stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)

Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the complimentary copy of this book!
Thank you so much to S&S and Libro.FM for the complimentary ALC!

This book is out now!

Listen, if there is an F1 romance out there, I will read it. You do not need to pull my arm. So when I saw that S&S was going to be publishing an F1 romance, I had to have it.

This was such a delight!! I had started this one while I was working through some more challenging books for me and it was like a breath of fresh air. I was immediately into the idea of this documentarian who is newly single teaming up with a driver to seek revenge on her ex and to help his career. That was when the fun happens!

I am not always a fan of slow burn but this one was fun to see the relationship develop over the course of the book. Lilah was coming out of this relationship which she realized was more friendship than love but knew that being in this relationship with someone who is known as a playboy. And because of love forced proximity, the more they spend time with each other, the more feelings between the two start to develop. Arthur very early on had a protectiveness towards Lilah before he even really knew her. I love the way the author did the banter between the two! Arthur had a lot going on mentally and a lot of drama with his family. I was happy that he allowed Lilah into his life and to let her be there for him. And same goes with Lilah. There was some things she had been dealing with herself and was opened to him about it.

I just really love seeing the two work together - personally and intimately! Lilah is really in her head a lot of times which I could relate to. And somehow Arthur intuitively always knows when she goes into that mindset. There was a moment after they slept together for the first time where she goes to him the next morning: "Do you like me? You never said." and he simply says "I like you." and then immediately her inner monologue goes to: I hate having to ask, waking him up, crawling for a compliment. It makes me feel small, needy. I am small and needy when it comes to him. OOF this was super relatable! Even now I will ask my husband if he likes me *insert upside smiley*

I paired my reading with the audiobook and new to me narrated Anna Caputo tackled this one. I really enjoyed her narration! She has done a handful of books recently but just none that I had listened to (yet). I thought her voice was perfect for Lilah and I liked the way she had done the accent for Arthur. I thought she was able to really make herself sound vulnerable when necessary for the characters. It really made the listening experience lovely.

I believe this is the author's debut novel and I will definitely be reading her next book. And if GoodReads is telling me correctly, it sounds like her next one will also be F1 themed.

If you are looking for a slow burn F1 romance with a charming driver and a neurodivergent heroine - give this one a read!!

3.5 - Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the advance copy of this!
Thank you PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book will be out on June 3rd, 2025.

I was drawn to this book from the title and the gorgeous cover!  And inside what such a delightful story that was nothing like what I thought it was going to be. As mentioned in a lot of my reviews, I do not tend to read the synopses so I am usually surprised when I read books and this was one that surprised me!

I was hooked from the book right away. The concept of these two people finding each other from a wrong number but ended up talking in two different timelines. Trippy! And this book also showcase how close two people can become simply by texting one another. I thought the way the author did the playful banter between the two characters was really well done. I also loved the relationship between both friend groups. Especially with this unique situation I love that Tressa Fay immediately had her friends in on what was happening and was there when Meryl's sister and friend appeared. They all just seemed like a really good group of friends and I liked seeing them work together to figure out what was happening with the timelines.

"If you can, try to think about this extraordinary glimpse into how time operates as proof that you never really lose anyone. You don't. All your love exists everywhere, all the time.

It was all great for the first 50% or so and then I started to become confused. I recognize that this could totally be a Stephanie thing as I sometimes will struggle with magical realism and in this case having that parallel universe where things are constantly changing.  But I did love the romance between Meryl and Tressa Fay. As I mentioned, it was amazing to see how much their relationship grew via texting in the one universe but then they spent time with each other in the other universe. I thought the intimacy was well done and you could feel their passion for one another through the pages. 

I paired my reading with the audiobook courtesy of PRH Audio and this one was narrated by Mia Hutchinson-Shaw. I always enjoy books narrated by Mia and this one is no exception. And honestly her narration is what helped carry that 2nd half of the book for me. 

Am I entirely certain I know why or how this happened? Not the slightest. 
But I still fairly enjoyed the book! 

This is a new to me author and I know she goes by a couple of different names. I would read her again.

If you are looking for a sapphic romance with friendship & that has magical realism - give this one a read! 

Thank you so much to Atria for the advance copy of this!

This book will be out on June 17th.

This has been on my radar for well over a year when it was a little ole indie book that took over the book community. And I just had never gotten around to reading it until now thanks to Atria. And boy was it a fun time!

Wyatt has been in love with Dakota since they were kids but the timing had never been right and they had always just been friends. But Wyatt made himself pretty obvious how he was feeling towards Dakota very much since he came back home. "It might make me old-fashioned, but I want her to fall for me naturally because falling for her was the most natural thing in the world for me." I mean come on!!!! You know I love forced proximity so him staying at his parent's second home on their property was the perfect tension filled fire that I needed.

The beginning was a little slow for me. I was getting frustrated with Dakota because she just was not making it easy on Wyatt and as a reading I just was silently screaming at her. But then once things started to heat up, then I couldn't stop reading. I absolutely loved Dakota's relationship with Wyatt's little girl Vienna (whose name has a story behind it). Dakota was vocal throughout the book how she wanted to be a mother so she was very maternal to Vienna. Wyatt loves his daughter more than anything and is doing everything he can to be the best parent which was so lovely to see.

"That boy was always a pit stop, and she knows it. You're her destination. It just took her a little longer since she took the backroads to get to you."
"She should've taken the highway."
"Yeah, but the scenic route always makes for a better story."

I love when we actually see the sports on page and we know Wyatt is a hockey player but its the off season so we do not get to see any on page hockey. BUT what we do get to see which I was excited about, is Dakota's bull riding! I never watched bull riding and I certainly never read any books with bull riding so I was looking forward to reading that. You are definitely pulled into the action and I felt like I could picture what was happening on page in my head. There was one bull ride (not by Dakota) that I gasped at while I was reading because it just sounded so incredibly painful. And then the moment between Dakota and Wyatt after that incident was so beautiful! Wyatt was such a stand up guy and I"m so glad that Dakota realized that (and yes I know its a romance).

This book is part of a series but I did not feel like I missed out on anything by not reading the first. And I looked there is only a brief mention of the MMC from the first book in this one so it's totally safe to not read the first.

Thank you so much to Saga Press for the complimentary copy of this book!

This book is out now!

I am trying to broaden my reading this year and being a part of the Saga Says Crew is going to ensure that I do just that. I thought this book sounded interesting and enough for my wittle brain to handled. And well I was able to follow for the most part but towards the end I was a little confused as things started to unravel towards the end. 

This book had a cast of characters! You meet a whole slew of folks who are on this cross country trip to see all these "Impossibles" which essentially were glitches in this simulated world that appeared 7 years ago. I would compare the Impossibles to the 7 wonders of the world except that they are all in the US. The characters were all so different and yet they are forced to be together on this long journey across the US. 

I do wish I tracked who was who when I was reading just because I was not listening consistently and I kept forgetting who was doing what with whom. But when I would do bigger chunks, I didn't have any issues with following. I thought the whole idea of living in a simulation was fascinating! Especially with the way technology is vastly approaching to take over everyday life. 

I read this one primarily via audiobook which occasionally I would read the physical copy that I had. The narrator was a new name to me, Ari Fliakos, who did an absolutely phenomenal job! I wish he could narrate all the books I read that has multiple point of views. He really nailed the voices and I especially loved his voice for Dulin.  Highly recommend listening if you read this! 

This is only my 2nd Sci Fi book and I enjoyed it way more than the other book that I have read. I am happy that I read it and I would read this author again. 

If you are looking to go outside your comfort zone or enjoy Sci Fi books, give this one a try! 

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to ECCO for the complimentary copy of this book!

This book is out now!

This is my first Kevin Wilson book and after reading this one, I want to go back to read his other books especially the favorite Nothing to See Here. 

This book was just so heartwarming and funny! I love road trip books and this one is a road trip between siblings who didn't know about each other and their quest to find the dad that abandoned them. I just love seeing how each of them bonded with one another and when they got to the last sibling Theron, they really just took him in.  

The way that Kevin wrote the dynamic between all the siblings was just so great! Ruben especially the eldest of the group and the ring leader. He was determined to find all the siblings and try to convince them all to join him on this journey. Mad the 2nd eldest is who we are introduced to first and is the primary narrator throughout the book. We learn about each of the siblings throughout the book and what kind of dad each of them had. Which they learned that they each had a different version of this one man. 

What I would have love to have seen at the end is where did all the siblings end up 5 years from now. Do they still talk? Did they move to be near one another? What happened to the 2nd Ruben? 

I read this one fully on audio and though the chapters were long, I felt that the book read fast. Queen narrator Marin Ireland tackled on all the characters and I thought she did so well especially with little Theron! I was able to follow along pretty well via audiobook. And the audiobook is not very long and easily to binge. 

If you are looking for your next found family book - give this one a read! 

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for the complimentary ALC!
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press for the gifted book!

This book will be out on June 17th.

I don't feel like I am in the minority when I say that I love ABBA! Their music is just so much fun and are an earworm. When I saw that there was an opportunity to learn more about the band, I jumped on it!

I felt that the structure of the book was different than what I was expecting. I thought the book was going to be the beginning of the band, height of fame and then after they disbanded. Though the beginning of the book did focus on the start of the band specifically on Benny and Bjorn. The story didn't seem to have any flow and would bounce from one topic to another.

I was really looking forward to learning about the band during the height of the band's fame but unfortunately I did not get there. I was hoping that the book would dive into what it was like to be the biggest band and what life was like for the group. The band members were married to one another - where is the drama from that in the book?! The book did mention how they were pretty much not in the tabloid or known for being wild as they were older with children.

The book mostly focused on the genius of the music and how it was a part of pop culture which I did enjoy. Who knew that so many punk & alternative acts loved Abba! Of course I loved the section on A*Teens who were popular when I was a tween girl. And they did talk about the movie success as well as Broadway. I was also happy to see that the Swedish pop explosion of the later 90s was discussed as even now I am still fascinated by the music that comes from there.

I read this book majority with the audiobook and I thought the narrator Ian Hallard was fine. I thought he did a great job with all the different Swedish names and terminology. The audio is just over 10 hours long and I was able to complete in 2 days so it was easily digestible.

Though I did enjoy this, I just wanted more Abba.


*I do not rate Non Fiction books.*

Thank you so much to Simon Teen for the complimentary copy of this!

This book will be out July 8th.

The good: I really liked how the author brought to light endangered animals and just the protection of animals. I love how she wrote these two characters who have this strong connection to animals.

The mid: I'm not sure if this is because of it being written in verse but things just sort of happened. Like when it's written in a regular format, there is more opportunity for the development of the characters and the relationship. Because one minute it would be one thing and then next they were together and it's like oh where is the in between.

The good: Even with the above, I did feel like I could get a sense of the relationship between Vida and Adan. I love that they had a relationship when they were young and were able to reconnect as teens.

"We're only human but animals deserve so much more kindness."

The mid: I didn't quite understand why the grandfather hated Vida's grandmother so much so that he had to put his hands on her! We do learn why he hated her but it the hatred didn't justify the reaction. And then for him to give his grandson an ultimatum (which let me tell you, I think that is one of my least favorite tropes or themes in a book) after just getting Vida back in his life. Oh I was not happy! And THEN he didn't even explain to her why he stopped talking.

The good: Going back to the animals, the way the author spoke about animals was just so beautiful. And then when the hurricane came through, my heart broke for everyone involved! I always think about hospitals and nursing homes but I never thought about zoos and what procedures they have to do to ensure their safety.

Because of it being told in verse, it was super quick to read and pacing was fast. Overall I am happy that I read this and it enlightened me on zoos and endangered animals all while still having a romance on page.

2.75-3 - Mini Book Review: Thank you to S&S Audio & Libro.FM for the complimentary ALC! 

I have been really interested in reading this author ever since Tender is the Flesh came out. I had no idea what to expect but I knew that it would be dark and that I would be in for a treat. And when this one came out, I knew that I had to make it a point to give this author a try. 

And well I'm not entirely sure that her writing style is for me. I don't know how her other books are but this book was written like a stream of consciousness since it was a journal and I did not like it. The first half of the book was very confusing to me. And then the middle I was starting to understand and then finally in the last 20% things finally started making sense and kept me engaged and boom it was over. 

There really were not chapters but the journal entries were broken up so there were some stopping points. I had been advised to have the physical book while reading which I patiently waited for my library to obtain a copy before I could start reading. The book is not very long - coming in around 175 pages and under 5 hours via audio. This book was not for me but I am happy that I took the time to read it. 

Thank you so much to Putnam for the complimentary copy!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!

This book will be out on May 27th.

Annabel is one of my queen of summer romances. Her books are not overly long and just such a bingeable read. This book is can be added to that roster!

At first I wasn't sure I was going to be into it, which would be absurd because I have loved every one of her books. The beginning took a little for me to get into. It wasn't until our FMC Jane Jackson goes off to Long Island with her kind of co worker Dan Finnegan. Then things started to kick into gear!

I think part of the reason why I had struggle was because I was unsure how I felt about Jane as a character. I don't know what it was about her but she just came off as unlikeable? Perhaps that was purposeful especially since there is a conversation between Jane and Dan later in the book about how lovable she is. As the book went on Jane did warm up to me. She had made the mistake of telling her boss Nathan that she could get the mega famous Jack Quinlan (whom she worked with as a teen on a tv show) to write a song for a movie. And since she hadn't talked to Jack since she was 15, her and Dan (cinematographer) take a trip to his hometown to try to find Jack to talk to him in person.

"When you smile at me, I feel like I want to capture it. But it's not the regular way like when I see something beautiful and I want to photograph it. When you smile, it does something to me, I feel it in my chest, and I just want to figure out how to get you to do it again."

I love seeing Jane interact with Dan's family. And boy does he have a big family! They are a lot of them and they are loud and yet Jane loves it. It always had been just her and her mom so being thrown into this house with all these people was such a change for her. She just fell into step with everyone so seamless.

I mentioned this in another review recently that I just love forced proximity. As a reader, we see Jane's inner monologue trying to resist Dan. She does not want to like him because she finds him insufferable but without trying too hard he really wiggled his way into her heart. Having to spend so much time just the two of them they really were able to connect and eventually fall in love. I did not like how Jane treated Dan during the 4th quarter squabble. She had a lot of things that just built up and she just literally built a wall and hid behind it. BUT I do love a grand gesture - I will leave it at that.

I paired my reading with the audio. The audio was narrated by Hillary Huber (who did the audio for Nora Goes Off Script) and I really enjoyed her narration! Her voice for Dan didn't make me swoon persay but I also think that was part of his character. Dan was very unbothered by things (at least on the outside) so the way he talked was the same way. So in that case she nailed that as well as with Jane and her spirals tendencies.

Overall I really enjoyed Jane and Dan love story. I love how she was able to relax while in Long Island even if she was worried about work and literally let her hair down.

If you are looking for a romance this summer with a little spice, workplace, opposites attract & total vacation vibes - give this one a read!

PS - OH one thing I didn't mention, I was surprised about how much THE NOTEBOOK talk there was in this! As someone who saw the movie once and just didn't connect to it, I was very alarmed how much it was brought up. According to my kindle it was only 23 times but it sure felt like more than that.

Mini Audiobook Review: This book was selected for my book club and I was excited for it! As I had heard great things and even on here it has such high ratings. But sadly, this book was not for me. Classic Stephanie for not reading the description so I had no clue what I would be in for. I thought the way Adrienne wrote the setting was great and that the whole premise was great on paper. I just was confused some of the time. There were a bunch of characters introduced and then the whole time travel of it all. I just struggled with keeping things straight and which year June was in. So this very much is a me issue and not a book issue (obviously based on all the glowing reviews). 

One of my favorite narrators narrated the book - Brittany Pressley. She was able to create the voices for all the different characters and really helped push me to keep going with the book. 

I will be curious to see how the others in my club react to the book. I feel like a lot will like the magical realism of it and the mystery of it all.