stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to PRH Audio for a complimentary copy of this! 

This was such a mix of sweet and sad but yet a satisfying ending all mixed together. This book is told in a journal format of a teenage girl mourning the death of her twin brother who accidentally died of an overdosed. He was someone who she would look to for advice and she does so in the form of these journal writings. She often looks for guidance to her brother and now she is really stuck as she is in  love with her two best friends. 

I thought this book dealt with grief well. I have not lost a sibling let alone a twin but I could feel Casey's pain. I also liked the representation of Casey being not only a surfer but a fat surfer who is bi. 

I thought the narrator Marli Watson was great & brought the youthfulness to Casey's character. 

If you are looking for a quick YA listen that has some tough topics, high school drama, check this out! 

Mini Audiobook Review: 4.5 - Thank you so much to PRH Audio for a complimentary copy of this book! 

Once again Ashley Audrain has done it! If you have read The Push then you know that Audrain keeps you guessing until the very end and this book is no exception. 

We are thrust into what seems like a normal suburb neighborhood and honestly you can't trust anyone. As with any thriller any character that comes into play you are giving them all a side eye until you get to a point (if you do) where you can trust them. 

It is hard to say a lot about this book without giving too much away. But the lives of this neighborhood are weaved together in some not so great ways. Each women bring a different aspect to the book and they all have one thing in common: they are all mothers. The drama of it all and how their lives are connected without even knowing. 

I will be honest I did have to restart this after an hour in a half because I was getting characters confused and I didn't realize while listening that there was past & present and then 4 different point of views. I think that would have been helpful is possibly having a different narrator for each character. Once I restarted and took notes on the characters and who they were, I was on my way. 

Pleaseeee check the triggers on this as I was not expecting some detailed of certain items and it definitely would not be for everyone. 

Thank you so much to Mary Warren for an advance copy of this book!

This book will be published on June 27th.

Ya'll don't be sleeping on this series!!! Now I do need to go back and read the 2nd book in the series and after reading this I will for sure be going back.

"It was official. She was now the leader of the Liam James fan club."

This book took up my entire weekend and I could not stop reading it. I didn't really know who the inspo was prior to reading this but naturally as I do with most male leads I picture Harry Styles. And it didn't help that I had been in a haze from all the recent content on his tour and it was just overload between the images/videos coming from that and then reading this.

So many times as I was reading this that I was doing kicks and internally screaming at the characters. I just love how when Mary writes there is a reason for certain things happen and then it is reference in the future. I also love how that there wasn't a super huge 3rd act conflict that normally happens in so many romances. They were able to communicate and talk things out. A few times I had been waiting for it to happen (the concert, the fortune teller confession) but then it was resolved.

"...the thought of you being far away from me physically hurts me."

Mary Warren your spice is *chef's kiss*! I love reading these stories where I can see myself as the main character. I appreciate Mary for writing these characters and showcasing the different body types and that we all are deserving of love.  I especially loved how it was so clear that Liam James fell first and so happy that we got both point of views. He just was so dedicated to Lexi's happiness and only wanted to make her comfortable. And Lexi, she understood the position he was in and knew that it was not going to be an easy road. I loved her confidence and how she could just tune out the negativity and how it always came back to, he only had eyes for her. 

If you are looking for a bisexual rockstar romance with a fat FMC that takes place in a small town & lots of spice!!! 

Thank you so much to Lake County Press for the advance copy of this book! 

The cover for this book drew me in right away. I love that board/table top games are moving into the romance space. It is such a great concept and I think most adults go through phases with their friends in having a game night (or perhaps it was just me and my friends). 

I will always promote books with plus size characters and this one is no exception! This was such a great read & I definitely was invested in Farren & Sebastian's love story. I love the meet cute & how Farren was so not shy about inviting him over to hang with her friends. Though fighting over a last croissant would only work in books so I'll allow. 

Insta love is a hit or miss for me and this falls right in between. As much as I love the two characters together it did seem very rushed? Granted they are both adults and hey when you know it feels right, it feels right. I think of my own relationship with my husband how quick I would start to stay over & how he met my parents a week after we met. 

One of my favorite chapters of the whole book was the Halloween party. I just loved everything about it! I love how Crone wove in the Tik Tok trend of "who is going to get the drunkest at the party" as it felt very current. Also if you have a chance to see the author's character card of Farren & Sebastian in their costume - do it! It's gorgeous!

A relatable theme throughout the book between the two characters is figuring out what you want to do in life. Being in the corporate world is not for everyone and I related with Sebastian when you are tiring yourself out thinking that if you do more that you will prove yourself worthy when it doesn't necessarily get you anywhere. And for Farren just being confident in yourself & your abilities in the work space. 

Bonus that the convention mentioned in the book took place in Philadelphia - woo! 

I recommend this book if you like insta love, game play, Halloween costumes party and a grand gesture! 

ReRead: I did a reread between the audio and book for my traveling book club and my goodness this book is just perfection! Even knowing what was going to happen did not change how I was reading/listening. I still got emotional, I still was swooning. I really hope the others in my little club enjoy the book as much as I do!
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Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

THis book will be published on June 27.

This book. Whenever I think I have found my top books of the year, more just keep getting added to the list.
This will definitely be in my top books of 2023.

"...because love is nothing if not a matter of timing."

Time traveling is such a hit or miss for me in media. But I really enjoyed it in this as there the clear distinguish between the timelines. I also was happy that there wasn't such a HUGE deal over the time travel and that future Iwan knew. And when the time came in the past for Clementine to reveal the truth to him about the apartment there wasn't any fall out from it. 

There were multiple times where i found myself internally screaming for what Iwan would say to Clementine.  There was one other person who I knew who read this book already and we both were just melting over Iwan and wanted more of him. I also have a thing for the male characters in books whisper to their love interest and this one had plenty of those moments for me. I just loved them so much! In their big moments and then in their quiet moments.

"I tried to fall in love again and again, and all I could think about was you."

I just love how they each how "found" each other at different times of their lives and the reminder that time does allow you to grow & dreams can change. I really need more of Clementine & Iwan in present day. Perhaps an extra Epilogue taken place in the future? I just want to know where they end up, what did she paint for him, do they tell the next owner about the magical powers of the apartment? Just so many questions!!! I am guessing that is left for the reader's interpretation as to what happens next.

"She lived because she loved, and she lived because she was loved, and what a lovely lifetime she gave us."

As I will often write in my reviews, I am an emotional person except when it comes to reading. It is rare for me to find books that will bring tears to my eyes. This is the 4th book in 3 years that has brought on that feeling. I lost my aunt unexpectedly last August and we were close. I even was texting her a mere 2 hours prior to her passing and reading the last bit of the book just made me really miss her. The relationship between Clementine and her Aunt Analea was so special & I am sure Clementine was happy to have so many wonderful moments with her. Analea is the kind of aunt I hope to be for my nephews.  So thank you Ashley for writing such beautiful words. 

Brittany Pressley is such a great audio. narrator and is quickly becoming a go to narrator for books. She just brought to life both Clementine and Iwan. Her tone, timing & inflection was just perfect. 

I know The Dead Romantics holds a special place in many people heart but this is the one that will stick with me. 

Mini Audiobook Review: 
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary copy! 

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

If you are a Peloton user/rider, you definitely will enjoy this! 
I am not sure if the average person who is not apart of the community will gravitate towards this book as I feel like a lot of books have similar themes - working hard, working through insecurities, trusting your gut & just life struggles. 

I didn't know much about Emma before this so this definitely gave me more of insight of what her life was prior to being a Peloton instructor.  She had many motivational moments from her life sprinkled throughout without it coming across so intense where you would roll your eyes at the advice.

I thought her narration was great & her voice came across clear & hopeful. 

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for an advance copy of this!
Thank you to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

I feel like I may be in the minority of this but I really enjoyed this book!  The first 40% to 50% of the book was a little slow but then took off and I was all about Elsie and Jack!

"I get along with people: I give them what they want, and all I ask in return is that they not actively dislike me."

I was such a fan of The Love Hypothesis (the first book that I read in a day) BUT my TBR got way out of control and I still haven't read Love on the Brain. So this might be a hot take since from different conversations I've had with other book readers who got an early copy - the description & body type of Jack & Elsie did not bother me. Could there be more of a variety? Always but I think I was more turned off by Hazelwood's constant reference to it more so than them being the same build as prior work.  I think I have just learned to lean into the campiness that Hazelwood writes.

"Maybe it's that he always looks like how I feel: tired & overwhelmed."

This definitely had a LOT of science terms that I pretended to understand what was happening. Could I have googled the difference between theorists vs experimentalist, perhaps? (I am not that much of a dummy where I couldn't infer what each mean but that is besides the point)

I thought it was really great how Hazelwood brought to light that just because 1) you are a doctor, 2) that you are an adjunct at top schools doesn't mean that you are rolling in money. And as a lot of 20 somethings and even those in their 30s, you do extra jobs to get that extra cash. Also how it is a real thing to not have health insurance and paying so much money for medicine to keep you alive (which should not be the case). 

She works for a fake dating app called Faux where she meets Greg Smith.  She accompanies him to a family event where she meets Jack Smith-Turner his brother.  She was taught to hate him by her mentor after an article he wrote turned out to be untrue and flipped the science world upside down.  One thing I related to was Elsie passion for cheese. I too look at cheese like how others may look at porn.

"I don't care much about most people, but I can't stop paying attention to you."

Jack Smith-Turner.  
There were a few moments even ones that don't seem like a big deal that just made me SWOON.  
Giving kisses on the temple? SWOON 
Wanting to learn how to change her insulin pod? SWOON 
Constant sweet talk? SWOON

He just made me really happy. I love that he fell first. He just wanted the best for Elsie even when she couldn't see it herself. I love how protected he was of her & never doubted his feelings towards her. He knew she would get to the same point as him and was patient with her. 

One thing that I was SUPER surprised & elated was how open door this one is. I confirmed with a reader friend who also got an advance copy that this definitely was Hazelwood's spiciest book. I definitely spent some late night reading when I hit the point because it was just SO good & was making my blush. 

I paired the ebook with the audiobook and Therese Plummer did a WONDERFUL job narrating. I thought she got the voices of the characters down. I love the voice she did for the side characters Cece and Millicent. 

I am looking forward to going back and reading Love on the Brain and looking forward to her YA debut. 

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio!

This will be published on June 6, 2023.

If you are starting to put together a list of summer reads, I would consider adding this one to your list.

I had not previously read Annabel Monaghan prior book (<i>Nora Goes Off Script</i>) but now I want to go back as I remember a lot of my book friends really enjoyed it.

This has a dual timeline of the past and present. We hear the start of the friendship and then eventual relationship between Sam and Wyatt. They were each other's first love and how sometimes you just never get over that first love. We see them as adult and thrown back into each other's lives (despites Sam's resistance) which was supposed to be a short time turned into a longer visit than anticipated. 

The ending did seem a little rushed and probably could have been drawn out a little more. Without giving too much away (but hello this is a romance with a HEA so you can draw you own conclusion), it just seemed like things happened in a bing, bang, boom book is over. Even though this reunion was 14 years in the making, I think the relationship could have taken a little more time to cook in their adult years.

If you are an audiobook listener, this was such a quick listen clocking in right around 7 hours. The narrators especially Brittany Pressley who did such a wonderful job as Sam. The book was primarily told from her point of view but we did get the male Wyatt's view as well who was narrated by Dan Bittner.

If you are a fan of Carley Fortune's Every Summer After, I think you would enjoy this one! 

Thank you so much to MacMillan audio for an advance copy of this!

This book will be published on June 6, 2023.

Content Warning from Storygraph:

Graphic: Child abuse, Racism, Murder
Moderate: Gun violence, Death, Hate crime
Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders

If you have read any of Cosby's prior books, you know what you are getting into.
If you are knew to Cosby's work, buckle up.
S.A Cosby has such a way with words and puts you right into that story.

"The devil is just the name of the terrible things we do to each other."

A teacher is dead at the hands of a former student. 
The biggest question is why? 

Sherif Titus wants to find out why this former student targeted this specific teacher and what their connection beyond school is. As a reader we are right there with Titus as he does his investigation and he is lead to so much more than what he bargained for. 

This is such a thrilling book that moves at a fast pace and has some truly dark moments (some describe, some not). 

Adam Lazarre-White has narrated Cosby's last three books and my goodness he is WONDERFUL. I love his tone and richness in his voice. I did not realize until writing this review that he is also an actor which helps explains so much as he really knows how to bring these characters over the years to life. 

If you are a fan of Cosby's prior work, you will likely be a fan of this one as well. 

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for a free copy of the book! 
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio! 

Now this was such a wonderful sequel! I loved this one so much more than the first book. I am not sure if its because I was already familiar with the characters so it felt natural to go right into this one after reading the first one. 

Junebug thought she could repeat the success of her first newspaper ad for her eldest brother Morgan. At first I wasn't sure that it was smart of the author to repeat the same formula of the first book but it worked.  Morgan definitely had no interest in becoming a husband or want a relationship but naturally he could not resist Pip.  I also love how she would not give up on Morgan despite his reservations. She was determined to win him over. 

I just really enjoyed this storyline more so than the prior. I am trying not to compare but it's hard not as its a series. 

One thing this book had that the prior book did not was intimate moments. It was such a pleasant surprised when those sexy bits happened. It wasn't terribly descriptive but definitely gave more than I was expecting. Bravo!! 

And just like with the first one, Junebug is the star of the book. I really hope we get a book about her. Because I can't wait to see how much the brothers would play a role in matchmaking for their sister. She truly cracks me up. 

Once again Eva Kaminsky does the narration for the book & I now can't picture anyone else doing the voice of Junebug. Its so perfect. She brings Junebug's excitement and youth to her character. 

I do recommend reading the first one just to get that familiarity with the characters but I think this could also be read as a stand alone.  I'm very excited to see which brother gets the next book (I think we know which one) & what kind of trouble they all get themselves into. 

Also I am ready to take a trip to Montana.