A Manual for How to Love Us is a beautiful short story collection with themes of womanhood, grief, identity, and isolation. Each piece was full of meaningful allegory and creative storytelling.

The earlier stories in the collection really blew me away - the first half had stellar stories including "You Too Can Cure Your Life" and "We Were Wolves." The author did a great job of developing characters quickly and giving us empathy for them, even the characters who were messy and broken. Near the end, "Nest" and "Coast" really blew me away. There were moments of heartbreak in each, and wonderful representations of emotion, grief, and hardship.

There were a few short stories that lost me and I had a harder time getting through. I felt as though they had thoughtful messages beneath the surface, too, but sometimes I just couldn't fully get what it was going for.

Overall, this is a beautiful complication of stories that all reflect similar feelings and themes. Even though they are all different, they flow well into one another and give you a lot to reflect on about life, love, and relationships.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and HarperCollins for the eARC. I will share my review on social media platforms as the pub day approaches!

This was a cute read! I remember liking Sophia Kinsella's Shopoholic series when I was younger, and she did not disappoint with this one. I laughed out loud a few times and found myself smiling throughout. Maybe a little predictable but I feel like that what I'd expect from this type of book, and it was a fun journey along the way!

3.5 stars. There was a lot of fascinating information in this book and it revolutionized how I think about breathing. I got pretty bored throughout the last half and it started to feel repetitive. The exercises at the end of the book were very helpful!

3.5 stars!

Wildblood was an immersive, well-written adventure fantasy. This story contains exciting action scenes, found family, and interesting magic.

What I loved the most was the Wildbloods' "science" that they can use to manipulate blood in the dangers of the jungle. My favorite part was the beautiful magic of the jungle, filled with fascinating creatures and monsters that gave me goosebumps. I loved how the main character was a powerhouse! And her relationship with the jungle was so intriguing.

Unfortunately, the relationships and character development fell short for me. I felt like I should have cared more about Victoria's relationships with Samson and Bunny and Thorn... But none of them really meant much to me. The relationship was too insta-love for my liking. There also were twinges of a love triangle, or rectangle maybe? But none of them felt like one I could really root for.


I enjoyed the themes in this novel of recovering from trauma, environmental respect, and finding freedom. I appreciated that the author provided a content warning as some topics could be triggering to readers.

Some of the writing was repetitive, like the use of the phrase "kiss my teeth"/"kisses his teeth" thirteen times!

Overall, if you enjoy fantasy romance, a cool world with magic, and adventuring through jungles, check out this read!

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for the ARC! I'll be sharing my review on social media closer to the pub day.

I really enjoyed this book and learned a lot about various unique traits and presentations of ADHD. The authors also covered treatment techniques well including routine, exercise, connection with others, and environment. Quick read and great for anyone with ADHD, anyone who cares for someone with ADHD, or those who treat ADHD!

3.5 stars - I loved the premise of this book, as I am a big dystopian fan. Our Missing Hearts tells a story of a future version of America recovering from the "Crisis" that feels eerily close to our own. An initiative called "PACT" set on preserving American culture has led to hate of Asian-Americans and extreme racism disguised as "protecting traditions."

A very moving and interesting concept, but the execution fell a little short. Parts of the writing felt like she was summarizing events that happened for pages and pages, rather than this storytelling being immersive and shown. I think the pacing felt somewhat slow and disengaged, so it took me longer to get through than usual.

Becoming Shameless is a stunning and emotionally impactful memoir. Fans if I'm Glad My Mom Died and What My Bones Know will resonate deeply with Eden. This is a very brief read, but the messages will stay with me.

Eden bravely tells the story of her childhood with an emotionally abusive mother. Through her eyes, we get to see Eden recognizing that the treatment she perceived to be normal was not okay. Watching her slowly gain courage, self-worth, and confidence to set boundaries, accept her identity, and care for herself was beautiful.

Eden describes important topics of battling internalized homophobia, disordered eating habits, and healing trauma through therapy.

This quick read was powerful and worth every second. I'd like to save the final chapter of Eden's life lessons and continuously learn from them!

Thank you so much to the author for the e-ARC in exchange for this honest review!