sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.55k)

I thought this was a very well done second chance romance. I liked how it made me think of the path my life has taken and to look at some relationships that I might need to repair.

Helen and Cal met as friends on their high school track team. Until one night something happens in the woods that tears them away from each other.

Over 40 years later they run into each other when Cal loses his grandson in the woods where Helen likes to run. The two start a tentative friendship full of forgiveness (and some yelling at each other) and bearing the truth of their lives to each other. Their families will also forge some unlikely friendships and allies. 

A mass shooting on a college campus starts this tale between two POVs Julia and Ren.

Ren grew up to be a hired assassin like her father. She also married an assassin. She only kills people who deserve it. (Rapists, killers, etc..)

Julia is taking her daughter to her first year of college and is near her daughter's stepmom as she is shot and killed. Julia has kept her past hidden from her daughter and her ex-husband.

I read this book in a day. This is my first by the author but it won't be my last as I will definitely go and read the two books she wrote before.

Such a strong thriller and mystery as to why the targets of this college shooting were targeted. There were some twists at the end, which I saw one of them coming and one I was very surprised about!

Cem and Aria 😍 this was a fun and oh so swoony, stranger to lovers, fake dating star studded ride between a Turkish film star (Cem) and a movie location scout New Zealander (Aria).

Cem needs to hide away from the limelight after an embarrassing moment and his manager (brother) sends him to New Zealand where he meets Aria who is scoping out this for sale hotel.  Sparks instantly fly between the two and they strike a bargain for her to act as his girlfriend... As she has the doppelganger look of an old partner.

There are many adventures in New Zealand and Turkey and I loved learning the nuances of each culture. I speed-read this in a matter of hours! Get ready for a bit of spice and a lot to love!

I enjoyed this quick magical realism story. I really liked that the magic wasn't too heavy, understanding quickly that our FMC Kate has premonitions of the future. She's never really felt like she has fit in being a mix of white and Cherokee. But she will go through a summer of growth and new relationships that will test her acceptance into a different world.

She loses her brother in a premonition that came true and she goes through the heartache of losing the one person she feels understood her the best. This summer though she will get close to a boy, Geoffrey, and be drawn into his group of friends that seem to begrudgingly sort of  accept her, except for his brother who is the only one (outside of her mom) that now knows what she can see. 

A fun second chance witchy romcom was just the type of book that I really saw myself enjoying and I did (mostly). The part I hated was how mentally (and a small amount physical) abusive the MCF's mom was to her. I can see why Emma left!

So Emma and Bastian have a marriage contract but Bastian runs away. He comes back when his mom gets sick and he comes home to a different Emma. She's still the shy girl but she's learned to stand up for herself (not to everyone).

They have to try and navigate to a marriage where they can fulfill the contract but she wanted separate lives. There is a ton of miscommunication but the MC had a magical spell on him that CAN'T allow him to speak of things but it buffed new that there wasn't a way around that.

I love fake dating and even when it's a normal, small town girl and a movie star... Even better!

I like Faith, a lot! She's amazing and the idiots she had dated are, well idiots. 🤷‍♀️
Teddy is so sweet to leave LA for the summer to come spend time with his Grandpa who isn't doing too well. I love how these two become friends first and how Faith liked Teddy more and more even when she thought he was gay and she wouldn't ever get to be with him. 

Teddy's Grandpa Theo is a hoot! It's also so sweet how much he misses his wife and it sounds like they had a great life together. 

This was my first book by this author but I need to pick up more!

Frankie has a temper that often gets her in trouble. Her dad suggests anger management. When a "forgiveness list" of all the people Frankie SHOULD want to forgive gets lost and bizarre accidents start happening to those on the list, Frankie needs to figure it out before she's next!

Now for every time Frankie loses her temper in this book, I wanted to shake her and shout "shut up! Explain things in a way without anger EVERY TIME!" though there are times where she did have righteous anger (sexual harassment and bullying for example).

I did not see the twist coming but oh my was it delicious in only a great way a good thriller can be! The ending gave me chills!

This book handled a neurodivergent female weed with care and grace. Ellen feels she doesn't fit in anywhere. She does her job as an editor well and comes home to her cat, Mouse, but feels she can't keep any meaningful relationships.. Friends or dating wise.

She gets drunk in a bar on her 21st birthday and has to be helped home by Hayes who owns the bar. 5 years later they meet again and he recognizes her right away but she has to be reminded.

I love these two. They are both a little "weird" And Hayes is possibly the sweetest, most understanding man ever! I like the way he cares for Ellen without babying her. 

This was a great adventure with some very big challenges- namely misogyny.

Alia has always had her ideas shot down in favor of white male programs that aren't that great. When she gets an opportunity to head up her own show in Southern Utah's National Parks, she's met with a few difficulties namely the host (who constantly drinks, gets high, shows up way late for shoots, etc) and a crew member who she had an incredible date with and was ghosted. 

The host, Blaine is a TERRIBLE man! I had the hardest time with him just getting away with all he got away with.

Drew and Alia had chemistry and I enjoyed seeing their relationship progress. I had a few issues with the way Drew handled (coddled) Blaine but he more than made up for it at the end.

The only thing I could have done away with was the epilogue. It had my last favorite trope and I thought it ended perfectly without that epilogue.

This sequel was FANTASTIC!

A mysterious man from a neighboring Kingdom comes with promises to help with the Moonflower cure in exchange for steel. Tessa and Prince Corrick join him in his ship back to his part of the Kingdom. King Harristan also sends Lochlan (who hates Corrick) and some trusted guards.

There are deceptions, questions of trust and misleads, arguments between ship crew and Corrick's people, and so much more. We also see a new "vigilante" of sorts that seems to help the people who really need it, the Outlaw. I wake surprised when we find out who it actually is but I still felt giddy all the same.

The end! Omg, I need more now. That was such a crazy cliffhanger