stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)

Mini Audiobook Review: 
"Dig deep and find your inner asshole"

I have heard excellent things about Lynn Painter's YA books and I finally buckled down and gave it a try. And it was SO good! I am getting so lucky with swoony YA books and this one was no exception. I was a little weary at the start but once we got the ball rolling with more Bailey and Charlie interactions, I was all in! Charlie was such a swoony book boyfriend and is a parent's nightmare (even though he really is a good guy!). Bailey and Charlie were just so playful with one another and their banter was great.

This was told from both POV but we got Bailey's view way more which is a bummer because I would have liked to have more Charlie and also I love the male narrator's voice.

Swoon: 9/10
Karaoke: YES

Thank you so much to TBR and Beyond Tours, Random House/Delacorte and Kristy Boyce for an advance copy of this!
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book will be published on January 9th.

My gosh. I absolutely adored this book! It was totally swoony worthy and I just absolutely loved Riley and Nathan!
This is my first Kristy Boyce book and if her other YA books are like this, then I need them!

Riley gets in trouble and has to work at her dad's game store. She has always giving a side eye to the store as she believes the store was the reason for her parents divorce. After what turns out to be a misunderstanding meet cute, Nathan and her team up to fake date. in order to make the ones they want jealous. Riley wants to try to win her ex back and Nathan wants to get the attention of fellow gamer Sophia. What Riley was not expecting is how INTO fake dating Nathan would actual get (I was even surprised myself).

I loved the banter between Riley and Nathan and those small moments that as a teen would had me soaring. Nathan is such a cheerleader for Riley and you can tell just how head over heels he is for her. I love hearing Riley's inner monologue when they were "acting" and when her feelings were starting to develop. Anytime they were together it just made me smile and their car ride conversations just were so sweet.

"Guys don't tend to skip their favorite things unless they really like a girl."

The friendships in this group were top notch. It reminded me of the friend group in Stranger Things without all the fighting/monsters. They just had each other backs and when someone needed help, they all pitched in to help. There is a moment towards the end where this really stood out and just made my heart so happy. This is also a tale for any age to try something new because you never know what you may be missing out on!

The audio is narrated by Eva Kaminsky who embodied Riley and really brought her to life. Also her voice for Nathan was not too shabby either!

I did not do this review justice but trust me I just loved it so much!! And if you need something light, fluffy, swoony YA, with table top role playing game, and theater - read this book!

Thank you PRH Audio for complimentary audio!
Thank you to Berkley Romance for the free book! #BerkleyPartner

Content warnings from Storygraph:
(view spoiler)

This book was one that was on my radar simply from the cover and how cozy it looks! But my bookstagram friends were raving about how much they loved the audio. So of course I needed to find out for myself what it was all about. Gah I enjoyed it so much!! It was such an easy listen and naturally wanted me to go to a pub in Ireland.

I did not realize that this was not only part of a series but number 3 in a series so I will have to circle back and start from the beginning. Because I was not familiar with any of the characters from the prior books, I have no idea who pops up in this book. With that being said, the book did not feel like I was missing anything from not reading those prior books.

I love how different the two characters are but somehow it made perfect sense! I was fascinated by Raine’s free-spirited lifestyle. In a dream world, I could explore the world, work remote or find odd jobs and just meet all sorts of people but sadly I would have such anxiety not knowing I was getting a steady income so kudos to all those who can do that! We learned about Raine’s family life & a surprise visit from her sister brought a new level to their relationship.

You could tell Jack was smitten with Raine when she came into his pub. He had great trust in her to take her in not only as an employee but as someone staying in his place! He just knew that she was someone special.

I do not think I ever read a romance or any book that dealt with OCD. My heart broke for Jack as it felt like this endless cycle of thoughts that he just could not escape from. I also do not think I saw OCD represented the way it was done in the book. Normally it’s the counting and compulsively checking if something has been completed but not usually with the intrusive thoughts.

This book is a little over 350 pages and under 8 hours on audio which made it such a quick listen! I thought both narrators, Karissa Vickers & Gary Furlong did such a great job with their respective characters. Karissa is a favorite of mine so it is always a delight hearing her!

If you are looking for a cozy, romance that also mixes mental health & family drama – check this out!! And also check out

Thank you so much to Harper/Balzer + Bray & Brian D Kennedy for the advance copy of this book!

I was such a fan of Brian's debut A Little Bit Country, that I knew I had to have this one and man he knocked it out of the park!!!! He does such a great job with getting inside the mind of teenagers and it felt believable.

This book will be published on January 23rd.

Content Warnings from Storygraph:
(view spoiler)

This whole book was so much fun and I was rooting for both Elijah and Wade - together and in their own separate journeys. Wade was such a fun character and even though he had his bratty moments, his confidence was so strong and has that main character energy. And then you have Elijah who wants to have that confidence that Wade has. I love how Kennedy didn't have them interact right away but rather it build and then a messy run in after Wade accidentally joins the stage crew. I was not part of the theater group in any shape but this made me felt like I was there.

As a reader you were just waiting for it to click that they actually had feelings for each other. There is a moment when they were camping that I was screaming while reading. Also this may be a new favorite micro trope.

"Leading roles are not why I do theater. Theater is why I do theater."

Just like with most YA romances, the communication isn't fully developed and it just makes you want to throw your book because you know things could have progressed a little faster if they just said something. Reese made me angry in this because he knew exactly what he was doing to both of them.

As I mentioned above, each character goes on a journey. Wade has to learn how he doesn't always get what he wants and that it is okay to be a side character. Elijah learns how to open himself up not only with love but with friendships as well.

I have never seen My Fair Lady but this made me want to watch movie! It is labeled as a My Fair Lady meets She's All That (I am not sure if I've seen this in full but I promise you I know the concept and how it ends) and I can totally see how it feels like She's All That.

If you are a fan of theater, opposites attract, and just love a queer rom com told in dual POV!
PS - If you are not following Brian on instagram, what are you waiting for! I love seeing his love for Dolly Parton (iykyk)!

PSS - Is it ironic that I was reading two books at the same time that had a My Fair Lady storyline?! WILD!

4.75- Thank you so much to Penguin Random House for the advanced copy of this!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

I first heard about this book when I went to a Nisha Sharma event so when the widget came in, I knew I had to read it! And it such was an utter delight!!

This will be published on January 16th.

If you know me, you know I love a fake dating and I love the twist on this as it started with an arrange set up. Karthik was so stubborn and so just turned off at the idea of wanting to be married (don't worry we learn why) but enter Meghna a teacher who aspires to be more in the theater world.   They both went through with the arrangement meeting (her first) not expecting much and she somehow won him over without even knowing she won him over.  I love learning about the Indian culture and this really made me want to take a trip to a local Indian restaurant to try some of the food that was mentioned in the book!

The reasonings for their fake dating is also interesting more so for Meghna whose ex is such a sneaky villain. I thought that was a unique addition to the book (won't say more, you'll have to read).

"Meghna?"
"Yes?"
"Call me anytime you want."

I love that this was 3rd person dual POV! As much as I love when we get a single point of view, having the other love interest just adds so much to the story. Especially in Karthik's case, we learn more about his family life and what makes him have these feelings towards relationships specifically marriage. Of course from the reader's perspective you see these two people who clearly have feelings for each other but neither want to ruin anything or be afraid of not being reciprocated. I just thought they worked so well together and how their feelings build towards one another as the book goes on.  This does not have much spice if you are expecting any (I was ready for it but its okay that it didn't happen). 

This book did have a few storylines woven through but it didn't feel like it was too much. I was very intrigued by the storyline between Meghna's best friend Ankita and her brother Samir. I don't believe this will be a series but I could see a book from their POVs of how it all went down and beyond could be fun to see. 


I paired reading in tandem with the audio and it was fabulous! The narration was done by Soneela Nankani who also narrated other fabulous romances such as Dating Dr Dil, Snapped, Tastes like Shakkar and a slew of other notable books.

This was such a stellar debut and I'm looking forward to hearing more of Naina stories! 

Read this book if you love fake dating (err engagement) with a cast of characters, wedding theme & just love a good time! If you aren't a fan of miscommunication, you may have a slight issue with it. 

PS - Netflix. Prime, someone make this rom com a movie! We need more especially with Indian rep! 

PSS - Is it ironic that I was reading two books at the same time that had a My Fair Lady storyline?! WILD!

4.7

Mini Audiobook Review: This is the last book in the Playbook series and I am sad to see it end! I feel like I need more WAG theme books in my life or just more sports romances.  Looking at your F1 - you will be next! 

Anyhow, this one is slightly different compared to the others and definitely on a more serious note. Alexa did an author's note in the beginning talk about the Colin Kaepernick taking a knee and I know I've mentioned it before but author's notes are so important to read. I'm not glad this was in the beginning and not at the end. 

My heart broke for Elliott as she was dealing with the grief of recently losing her father. And then having to deal with all the racism and toxic work environment. Quinton wa (s such a smart and strong male character. He recognized first hand the holes in how the football league treats veteran football players (his dad was a former player) and was tired of Black players not being treated fairly. I do wish we learned more about him sooner in the book instead of later but I guess that was part of his mystery. 

Sometimes I felt like the tension was forced but once they got together - wheww spicy!!!  I also wish some of their issues would've been resolved if they just spoke up. It is not that disliked Elliot but she wasn't my fave FMC. 

I really thought that we were going to get our first dual POV when I saw there were two narrators but that was not the case. If memory serves, we only had the male POV right at the beginning and that was it. 

Once again I am glad we got to see the other FMC & MMC from the other books in this. And the strong connection between the female characters. Brynn still continues to be the best. She really is the glue that holds all the WAGs together. 

On a personal level, I am proud of myself for finishing a series! This is a struggle for me but I was able to binge them in a row and will be working on my series reading this year.

As previously mentioned, I highly recommend reading this series if you are looking for a bingeable sports romances that has a variety of tropes between the 4 books - give it a whirl! 

Mini Audiobook Review: 4.5 - I absolutely loved this one!! I thought it was so much fun! I know that the werewolf was under a love potion but the way that he was obsessed with her was so sweet. And just like with the first one of course this one was super spicy! And because its a werewolf you know knotting was involved.  This series is great when you want to get your toes wet with paranormal romances. 

You can easily complete this audiobook in one sitting as its just under 7 hours. I thought that the narrator did a great job! 

Thank you so much to Lonely Pages Book Tours, Tashie Bhuiyan & Inkyard Press for having me on a book tour!!

This book will be published on January 2nd.

“Who isn’t chronically online these days?”

If you have not read Tashie’s YA books, what are you waiting for!! I have said this before and I will say it again, Tashie has such a way of writing the teenage voice. And specifically with this book, this is perfect for Gen Z. It has the lingo, the music and just I feel would be relatable

I love this book for so many reasons. Even though I am 36 years old, there is nothing in this book that I couldn’t relate to (okay maybe the romance part of it but that aside). Don’t let this beautiful cover fool you, this book has a lot of deeper topics inside.

My heart broke for Liana as her relationship with her dad was so hard to read. I just wanted to reach and give her a hug. Sometimes I forgot how young Liana is because she just seemed so wise even with her predicament she was put in. I honestly wanted to scream at her dad for the stuff he would do, wouldn't do or say to Tashie.

Music played such a huge part of this book and I love that Bhuiyan also included some playlists within the text. Liana was so smart when it comes to working with Third Eye. I loved her relationship between each of the members and how special it is.

I think that it is important that those who are young adults have books that discuss mental health. This book deals with grief and depression and how it’s not linear. When I was a teen, we did not associate the above with teenagers but it existed and often times found too late.

I am excited to make a playlist with all these songs.

I knew from the first time I read Tashie’s books she would be an auto buy/read. I just love this book so much and want everyone to read it!

Check this book out if you love music with an emotional tie in.

PS - Tashie, the GASP I made when I saw one of my favorite songs of all time as a chapter title. Thank you for including Shine by Years & Years

PSS - Love the little mention of the Poconos!

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for the complimentary copy! 

As most millennials growing up, Full House was staple on my television. I spent nights watching it when it was airing in real time and then in the mornings before school I would get my fix. Of course John Stamos has done so much more than just his time on Full House but it is so nostalgic for so many people and it continues to be watched by new generations. 

I didn't know much about John Stamos so I was happy to finally hear about his life and the behind the curtain of Hollywood. I love hearing his stories of being a working actor and his early beginnings. I wasn't shocked by anything that he said (though I was surprised by him getting 2 nose jobs in the 80s). 

I loved learning about his different friendships and his celeb encounters. And even though it was a name dropping, I still was living vicariously through him. I mean if I met Frank Sinatra, I definitely would be boasting about that.  It was also nice to hear how he went from a fan of the Beach Boys to pretty much being an honorary member of the group. 

My heart broke for him as he spoke about friends who are no longer here. The death of his castmate turned best friend Bob Saget was such a shock that I can't imagine being in his close circle. As he mentions in the book, him, Bob & Dave had such a friendship and it came across on the show. 

I also learned how he met his now wife and was also happy he talked about their fertility journey. I don't ever recall hearing about it previously (which is totally their business) but as someone who has struggled, I like when public figures talk about their struggles. I had to laugh at John's story about getting his "swimmers" checked because I remember hearing Nick's experience doing the same. But I am so glad it worked out for them! 

I recommend reading this through audio as John narrates. 

**I will not be rating Non Fiction books as it is based on real events and real experiences.**

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Simon Books for a copy of this book! 

I did decide to do the audio of this and I kind of wish I read along with the physical book. 
The premise of this book caught my attention but I felt it wasn't executed or perhaps the format of the book could have been better? 

I have read another book where a mother falls for their daughter's friend but the circumstances were different and what made this one even more questionable was that it is a high school friend so Celine has known Alice since she was a teen. I thought maybe because I had some stuff going on that kept distracting me while I was listening but it was definitely hard to follow. One minute we are in one place and next Alice & Celine hooked up and I never saw or maybe I missed the lead up. 

The last chapter was interesting as it was told from a new perspective. 

I had no issue with the narrator, actress Chloë Sevigny. I thought she did well reading the book. I just wish I followed along with the text because perhaps it would have made more sense. I do not recall each chapter being called out as to whose POV it was so that could have helped as well.