A few thoughts:

🩷 Steering away from my usuals with this one, & not disappointed about it! This had me researching a fictional character to see if they were real. Not real, in case you were wondering, but fascinating all the same. 

🩷 The story covers the many romances & relationships of author Ruby Devereaux. With a career spanning a life time & pin-dropped locations all over the world, I was slightly captivated by her fast-paced, exciting life. 

🩷 Robotham is a true wordsmith, which I absolutely loved. I really enjoyed her writing style, possibly even more than the story itself. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 My pick of favourite author for 2025. The way Scrivenor writes is so captivating, & the descriptive way they capture thoughts & feelings is so clever.

🩷 Great build up. Lots of anticipation. Ending fell a bit flat for me though. I knew a twist was coming, it was all feeling a bit too smooth, but it wasn’t what I expected & maybe it wasn’t how *I* wanted it to end.  

🩷 Still a great read, super easy & I managed to finish it in a day. 

Quote: “My heart was an egg yolk held by fingertips while the white part slips wetly away.”

A few thoughts:

🩷 This has been on my TBR for such a long time. I am a bit of a Dino girl at heart & was a tad excited when this finally came up at my library. 

🩷 So full of information & yet easy to read & understand. There were a few big words I skimmed, but a great book for all intellects & dino fans. 

🩷 Did you know there are a large number of tyrannosaurs in the species, not just TRex? Fascinating! Also, in height, I am the length from snout to ear, of the TRex. There were so many interesting little tidbits that came up in this incredibly well-researched & written book. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 So I didn’t really get into this. I’ll admit I skipped a fair chunk of the middle, reading the first hundred or so pages & finishing the last quarter to wind up the story. I liked the premise, the characters were likable enough, but I just felt like the middle dragged too much to hold my attention. 

🩷 This had a bit of a mystery element, which the clever octopus plays a part in. This is what drew me to this book. I enjoyed how the author used a writing prompt to create this very unique story. 

🩷 The ending was satisfying, so I’m glad I didn’t give up on it entirely. I would still recommend it if you’re looking for something a little bit different, with a heart-warming conclusion. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 I didn’t love the storyline in this one to begin with, but did feel that when it was all wrapped up, I love how it ended & came together for them as a couple. Unpopular opinion maybe, but the wrestling thing didn’t do it for me.

🩷 If you’re reading this for the smut, you’ll find it after 320 pages. Which is something I do like about these books, they’re not just sex scenes, there’s a relationship building throughout the story & there is an actual storyline.

🩷 I do enjoy the whole - got married out of absolute necessity & THEN realised they were in love - plot of this book. I’m a sucker for a happy ending. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 This book was so clever, so captivating! I was hooked. The anticipation of Meg’s scheming, of Kat’s unraveling, of the vindication of bad men, will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. I enjoyed this book so much!

🩷 The writing was fantastic, the plot enticing… this is a writer to keep an eye on.

🩷There is a scene involving sexual assault, for those who might feel triggered by this. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 These books are the literary version of a Hallmark movie. I loved watching these movies leading up to Christmas last year & now I’m really enjoying reading them during winter too. So cosy, so cute! 

🩷 The characters in these stories are so wholesome. I’m enjoying reading these as a series where each is a stand-alone, but characters appear as part of the wider community, tying it all together. The inclusion of a street map is a wonderful little addition too. 

🩷 Althought I’ve used the word wholesome in my notes… the spice is still spicing! 🥵 Someone call for a fire truck, cause this one’s on fire. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 If you’re a long-time follower, you would know I love stories set in the Australian bush. This one, being set in an isolated part of the Blue Mountains, was a fantastic debut from a new Author. And such a gripping combo - five young friends, heading out into the bush to go camping, add secrets, lies, teen relationships & a lack of water & you have an adrenaline filled journey that you can’t help but consume quickly. 

🩷 This almost delves into coming-of-age territory as each of the teens naively works their way through their own personal dramas & emotions. 

🩷We come to realize that not everything is as it seems & as the story unfolds each member has their own guilt to carry. The ending takes an interesting turn. I’ll leave you with that!

🩷 Three errors - extra words in sentences that weren’t picked up in the editing process. My only criticism about the book, just detracted from the story. 

A few thoughts:

🩷 Another book friend handed me this & told me to try it, so here I am, the friend who willingly reads whatever my friends say! 😄

🩷 I’m surprised at how much I’m enjoying these romancey stories with a little bit of spice… well, that’s how this one seemed for the most part, but it picked up… this started out as a slow-burn, build up of sexual tension to begin with, & got far raunchier as I went on. This was spicier than I expected. 🥵 

🩷 Page 338 🫣😳 - not sure how I feel about that. If you’ve read it, you know.

🩷 I feel like we’re in our modern Mills & Boon era. We love a rom-com, we love a trope & we definitely love a tall, rugged, ab-encrusted specimen to fall in love with the girl. I’m not at all unhappy about this swing in my reading evolution. 

𝚕A few thoughts:

🩷 Yet another sharp, twisty, edge-of-your-seat offering from Sally Hepworth. This one was a wild ride & I enjoyed the intrigue & “wait, what?” moments so much!

🩷 The Multiple POV’s really added to this story, as the lives of the two women time jump from past (before,) to the present.

🩷 The short chapters made this an easy to consume read, I was able to finish it in just a few sittings.

🩷 I noticed that some people felt the ending lost its way a little, I can see why they might have felt that, but for me the ending didn’t take away too much from the story as a whole. It probably was wrapped up a little too neatly, but sometimes we dig a happy ending!