endless_tbr_list's Reviews (537)

A delightfully breezy, low stakes romance! Lydia McKenzie has done the unimaginable - well, for her - and signed up to participate on her architecture firm's team for the New York City Marathon. Now she's got five months to become the kind of woman who runs 26.2 miles for fun to avoid embarrassing herself in front of her boss. Enter Luke Townsend, personal trainer and the man Lydia almost doused in coffee the day prior. Between nachos, youth center visits, and a whole lot of running, Lydia and Luke find themselves spending quite a bit of time together, and so what if there's chemistry there, they can be professionals.

Quick and relatively straightforward, Meet Me in a Mile is a sweet romance with a spicy flair. I enjoyed watching Lydia's confidence grow and seeing her remind herself why she loves the work she does, and Luke is an absolute sweetheart with so much passion for helping others, it just made me smile. They, along with the small but charming cast of supporting characters, made for wonderfully fun read!

Thank you to Afterglow Books, Harlequin, and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

One thing about me, I’m always going to read an Austen inspired work, and Recommended Reading and its Emma-influenced tale did not disappoint!

After a very public, very disastrous love confession leads to losing his campus bookstore job, and almost being kicked out of the college before classes even begin, Bobby Ashton finds himself the latest hire at his uncle’s small bookstore. This is so not how his perfect pre-college summer is supposed to go. Yet as the days progress things start to look up - he’s becoming the town’s go to for book recommendations, his uncle’s letting him spruce up the shop a bit, and there just might be something happening with Luke, the anti-romantic lifeguard who keeps popping up.

Occasionally awkward, wonderfully snarky, and absolutely unashamed of who he is, Bobby made this book a complete joy to read. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I cannot get enough of YA books that are unapologetically YA. Dramatic and emotional, just as Emma should be, this novel was a delightfully fun escape into the world of teenage romance. 

Thank you to Zando Young Readers and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Catherine Lipton is a rule follower, organized, always early, and absolutely exists! Or at least she did, until the HR department for the university rejects her new hire paperwork because there's no record of her in any government systems. With no credit cards and no ID, losing her new position is a fast becoming a reality and leaves Catherine scrambling for ideas on how to prove to someone that she's a real person. Enter Luca Morelli, her building's attractive, charismatic, and frustrating doorman, and the only person who offers to help Catherine try and get her life back.

A bit different from your usual romance, I loved that this story focused on Catherine and her journey to 'find herself' in more ways than one. Luca is such an easy character to love - from his interactions with the building's elderly tenants, to his multitude of familial connections, we see that he's thoughtful and kind, but with a playful side that brings out a similar lightheartedness in Catherine. He's good for her and helps her see the world in a different way. Wish I Were Here is infused with the same magical realism that I loved from The Second Chance Year, making it another wonderfully heartwarming novel.

Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

Samantha Harker, daughter of Johnathan and Mina Harker, is a researcher for the Royal Society for the Study of Abnormal Phenomena. Usually she's buried in the library working to assist the Society's many field agents, but this time she's managed to talk her way on to a case. Teaming up with Dr. Helena Moriarty, the daughter of the infamous professor, Sam sets off for Paris to investigate a recent string of gruesome murders. Though Sam quickly finds she might be a bit out of her league in the world of field work, she's not as useless as some might think, for much like her mother before her, Sam is a channel and can see into the minds of the monsters they're hunting.

Set in and underneath the streets of Paris at the turn of the century, Strange Beasts was a wonderfully entertaining tale of mystery, murder, and monsters. Initially filled with suspicion and secrets, it was fun to watch Sam and Hel's relationship change as the story progressed, as well as learn why each woman chose to pursue this case. Although currently a standalone, it's clear this is a world made for more adventures, and I would not be surprised, or sad, to see a sequel in the future.

Thank you to Bindery Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

In undergrad I double majored in History and English Literature, as such, The World in Books was an absolute pleasure to read and resulted in the addition of multiple books to my to-be-read list. By laying out the 'rules' governing his choices, the reader was able to better understand the reasoning behind which books were included and which were not. There are so many incredible and influential works in existence, yet it's obvious they could not all be included - though I greatly appreciated the addition of a 'What To Read Next' section at the conclusion of each entry, as well as the '52 More of the Great Short Books that Make Us Think' appendix at the end. To avoid spoiling the fun I won't go into any of the specific works chosen, but I will say that they cover a wide range of topics and extend from B.C.E. to modern day, therefore truly encompassing some of the most significant and thought-provoking nonfiction books throughout the world's history.  

In terms of formatting, Davis did a wonderful job of structuring the book so that you progress through the centuries alongside the works, starting in ancient times and bringing you right up into the 2020s. Each entry is also subdivided into five sections - Opening Words, Summary, About the Author, Why You Should Read It, and What You Should Read Next, which breaks up the text is a lovely way. By including these subsections, Davis is able to provide a significant amount of information about each work and it's author, without giving too much away about the actual book, thus largely leaving the experience of reading and interpreting the work to the reader themselves. 

For a book about books, this never felt dry or drawn out, and each entry was as long as it needed to be to convey the information it needed to convey. Well written and well paced, this is one of those books that reminds me why I love nonfiction, and I'm so very pleased for having been given the chance to read it.

Thank you to Scribner and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

An epic tale, Prelude of Fire has some truly wonderful world building! Magic takes takes both musical and elemental forms in this novel and I very much enjoyed how detailed those scenes were. By giving descriptions of the look and feel of the magic, it really helps the reader picture its effects as well as the process behind wielding it. I also appreciated the diversity in the large cast of characters, though at times it could be difficult to keep everyone straight, but I did feel that each person had their place and purpose within the story so it never felt needlessly busy. 

This is a long book and is not necessarily a fast read, but I enjoyed the adventure it took me on! It was clear a lot of planning went into the story, and it paid off - though climax did feel a bit rushed, especially given the novel's length. Overall a fun YA fantasy read, and I will be curious to see what's in store for the sequel.

Thank you to the author, Christine E. Schulze, for the digital ARC in exchange for my honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Showmance is a heartwarming tale of community, love, and of course, musical theatre. After another crash and burn situation with his latest musical, and his father's recent heart attack, Noah Adams finds himself of a flight back to Plainview, Illinois, the small town he escaped from as soon as he graduated. A trip that was originally only going to last a few days - enough time to check on his family and lick his wounds - turns into a month long stay where he's to direct an amateur production of the very show he's convinced just ruined his career. Throw in a gossiping mother and emotionally stunted father, a (temporarily) long distance boyfriend, and one high school bully who's apparently his father's right hand man, and Noah's not sure how he's supposed to survive these next four weeks. 

Noah is one of those characters that comes on strong and can be a bit off-putting - for while he's funny, witty, and charming, he's also stubborn, conceited, and lacking a filter at times. Though I do think these flaws make him real in a way that makes you root for him as often as you want to shake him in frustration. This story was an absolute joy to watch unfold because you could see the character growth happen. As much as I enjoyed the sweet romance, I couldn't help but be drawn even more to the delightful cast of characters and their impact on Noah and his work.

Thank you to Penguin Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Between the Jewish funeral home his family owns and operates, and the ghosts he's seen since childhood, Ezra Friedman has grown up surrounded by death. Thankfully his older brother's role as their father's eventual replacement allowed Ezra to leave the funeral home behind. Or at least he had, until his mother dropped a bombshell that left a hole in both their business and their family. Now Ezra is back, attempting to hold everything - and everyone - together, and refusing to acknowledge he might be drowning under it all.

While the rest of his life seems to be crumbling around him, the relationship with his new downstairs neighbor just might be blooming. Coincidentally a volunteer at the funeral home, Johnathan seems to keep popping up in Ezra's life, a pleasant surprise that's slightly hampered by the fact that one of those ghosts Ezra sees is Ben, Johnathan's dead husband. If that wasn't bad enough, Ben has to go and break Ezra's "rules" by actually speaking to him.

Rules for Ghosting is a story about grief and love, about family, be they blood or chosen, and about acceptance. An absolutely beautiful and charming debut - Ezra and Jonathan have my whole heart.

Thank you to Ballantine and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.