endless_tbr_list's Reviews (537)

Such a cute romcom! I blew through it in one sitting and adore Sadie and Jacob ❤️ There’s just something about “do-over” stories that makes them fun to read, even though I’m repeatedly yelling “I told you so” in my head - on that note, the scenes with the fortune teller crack me up 😂

Sadie is determined to “fix” the last year of her life, but is it worth it if she loses herself in the process? This is a quick, sweet read, and I’m looking forward to reading more from Melissa in the future! 

A Legend in the Baking is a sweet (no pun intended) slow burn romance with two very likable characters, but it took some time for the story to find it's footing. Sloane is a social media guru who steps in to help her brother's cupcake shop, Sugar Blitz, revamp their social media platforms after one of it's co-owners, August (deemed SugarBae), goes viral. This means for the next few weeks she'll be in close quarters with the man she's spent years getting over.

Although a bit slow at times, Sloane and August clearly care for one another and their chemistry made for a cute read.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review

The Genius of Judy is a wonderful mix of biography and social commentary, and despite discussing books published decades ago, is still incredibly timely. As Judy Blume tells us, her works - Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret, Forever, Blubber, to name only a few - have always been rooted in honesty. They tackle topics that children and teens face in their real lives, including divorce, bullying, and yes, even sex, and they do so in hopes of teaching readers that they are not alone, that they are not strange or wrong for feeling what they feel.

Blume's career and her writing have been both lauded and attacked throughout the years. She has been involved with her fair share of book bans and has been questioned about her choices to include sex, masturbation, and even throwing up in her novels. Yet she remained undeterred, and readers (myself included) are better for it.

In today's political climate, I have to say, it is heartening to read about those who fought - and continue to fight - censorship, specifically regarding young readers. Bergstein did a wonderful job of not only telling Blume's story, but also of highlighting how impactful (and revolutionary) her works truly were.

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

Robert Thrax is a dragon exterminator who would really love to just be a prince's valet. Alas, regardless of his hatred for his position, Robert is good at what he does. Therefore, he's the one called in when Princess Cerise needs the castle cleared of dragons so she can properly present herself and her family's home to the visiting Crown Prince Reginald of Corvinia.

What begins as a simple - if lengthy - job at the castle, soon sees Robert wrapped up in a plot to help Prince Reginald slay a dragon of his own. Not one to be left behind, Princess Cerise is determined to join the adventure and ensure that the prince (soon to be her prince) makes it back safely. However, it quickly becomes clear to the band of travelers that dragon hunting is no simple task, and dragons themselves may not be the only thing they have to fear on their journey.

The book is beautifully written, and the story has a wonderful balance of adventure, despair, and sarcasm. Do beware, despite the title, this is no simple humorous fantasy tale - where there are dragons, there is also fire, destruction, and death.

Thank you to Saga Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Perfect for dragon lovers, I'm Afraid You've Got Dragons is out May 14th!  

For Austen adaptions there is a necessary balance between retelling and originality, and Belllezza and Harding have nailed that balance beautifully! Emma of 83rd Street was such a joy to read, and now Elizabeth of East Hampton has arrived and I am smitten! There is a reason why Elizabeth Bennett, and Fitzwilliam Darcy have such a hold over so many romance readers, their story is truly timeless. 
 
Retellings of Austen's works can so easily fall flat if that's all they are, retellings. What I love so much about this book is that it didn't just feel like Elizabeth and Darcy's story was plopped into the Hamptons, but rather their story was molded to fit the new setting and the new century (I adored the answering machine scene!). The characters - even with their modern day jobs and worries - still retained their personalities and and quirks that make them who they are. Mrs. Bennett is still as gossip hungry as ever, Charlie still as charming and love struck, and Lizzy and Darcy still as electric and messy (wink wink). 
 
Minor changes to events helped the story flow naturally through without seeming lazy or stilted, and also allowed for a fun tie in with Emma and George. There was even one change that I truly did not see coming (no spoilers, but I think you'll know it when you read it), yet after it happened I couldn't imagine this working as well any other way. So bravi to the authors, it's not often I'm so delightfully surprised by an adaption! 
 
Perfect for romance and Austen fans alike, Elizabeth of East Hampton is out August 6th!
 
Thank you to Gallery Books and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

According to UNESCO only 5% of the ocean has been explored, which, to me, makes the ocean an absolutely terrifying place and the perfect subject for a horror novel. Enter: Into the Drowning Deep!

Seven years ago The Atargatis was found empty and adrift at sea. No bodies were ever recovered, but footage of something was. Now The Melusine and her crew of researchers are sailing back to the Mariana Trench, back to those very same waters, in hopes of uncovering their secrets.

Balancing all these characters meant switching between POVs, and in a story that could easily seem repetitive with an obvious ending, the swapping of narrators was a fun and interesting way to introduce new information and keep things feeling fresh. 

I don’t want to give away too much, so I’ll just leave you with one of my favorite quotes from the book. I think it sums the vibes up quite nicely 🤭

“Humanity had chosen the land over the sea millennia ago, and sometimes—when she was letting her mind wander, when she was romanticizing what she did and how she did it—she thought the sea still held a grudge. Breakups were never easy, and while humanity was hot and fast and had had plenty of time to get over it, the oceans were deep and slow, and for them all change had happened only yesterday. The seas did not forgive, and they did not welcome their wayward children home.”

A wonderfully fun, witty, and spicy debut! Molly is a rom-com writer realist with no desire to fall in love, whereas Seth is quick-to-fall divorce attorney searching for his soulmate. They used to date in high school, but right before graduation Molly ended things and disappeared, completely ghosting Seth until they run into one another at their high school's fifteen-year reunion. After a few too many cocktails and a drunken hookup, they decide to make a little wager (because that's never a bad idea) and bet on the fate of five couples over the next five years, one of which is themselves. A delightful read with some great character growth - I very much enjoyed this one!

Thank you to Flatiron Books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A fun summer read, Just Some Stupid Love Story is out June 4!