stephsbooktalk's Reviews (915)

Thank you so much to Falon Ballard, Putnam & NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

This will be published on Feb 7th, 2023! 

I read Ballard’s debut Lease on Love last winter in 2 days. I knew I was a fan of her writing instantly and it continues to be true with her second book Just My Type.

"You're incapable of being alone, Lana. And frankly, it's exhausting."

Lana loves being in love. She has always been in a relationship since she was a teenager and doesn’t truly know how to be alone. She writes for a column on dating and relationships but an opportunity arises when she has a chance to write what she truly loves - pop culture! The only problem is she has to compete against her first love (and the one who caused her biggest heartbreak) Seth for a chance at the opportunity.

"You held by hand for the first time in the backseat of a bus." A soft chuckle escapes him. "I don't think I've ever been more nervous in my life."

The banter between Lana and Seth is *chef’s kiss*. You could feel the tension between them and the moments gave your stomach butterflies (looking at you Coyote Ugly moment at the bar and Speed dating). There was so much love between them but clearly they needed to work through their past hiccups in order to move forward. Not even just as a potential relationship but just in general to move on. There were so many moments that had me swooning and don't know how Lana kept herself together when I know she was melting inside. There are two moments that are sticking out in my head and I won't say anything further: the club & speed dating. 

I also want to throw out there that the cast of characters in this are truly wonderful - "get a room"! I love reading the Slack chats & I felt like I could be friends with all of them.

I love all the pop culture references Ballard put into the story. I could tell she was pulling from what she loves into this (shoutout to Happy to Meet Cute for allowing the audience to get to know her and author Courtney Kae).

This book gives me The Hating Game mixed with your favorite romantic comedies into this charming, slow burn childhood friends to lover to enemies to friends to lover mix that just gives you all the feels and yells (the good yells). 

Bravo Falon! 

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for a free copy of Exes and O’s by Amy Lea! Thank you also to PRH audio for a complimentary copy of the audio narrated by the wonderful Natalie Naudus.

This book will be published on January 10th, 2023. 

I did not think Amy could live up to what I thought was a great debut with Set on You but she has proven me wrong. I absolutely devoured this book. I switched between reading, listening and then doing both because I just could not get enough. And as if it wasn’t already questioned but Amy Lea will be an auto buy author. I will just eat up whatever she wants to put out - no pressure Amy! 

This is the second book in the Influencer series but I think it could be read as a stand alone. The main characters from the first book do make appearances which was so lovely to catch up with them! 

Tara is a book influencer who lives inside romance books and is always looking for the tropes in relationships. After having her grandmother on her live to tell the story of her second chance romance, she gets the idea to go back and revisit all her ex boyfriends. While preparing for these dates she starts hanging out with her new, very attractive roommate Trevor who is best friends with her soon to be brother in law. Tara is known for getting attached easy so when she started to have feelings for Trevor, she wasn’t sure if it was really true or just her falling again. 

Tara was such a fun character on paper and I definitely related to her in my younger days. I wanted to fall in love so bad that I thought anyone who talked or looked at me was the one. Even though going back and seeing her exes was not always the most pleasant experience, I think it was very valuable to her for moving on. 

If you are looking for spice, this doesn’t have as much as the first book but honestly I was okay with it. I was too busy swooning over Trevor. He was so patient with her and actually listened to her when she would talk.  I love seeing their friendship develop over the course of the book and then of course was rooting for them to switch to lovers. Slow burns scorch my heart but man does it feel good when it’s done. 

This is told from first person POV which was totally fine but I am just such a sucker for the male perspective especially when you know they are clearly falling for the female main character. I just like to get inside the male’s brain. 

The next book in the series looks to follow Mel which I am SUPER excited for as Mel definitely has a great personality and cannot wait to see what adventure we go on with her!

I thought this was a super cute book about an orc who discovered coffee and wanted to start a new life opening a coffee shop. Though this has fantasy elements, it was not super world building which I appreciated as I just don't have the imagination to keep up with all that goes on in other fantasy books. I liked that you got to see the progression of Viv's vision and how it came to life. And it definitely made me want to learn how to make proper coffee so I could also run my own coffee shop. I read and paired this with the audio. It was a quick listen (6 hours) and I thought the pacing was fine. It did get some used to having a male narrator voice whom I presume was a female main character. Overall I recommend this if you are looking to get into the fantasy world without being too overwhelming and if you have a love of coffee! Also had a romance but it was not the biggest component and didn't really come to life until closer to the end. 

Thank you so much to Jessica George, St Martin's & NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!  Also thank you to Libro.Fm for gifting a copy of the audio!

I had been nervous to read this as I wasn't sure if it was something that I would enjoy as I mostly stick with romance. I am so glad I was wrong. This book was the most perfect book to start off 2023. 

"You can't be sad for no reason; it's not a human's natural state. In life, you're meant to be happy or content, only experiencing moments of sadness, so if sadness is your natural state, what does that say about you?"

Maddie is 25 year old who is stuck in a job she hates (luckily she won't have to worry about that much longer), no love life and spends all her free time taking care of her father. Her brother travels for work and doesn't help out and her mother flies to Ghana every other year to work at her grandfather's hostel. As her mother is due to return, Maddie starts a new role at a publishing company and moves out of her parent's home. Maddie navigates her new normal as life constantly throws curveballs.

"You're twenty-five. You're meant to be getting as much dick as possible."

When you hear coming of age, your mind often goes to tweens and teengers but in this case it is for someone in their mid-20s. You truly do see the growth of Maddie from start to finish. She truly was one that took care of everyone except for herself and you felt that. Even her mother tells her, "When you're older, you'll wish you did more." The dynamic between Maddie and her mother felt so real. I could feel Maddie's frustration with her mother and how she would just agree with everything her mother says because it was easier that way. The journey that they go on was beautiful to read and not perfect.

"One of my problems is that I'm expecting perfection from ordinary people."

I could definitely relate to some of Jessica's story with being a caretaker for her father. I see what my mother goes through taking care of my grandmother who also has Parkinson's and it definitely has taken a toll on her. I had to check in on my grandmother while she was in respite care while my parents were on vacation and it was a lot and all I had to do was visit. I was my mom's eyes and ears and had to make sure she ate, medicine was taken care of and wash was done. It made me appreciate all that she does for her. I wanted to share this book with her but then things got a little spicy and wasn't sure if that would make it awkward. 

There is such a voice that comes off the pages and felt like at times I was reading pages from a diary.  

I did pair this with the audio provided by Libro.Fm and Heather Agyepong did a wonderful job with narratoring and really brought Maddie to life. 

What a stunning debut Jessica! 

Thank you so much to Elle Cosimano, St Martins, MacMillan Audio & NetGalley for the opportunity to have an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! 

I had heard so much about the Finlay Donovan series over the last year in the Bookstagram world. Fun fact, the first book of the series was one of my first ebooks I purchased when I got my Kindle. I was so excited to be able to  get a copy of this high anticipating 3rd book of the series. 

This picks up right where the last book left off. Finlay and Vero are on the hunt to find out who EZ Clean is and was tipped off that it was someone who may be on the inside of the police force.  And the opportunity for the two to go to the citizen's police academy for the week came at the perfect time. 

This is a bold statement but I think this may have been my favorite of the three? I love that this all took place in one location and even with that there was still so much action and humor throughout! Vero truly shines and I just love her relationship with Finlay. They just work so well together and are each other's ying & yang.  

Even though he has done some crappy things, I really like how Finlay is navigating her relationship with Steven. She is keeping her guard up but also knows that he is the father of her children and doesn't want anything bad to happen to him. 

The end of this book left it open to a possible 4th installment?! And if we do get that 4th book I hope we learn more about Vero's history as some of it was touched upon in this book. 

Angela Dawes once again does and is a fabulous narrator! She really brings to life Finlay and gives Vero that extra spunk. 

I do recommend reading the other two books prior. This would not work as a standalone as there are just too many connecting characters that carried through the book. 

The Finlay series is such a great mix of laughs, action & a bit of romance.
If you are a fan of Only Murders in the Building, this book is similar vibes. 

Will maybe write a more thought out review but until then….absolutely obsessed! Enjoyed from start to finish! Damien Martinez soared to my top tier boyfriend list of 2022. Haven’t read a book this quick in awhile.

Audiobook: 4.5 - This sequel to Finlay Donovan is Killing It was superb. The antics of Finlay and Vero was so funny and I absolutely love the banter between them! I definitely enjoyed this one more and was kept on my toes wondering who was going after her ex. Once again this has a great blend of humor and action and a little bit of romance because who doesn't love a hot cop. 

Thank you so much to Karelia Stetz-Waters, Forever and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book! 

I had heard such good things about Karelia's debut book Satisfaction Guarantee (there is a call back to this book) that when the opportunity came to read this book I knew I had to take it.  This book was such a delight to read. 

Rose is a multi tasking queen who helps business flourish and there isn't a business she won't take on. Ashlyn Stewart was a former rising director until an accident derailed her Hollywood status and now she makes car commercials. She has one last shot to make it in Hollywood and with the help of Rose looks to make the movie of her dream. And maybe a chance at falling in love again? 

"Being chased by cougars makes you feel alive." 

I struggled to get through the beginning part as I was a little confused with all the different characters that were thrown in right away but as I continued reading, the more I was able to connect everyone (this may have been completely me and holiday distractions clouding my brain). 

One element that I will never not be over is that this brought to light the world of ASMR. I have been such an advocate for ASMR for the last 5 years and even prior to knowing what it was, I was a fan. As I was reading and learned that Rose moonlights as an ASMRist in her spare time had my jaw on the floor.  I absolutely loved that Stetz-Waters included this popular Youtube/TikTok idea in a book. I hope others give it a try and see how relaxing it really makes you feel. I can't go to sleep without it. 

"She was looking at you like you made the sun shine." 

Rose and Ashlyn were an interesting couple who I felt sometimes got in each other's way. They both felt attraction to one another right away after a chance meeting at a pug event. And it was serendipitous that Ashlyn's employee/friend reached out to Rose's company for help on managing Ashlyn's work. There was a slight slow burn but their flirty moments filled the void until the chance of spending the night together in a hotel room (hello one bed trope) change their relationship. I like that they both comfortable to talk about their fears and their trauma even if it took a bit. The book didn't specifically have each chapter labeled with the POV of the women but it was implied based off the text which was wonderful.  I love the banter between the two and also when they were around love ones it never faltered. Ashlyn was so scarred from her ex wife that it took her a bit to trust that Rose was the real deal. 

I thought the sex scenes were done beautifully and the incorporation of Ashlyn's sexual dysfunction after her accident was something that you don't normally see in any kind of romance book. Naturally Ashlyn is ashamed of it and a good partner wouldn't shame you for it so it was good to see Rose work with her and make her feel comfortable. 

I recommend this book if you are looking for a sapphic read with some heavy topics and a mix of Hollywood thrown in there. 

Thank you so much to Jumata Emill, Random House, Book Forward & NetGalley for an advance copy of this book!

I am not going to beat around the bush, holy moly this book is FANTASTIC!! I'll be honest, I was a bit nervous to read this as I had recently read Tiffany D. Jackson' The Weight of Blood and thought it was going to be similar (just based off the title and cover) but it was not! 

The first black Homecoming queen was crowned and less than 12 hours later, Nova Albright is dead. All signs point to TInsley McArthur who was very vocal about her hate for Nova. Did Tinsley commit the crime? If she didn't, then who did? 

"Innocent people don't hide. They walk around with their heads held high." 

This book is told from two POVs (which is a favorite of mine) - one from Nova's best friend Duchess and the other from high brow beauty queen Tinsley. As a reader, I do not tend to read synopsis prior to starting a book as I like to go in completely blind as sometimes I think they give away TOO much so not knowing why the main characters perspective was not included was a mystery to me until it wasn't. Duchess and Tinsely were such complex characters and were such opposites that it was great seeing how their dynamic played out. I love that they had reservations about each other and neither could fully trust one another which made them a perfect pair for teaming up to find Nova's killer. 

I have never met a bigger villain than Tinsley's mother. She was such a scary person and I think what made her scarier is that this could be your neighbor, your teacher, a family member. She is your definition of white privilege who think their shit don't stink and her actions would ripple down to her children's actions.  It made me so angry to read her character which i am sure is what Emill was trying to evoke from the reader.  This led to bigger conversations on race, discrimination, white privilege and systemic racism. It was an important piece of this book right from the beginning and was woven in throughout the whole book and played such a role. 

The beginning started off slow setting up the scene but once Homecoming night happened it flew by. I was definitely kept on the edge of my seat and there were so many twist and turns. When I thought it was going to go one way, it definitely took a turn the other way.  I had paired this with the audio about halfway through courtesy of Penguin Random House Audio and the audio was fantastic. And added element that I think should be included in more audiobooks is that knocking sound when someone hears it or the sound of a phone ringing in the background when its happening in the book. It made it extra enjoyable. 

Congrats on a wonderful debut Jumata Emill! 

I highly recommend this and will definitely be sharing this with my friends. 

 Thank you to Jake Maia Arlow, BooksForward & Harper Audio for complimentary copies of the book in exchange for my honest review. 

 

This book was super cute! I really enjoyed it and thought it was a super fast listen via audio. 

 

Author Jake Maia Arlow had some disappointing support from Harper after the novel came out and then the strike and they were admit on it not being labeled a Christmas or Jewish book. And I was skeptical going into it but honestly it’s true. Both holidays are mentioned but neither are celebrated. 

 

The MC and her love interest do the typical Jewmas by having Chinese food and movie date. Which honestly sounds like a fabulous day for me. 

 

What I liked about this book is that Shani reminded me of myself and countless of other young adults trying to grow up and get over those messy first love breakups. We don’t learn until closer to the end what really caused Shani’s break up from Sadie (which even though Shani grieved it, it was for the best). 

 

I love how into fish Shani is! I thought that was such a unique internship & job that a person would want to do. Also this book made me want to take a trip back to DC and explore all the museums. 

 

I thought the pacing was really well & that it took place over a specific amount of time. Was it an instant love trope? Of course but I didn’t mind. I liked Shani and May together and how their relationship grew from slight enemies to friends to lovers. 

 

I highly recommend if you are looking for a wintertime YA romance with appearances from an adorable corgi!