sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

This moving, emotional novel was my first book ever by this author and I'm in awe that I haven't tried before. Mental health and chronic illness are big themes here so it can be hard to read but oh so good.

Oriah (Ry) is a 22 year old who has been sheltered due to a medical condition, has come for the summer to Mallorca Spain with her mom and meets a young man who she eventually has a summer romance with. 

When I slowly started to learn about Ry and get condition, there were things that made my heart jump. When she made certain decisions, it made me wince at what could happen. But as I learned even more, I could see why those decisions were made by her. She really wanted to do as much living this summer as she could with Julian by her side. 

I read this book in a few hours and cried near the end. The coming together of mother/daughter after so much just living, I felt, near but not really with each other was a balm to the fractures of heart I experienced through much of the book watching these two. 

This was a fun thrill ride (yes I went there) that has non stop action from start to finish and it all takes place over one night.

A new land, Murder Land, is opening in CaliforniaLand. Teenager Billie is excited for it but when she takes her friends and the janitor who caught them on a ride when she's not supposed to.... the janitor dies. 

Billie is helped by her friends Leon and Grace and Grace's girlfriend Sawyer. But there will be consequences and scary moments for them all.  The determination of Billie through all of it was fantastic. She was scared out of her mind at all that happened but she was amazingly calm for most of it... where I would have just been a wreck!  

With a backdrop of Burlesque, ballet, and acting... this contemporary novel has great appeal.

Ellie is leaving dance for the stage in a promise to her late husband. She meets Dan who is immediately enthralled by her and they have a whirlwind type romance. But as her late husband payroll didn't exactly accept her fully, Dan's father proves to be a bit of the same. 

I love how Ellie and Dan will prove that circumstances of birth don't always equate to a person's quality. I did feel that there was a bit too much dance technique given center stage when I would have loved more leaning into the romance. I loved that we got to see Hannah and Martin from CHANGE OF LOCATION, it was a fun surprise to catch up with them. 

I (kind of) love the reason for Evie needing a marriage of convenience because of her Chron's Disease and needing health insurance. Theo is the most fun 4th grade teacher. His students had me laughing when they were on the page. The "days since Bowling For Soup 1985 has played" sign was genius.

I really don't like the "my parent was this way and I'm afraid to turn into them so I'll run from a good thing" mentality though! Be your own person!  I love the moment they just so naturally became/acted the way married people do... it was flawless and effortless. 

This book was so well written and it just flowed really well. Our protagonist Lily.... oh I felt for this girl! She just kept having thing after thing thrown at her, making her take care of others but never herself. There are a lot of heavy subjects in this story...parental neglect, parental abandonment, childhood trauma, drug use relationship ups and downs, etc.

I really liked that Lily had Matt to rely on. Inge and Alex were there but not in the same capacity as Matt I felt. I hated how Lily let Violet always walk over her. I know she's her sister but the things she does and says are not healthy for either sister. 

I need to read more of her books if they are like this. So great! 

This was so fun to get back into this world, 10 years later. I was always a fan of little James but now he's all grown up and making his own grown up decisions (even if they aren't the greatest!). I forgot about his power and it's a good thing he has that!

Poor Rosabelle! She is being treated so terribly for someone that is being trained to be an executioner on Ark Island. She was handed a lot at a young age and is such a balm to Clara, her sister, I'm sure.

I am so happy we got to see other characters too, especially my friend Kenji. He has the same snark and I've missed it! This was a fast read, the ending was heart pounding, and I NEED MORE!! 

Colby is a priffesional hockey player who lost his brother 20 years ago. He always eats a bowl of Lucky Charms before games to honor him. But one night, a girl grabs the only box in the store right before it closes and Colby isn't happy about it... Especially when she turns up as a new marketing hire for the team.

Carissa is small and this little spitfire. She's been handed a horrible situation from her terrible parties and this job can help make a very big headway into dighing herself out. But then she gets close to Colby and they start seeing each other... Until a big media scandal forces them apart.

I DID NOT like her former colleague Gretchen. She's an awful, jealous person. 

I love this team. They are such fun his but also really good guys too. They protect Carissa as they would a little sister. 

I was highly invested in what was going on in this story, but the suspended belief you need at the end pulled me out a bit but by that time, I just went with it 🤷‍♀️

Lichen Hall is creepily Gothic and houses unwed mothers shunned in society as they fall pregnant until they give birth and the kids are adopted. Pearl is the newest addition but will she ever get to leave?

Told in 2 separate years, 1957 and 1965, there are many strange happenings and the proprietress of the house is cold and calculating but occasionally a cry for help is heard. It dives into a hard look at how women were mistreated by these types of houses. There's a supernatural element that lends itself to some very terrifying truths and evil within the story. 

This was so fun even though I wanted to give Diana and Aubrey a piece of my mind and more!

Jess would do anything to make a client's proposal the best for the couple, but she never expected a "week long wedding pre-planning trip" to go this badly!

I rolled my eyes a lot at Diana. She's a bridezilla even before she can be technically called "a bride"! She was definitely "in love" with her guy for the wrong reasons. I just wanted to Aubrey because of her rude because "it's just business" attitude.

The side cast of characters, the Osbournes that run the spa this party goes to, were super fun and weird in just the best way. I even loved how fast grumpy Dean fell for Jess. The ending had a lot of and and that's all I want to say because you just have to read it for yourself.