sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

I loved all that I got to learn about Chicago through the eyes of Daisy. She was such a delightful character. I hated that she had to deal with her stalker ex though.

Asher is sent from his NY architect firm to spy on a rival architect firm in Chicago. He does this on the promise of a promotion. He never really wanted to but as he gets to know Daisy and Chicago more, he definitely doesn't want to steal any information to send.

I love that Daisy helped Asher see that he needs the family connection he has been missing for years as his mom and brother dwell here in Chicago. They both learn that though forgiveness might be a hard road, it can be worth it. 

Ford and Peyton have a very complicated history/relationship but it's also so beautiful because they are best friends too. 

Ford is a big star and he keeps asking Peyton to marry him but she keeps turning him down. But when her scummy ex-husband tries to take her world from her (her boy Cash), she needs Ford to marry her. 

This is only my second book in the series but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The Dupree family is big and complicated too and they are very protective of each other. While some are on Ford and Peyton's side, some are having a harder time with the two. This leads to some big emotions especially when a secret comes out that only one of the Duprees knew. I cried with heartbreak and then happiness. 

This was a fun one that makes you think if you would make the same choice with its magical realism. After reading, I feel that the choices you make ..help you grow and learn and it's best to just leave things as they are. 

Mary the MC is having serious wisdom tooth pain. She is told by her cousin that if she gets them removed she will fall under the "Mulligan Curse" and go back to a time when she made a decision she might have regretted. 

Mary indeed gets to see where another choice would have led. But there are consequences that she didn't foresee and she might have to live with it.  It was nice to see her cousin guide her through this. I applaud Mary for making the first choice that she did because the other life was hard to imagine in her situation (you have to read to find out of course). 

This was my first read Greene sister novel (though I have the other 2 on my wishlist and I'm really excited to read them because I loved this book). 

Iris is a widowed mother to a precious 6 year old. She works at a huge beauty company and she's memorized by the sweet Angel, who is a brand ambassador for her company and a mega music celebrity. Angel has an undeniable likeability about him and Iris might just be the muse he needs to finally break into the kind of musician he truly longs to be.

I adored getting to know the Greene sisters I haven't met yet. They are so close knit and it's wonderful to see. Iris and Angel have such strong chemistry even though it's hard for Iris to let someone else in after the loss of her husband. I loved the people around these two that encouraged their dreams. I felt so bad for the way Angel's mom treated him but most people in his life supported him. 

I liked the therapy talk and I loved that we got to see Iris's work with her mental health and that she wasn't just "cured" for the sake of the story. It felt very real. I like that a major decision in the beauty company pages the way for Iris to branch out and try something new(ish) instead. ←*when you read, you'll know why I phrased it like that*

This was a dark academia that didn't just focus on a student but also with professors too and so I thought that was unique. Usually it's all about the students and the adults don't adult like they should 

This had some very dark themes to navigate through. There are moral dilemmas in many regards to things that happen here. There are also a lot of philosophy stuff that I don't understand and that made some of this book sluggish to me.

Neil is our professor/amateur sleuth looking into the missing Lucia. He only briefly meets her but gets pulled into her dark circle after she disappears and the end will turn out  a lot closer to home than he might have wanted or realized.  I wish a major part of the ending had a different conclusion and closer. 

This book was wonderful in so many ways but also makes you want to rant about diet culture and body image culture. 

I liked that this book had 2 MCs that were on polar opposite sides. We have Leslie who has always been tiny and prides herself in her looks and Chef Risto who is bigger but feels comfortable with who he is and how he looks.  The tables will turn as Leslie finds a health professional who makes her realize that she actually has anorexia nervosa and Risto is forced to "lose weight" to make his restaurant expansion "more successful".

I was so proud of Leslie and the fight she had to battle through once she got her diagnosis that would change her for the healthier. 

There are so many parts of this book that made me mad at the world and how people are treated daily. How some people can "get away" with awfulness because of who their families might be. This is the only non I've read from Paulette but I'm a fan and need to go back and read others by her. 

Gwen has now become Queen after the death of her beloved Father and there quickly are ploys uncovered to make her look incompetent. But with her childhood friend/secret love Tyreal by her side, they will stop at nothing to keep their Kingdom from falling. 

One of my favorite parts of this is that there  is a hidden secret that only a few possess.. Including the new Queen. There is danger along the way to where Gwen spent her summers learning and growing in this secret. But an even bigger plot is going to be discovered too. 

I loved the friendship/love between Tyreal and Gwen. I loved that everyone could see what they meant to each other even if by law they couldn't marry. The side characters loyal to the Queen were great additions to the cast. I thought the ending was a great cliffhanger and I can't wait for book 2 and to dig deeper into the hidden secret and what it means for all the players. 

This book was set during the Depression and in these desperate times, there are things that people felt they had to do in order to survive and it wasn't always "right" to me so it's a little hard to fathom sometimes. 

Silstice "Silly" is a young girl of 13 whose family home burns down, her father disappears, and her mother takes her 2 young brothers while telling her daughters to find somewhere to live as she can't take care of them. It's all very sad but Edna, Silly's 4H leader takes her in, to the reluctance of her grumpy husband Vernon.

Silly is such a determined girl though and she showed how much help she can be to Edna and Vernon. There are also rumors of a child kidnapping (and worse) ring in town and these characters are going to be tested to their limits. 

At the end of this book, I really grew to love Silly, Alberta; her sister, and yes even grumpy Mr. Vernon.

Cooper really is a cinnamon roll. He's so super sweet! This was a fabulous enemies to lovers. I thought the HS thing was a little silly to be mad over for years but I also got it... Especially with the memes. 

Leah was so fun. Her parents were a riot. I love her friendship with her coworkers. Cooper is such a great son, brother and uncle to his family. His nieces are adorable. I felt bad for what happened to him at his previous lawyer job, but I love that his experience got to help Leah out.

I love this whole book! I need to go back and read the previous brothers stories 

Super short and sweet with a crazy element (stalking) that was handled very well... Girl power! 

Seth and Charlotte are stuck in their second floor apartment building when the stairs disappear! Charlotte has no qualms because she's in hiding but she doesn't like heights and doesn't go out and Seth climbs trees for a living so he's not afraid of heights but his divorce was just finalized and he's not looking to start anything with anyone. 

They make do. There's instant attraction to looks and personality for both MCs. They have great friends (Gabe made me laugh and Izzy is a no-nonsense toughie). When the truth of Seth's ex comes out, my eyes were bugging out of my head! Omg.