emmreadsbooks's Reviews (1.28k)

This book really gets the cozy mystery right. Just because a book is meant to be warm-hearted doesn't mean that everything has to go *just right*. Lila is dealing with trauma from A&A (rightfully so), and it influences her actions and behavior in H&H-H. But I feel as though we get to see more of Lila in this book - through her food, her conversations, and of course in a new investigation. I loved the addition of the town's beauty pageant, as it's just the sort of activity that gets the locals riled up. There are still hints of romance throughout, glorious rep across races and sexualities, and aaaaaamazing recipes in the back.

So it's official... I'm moving to Shady Palms. Meet y'all at Tita Rosie's!

*Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This is a cute book reminiscent of Heartstopper and The Passing Playbook. We follow Luca as he recovers from a career-ending injury and deals with transferring high schools and homophobes. Luca is a headstrong teenage boy and his behavior is true to that - he can be kind of a butt at times! But navigating high school is hard enough, without adding in making new friends and trying to suss out if the cute rowing captain is straight. For all of the trials that Luca goes through, I think that the tone of the book is warm-hearted and we get to see a supportive father-son relationship (something lacking in many LGBT+ books and reality). I'd recommend this for fans of dance lit and sweet romances!

*Thank you to TBR and Beyond Tours and NetGalley for the eARC*

Y'ALL. This book is definitely a trademark BOTM thriller - addictive and impossible to put down. The idea of grief-stricken women forming a killer collective on the dark web is far from farfetched. The intricate plotting for these crimes blew my mind - from acquiring the weapons to the detailed GPS directions, it was just ornate. I got a little bit lost with all of the names being thrown out for the women that Camille meets, not to mention the numbers on Kaya, but I was completely enthralled. If you need a good thrill for an evening, this is the book for you.

This is the Office encyclopedia - everything you ever wanted to know about this crazy series, plus a little more. I listened to this on audio and loved hearing Brian's voice as he interviewed everyone. The only downside was that he was the only original cast member on tape. Everyone else was voiced by a different voice actor, so it got a little bit difficult for me to keep them straight. It was so interesting hearing how a show is developed, from a pilot episode to casting to a heartfelt finale. Plus all of the fun tidbits about behind the scenes just bring so much dimension to this book. I want to go rewatch the series now!



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

It's breathtaking, really. The world she crafted based on Chinese mythology feels truly magical and immersive. While a lot of the worldbuilding is never laid out for you verbatim, I felt as if I really got to experience the world. There are many twists and turns in the plot, some of which I'd never expected, and just OH SO much content! I feel like most books would pick 2-3 of the plot elements for a single book, but we're blessed with 6. And even better, I have no idea what's going to happen in the sequel (i.e. there's NO cliffhanger thank goodness!). I'd classify this book firmly in the NA fantasy camp, purely due to its inherent readability. A 500 page book seriously flew by just due to how clear the writing was.

Basically I loved it and you will too.

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

I didn't think that I'd like this book as much as I did. Romeo and Juliet was never my cup of tea, but this was a fun interpretation. The names were slightly altered so a fan would be able to pick them out, but it didn't feel as though it hampered the story in any way. I loved the food, the familial tension, and the take on the classic Capulet and Montague feud. The book is infused with culture from the casual spanish to the way she describes Chicano Park. It's a heartfelt ode to Latino culture with a steamy romance on the side.

*Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

It's been a long time since a book had me literally screaming - it was like watching a horror movie and yelling "Don't go in there!" at the screen, but romance edition. Except of course, in the best way possible. Kamila is so vibrant and beautifully herself and juxtaposed so nicely by the seemingly uptight Rohan. Add in that Farah Heron writes about food and love in the same steamy way, and you'll have a book that leaves you hungry and... y'know. I didn't realize that this was an "Emma" retelling at first, but the parallels work so well here. We have amazing friendships, a friends to lovers story, and a metric ton of biryani. What else do you need? (Puppies, obviously)

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

I don't think that I really knew what I was getting into when I started this book, and I'm honestly not sure if I fully understand what I read. But it certainly met the southern gothic brief, I'll give it that. I think my issue with it is that I felt disjointed from all of the action. I loved the LGBT rep and the incorporation of magic, but the rest kind of fell short. However it's certainly an odd book and I think that there's definitely a place for it in the horror genre. Just not for me.

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

I feel like this book was trying too hard to toe the line between romance and thriller and ended up being neither. We didn't really get to know Rose, so I was left not caring about her death. I saw every "twist" coming, which left me wondering if they were really meant to be twists at all. I did enjoy the romance between Ben and Becca (which we all knew was coming, so it's not a spoiler), but it definitely detracted from any building suspense. But with all of those complaints, it's still compulsively readable. So maybe it's just a guilty pleasure book for me, who knows?

*Thank you to Wise Wolf Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

This was my first book of Alexandria Bellefleur's, but it definitely won't be my last. I am just SWOOOOOOONING for this book. Queer romance? Check. Enough steam to fog up a shower? Double check. The absolute cutest meet-cute + forced proximity? CHECK CHECK CHECK. I loved how the romance progressed throughout the book, especially with the classic Act III conflict. Y'all know how much I hate the classic miscommunication trope and I'm so pleased that this book didn't go in that direction. While I did read this series out of order (and absolutely no one is surprised), I regret nothing because now I get to go back and enjoy all of the other couples!

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