graphic romance scenes, but I'd still recommend it for YA fans who need something *extraordinary* in their life.

*Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

Music, magic, and political intrigue is a recipe for a good fantasy novel and Adrienne Tooley nails it. Add in a sapphic romance and the aftermath of a life of emotional abuse and you have a masterful story at work. The audiobook was a great change of pace for me, though I wish there was more *music* in it! Though it definitely leans on the younger side of YA in terms of its plot, Sofi grows so much throughout the book and makes the story worthwhile.

*Thank you to Simon & Schuster audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

I love me a gaslighty Darby Kane thriller as much as the next person. And the tension REALLY ramps up on audio, making it even better. Though I will say, the culprit here was pretty obvious from the start. I wavered between being super into the story and wanting it to just end, with some of the smaller reveals being far more climactic than the novel's endgame. That being said, it's a completely addictive novel that's perfect as a beach read.

*Thank you to Harper audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review*

I'm just... WOW. It's a perfectly executed duology - though the characters are just these sweet little disaster babies that I want to hug. There's chaos, betrayal, broody longing, just *everything* you want in a magical death tournament. This book is where everything goes to shit and if that's not where a story really starts to thrive, I don't know what is. We get to see some of the more villainous sides of everyone, but also understand what really makes them tick. And if I'm being honest, somehow Reid McTavish is my favorite??? Never would've called that.

Ultimately this is a story about so much - sacrifice, love, and hope. And in these dark times, I feel like hope is the thing we need most of all.

*Thank you to Tor Teen and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

I haven't read a good slasher in awhile and this really scratched that itch. But more than that, you get a fun flash sideways trope! I guessed the killer correctly, though I'd be a liar if I said I didn't waver a few times. But having 12 hours to solve a murder on Halloween night - which quickly turns into a spree - is inherently tense. Adding in the pressure to save your sister from her untimely death and it is just NERVE-RACKING! It reads so quickly and left me wanting some of those jack-o-lantern donuts and a cozy peacoat. It's a perfect fall slasher best read in the dark.

*Thank you to Razorbill and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*