jennireadsmaybe's Reviews (678)

Thank you to Sara Cate for providing me with an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3

If Sara Cate writes it I'm going to read it; it's simple as that. I've been really enjoying The Goode Brothers series because of the exploration of mega churches and organized religion and the effect it has on all of the brothers. Sara Cate handles each book so well! I knew the least amount Lucas going in, but by the end I really loved this traumatized man who just needed love from his father (don't look to closely at why that is though 🫨). I also think Sadie is the perfect fmc to read if you're looking for a brat girl summer. She's a certified baddie who not only learns her worth but isn't afraid to acknowledge that people haven't been treating her right.

I think The Heartbreaker has the most tension to start in the entire series. All the scenes leading up to Sadie moving in are so charged with sexual tension that I was melting before they even got together. As usual, the smut was top tier (that college classroom saw some things 🥵). It all felt so unavoidable for them. They couldn't escape these feelings that they were having, and they truly infiltrated every part of each other's lives. If you can't tell I really loved them! 

Read this if you like forbidden romance (student x professor), surprise pregnancy trope, single mom (kind of), women knowing their worth, traumatized mcs, and men that will get down on their knees and beg! 

Thank you to Ali K. Mulford and K. Elle Morrison for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3 

If you've ever wondered what Stars Hollow would be like if there were monsters living in its streets, look no further! Pumpkin Spice and Poltergeist introduces us to the town of Maple Hollow, a cozy, monster filled town that feels like fall and Halloween all year round. Maple Hollow is absolutely delightful and I wish I could live there. 

Jordyn summons the ghost of her dead ex girlfriend on the one year anniversary of her death and can't seem to send her back. Lou insists that the only way to guide her back to the other side is to help Jordyn move on with the town newbie Harlow. It was a super fun sapphic romance with a side of magical shenanigans. I enjoyed it so much! Harlow is my favorite character because she's a mess but she's my mess! 

Read this if you like cozy romances that are perfect for a chilly Autumn night by the fire, ADHD representation, sapphic romance, small towns full of meddling neighbors, and pumpkin patch dates. 

Blackout is an anthology where I genuinely enjoyed each story. Every author involved captured NYC so well that despite never having been there myself, it felt like I'd lived there my whole life. It was complete serendipity (read: hellish) that I started this on the same day my neighborhood had a blackout. I thought the blackout element was really unique. 

My favorite part was the overarching story The Long Walk by Tiffany D. Jackson. It kept me coming back for more during stories that weren't my favorite. I wanted to know what would come next with exes Tammi and Kareem as they trudged through the streets of New York. Some other standouts for me were: Mask Off by Nic Stone, All the Great Love Stories... and Dust by Dhonielle Clayton, and Seymour and Grace by Nicola Yoon. 

Pick this up if you like short stories with big feelings, Black romance, getting stuck in a blackout, and basically every trope ever. 

Don't Let It Break Your Heart is the kind of book that had me immediately looking up Maggie Horne's backlist and adding all of them to my TBR! It's a book that honestly would have changed my life as a young questioning teenager. It's a love letter to friendship, first love, and small town community. I cried at least twenty times while reading it because of just how special it is. 

Alana, Gray, and Talia are messy teenagers (let teenagers be messy please!!). They fight, they feud, they love, they laugh, and they exist as they are. If I had to pick a favorite part (it's impossible!!!) it would be just how really the small town teenage life was. There was so little to do and seeing your old not-so-friendly friends at every party feels like drowning. 

The romance between Alana and Tal is heartwarming and chaotic. I loved all the little moments between them. I could cry right now (several weeks after reading) thinking about Alana and Gray's friendship and the delicate balance of being exes who deeply love each other but now things are different because Gray's feelings will never be reciprocated. Chef's kiss!

Read this if you like YA contemporary with a hint of romance, learning how to navigate lifelong friendships after coming out, messy teenagers making messier decisions, crying because your sad and happy and maybe you just needed to cry, and the feeling of first love.

I was going to DNF in the first 20% but I'm so glad I kept going because by the end I loved it! The world is constantly being built upon from start to finish, which I think adds to the story so well because you get a deeper understanding of the politics involved in the world. I loved the locked room, "Death on the Nile" style of the mystery; the stakes were always rising just a bit more each chapter. I was definitely stressed out! 

Ganymedes Piscero is my all time favorite fantasy MC. He's an awkward, funny, magic-less, outsider who can't seem to escape from his own thoughts. As someone who is depressed and has struggled with suicidal thoughts, I thought the mental health rep is phenomenal. I identified so much with Dee. I also loved the bits of romance that were sprinkled throughout. It was so fun! 

Honestly, I think authors should take notes on how to make a diverse fantasy world from Voyage of the Damned. BIPOC, queer, disabled, chronically ill, mental health, and fat rep all find there way throughout the book. It was beautifully done. 

Read this if you like well-built fantasy worlds, fantasy standalones, queernormative worlds, locked room mysteries, representations of all kinds, and sarcastic MCs. 

I'm a simple girly really I see a cowboy romance with a single dad and I immediately add it to my TBR. Homebound is all of these things plus a bull rider FMC. I instantly knew I had to read it. I was so honored to receive an ARC from Love Notes PR! It was such a fun read; I loved the unique flower farm setting so much. Also, LESBIAN MOMS!!!! I screamed when I found that out. 

Dakota and Wyatt's romance is slow burn and I could not get enough of them together. I liked that Dakota wasn't immediately attracted to Wyatt, because they're coming off of a childhood friendship where she always thought of him as her younger, sweetheart friend. The slow development of her attraction to him also made the relationship more believable. The smut scenes were very hot and Wyatt definitely proved that nice guys finish last (/pos) 🥵. 

One more thing I really liked was Dakota's relationship with Vienna and motherhood in general. Reading about a black cat character coming to deeply love a single dad's kid is heartwarming, especially because Dakota isn't sure her bull riding lifestyle is suitable for being a mom. 

Read this if you like single dad, black cat x golden retriever, childhood friends to lovers, hockey players, bull riders, it's always been you, small town, and obsessed MCs. 

Side note: this is the follow up to Icebound by Meredith Trapp. I didn't read that one (yet!) but you can definitely read them out of order. 

When I Think of You? More like I think of you every day! Genuinely, this book is such a phenomenal debut from Myah Ariel. I was invested from the start and fell in love with the characters in both timelines. I love realistic characters and Kaliya and Danny feel so real because their actions have consequences. They're messy and well-rounded.  

Their second chance romance takes time to develop, but their attraction is clear from the start. The back and forth tension is sweet enough to sink your teeth into! I really loved the backdrop of their romance being the film for his parent's romance. They feed off each other so well during the set up for the movie that it's clear they really belong together because when their together no one else really exists. 

Read this if you like second chance romance, nerding out over films, a hollywood setting, slow burn so good you just want to shove the characters together like barbie dolls, and romance with a side of commentary on privilege and discrimination.  

I've since met Myah at Steamy Lit Con and I love it even more cause she's so sweet! 

A sizzlingly steamy 21 page sapphic novella, Adriana Herrera gets the job done as usual. It's hot, it's passionate, and it's romance. If you're looking for a quicky (🥵) read, read this! 

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts <3 

When Adib Khorram finally writes an adult romance you've gotta read it. I don't make the rules, but I will enforce this one. I have loved every single book from Adib since Darius The Great destroyed me several years ago. It doesn't matter whether his characters are teenagers discovering their place in this messy world or adults doing the same, each and every one feels so real to me. I particularly enjoyed Farzan and David because even in their late thirties they are working toward their dreams and coming into themselves. Farzan is such a sweetie and honestly I just want to give him a big hug because the struggle is real and I get it. 

The romance y'all!!! The romance!!! Farzan and David have a mistaken identity, one night stand to friends with benefits to lovers romance that is hot and full of swoon. I really enjoyed how it developed because it felt realistic to the character's arcs. Farzan is ready to dive into love and David is only looking for temporary fun, but the story keeps bringing them together as friends first (with some steamy hook ups along the way 🥵). They truly get to know each other so when their feelings become obvious it feels so right! Every smut scene is top notch and will leave you sweating! 

Read this if you like MM romances, characters in their late 30s falling in love, friends with benefits, third act breakups that make sense (I'm a third act breakup apologist!!!!), reading with a glass of wine, and smut that gets the job done!!! 

*insert "a person who is going to be okay meme* 

I'm so glad I picked up A Psalm for the Wild-Built! It's a truly delightful, hot cup of tea on a cold day kind of book. Sibling Dex, the nonbinary MC, is struggling with their purpose. They are one of the best tea monks in this world. Everything is going right for them on the outside, but they are still questioning so many things. Honestly, as someone who finds themself stuck in the same thought pattern as Dex, I felt so seen in the pages of this book. 

The friendship that develops between Dex and Mosscap (two individuals that for all intents and purposes shouldn't have met) is so wholesome. Mosscap has so many seemingly simple questions about the human world, and Dex has so many about human purpose. Becky Chambers' writing sucked me into the world so well. I was walking the wild roads through the forest with these two. 

Read if you like cozy science fiction, robots, existential dread, and questioning what we're all really here for.