“The best friends of our childhoods are the loves of our lives, and they break our hearts in worse ways.”

WOW! I did not think that it could get any better than "Beartown" but this one delivered.
I was nervous because some of my book friends either reallly loved this or didn't care much for it compared to the prior. I think after meeting the characters in the first one, it made me way more invested in this book. 

Now that I am familiar with Fredrick's writing style it made reading this one smoother. Backman has a way with his writing that you think one thing is happening and then it's something different. 

Once again we have multiple storylines with the characters going at the same time. I kind of wish I did read them back to back because there was some details that I had forgotten but for the most part I was able to follow along. 

I definitely have my favorite characters and I was so happy to continue their journey in this 2nd book. I am really excited for the 3rd which is slated to be out later this year to see how they all wrap up.

If anything happens to Benji, I will truly be HEARTBROKEN!!!!!!!!

I did a buddy read with my friend Cam and his friend and it was just so awesome being able to discuss the book along the way.

Just like with the first book, I have never flagged so many lines and paragraphs in a book. His writing is truly incredible. Some other quotes that I loved:

Thank you so much @librofm, @mazeyeddings & @macmillan.audio for an advance copy of this! 

Harper is on her way to being an oral surgeons and is right at the top of her class when she meets first year student dental student Dan. Harper accidentally ruins a project of his and offers her assistance to fix what was broken. The chemistry between them was lit right from the start. They are both in the dental industry for two different reasons which are such sad reasons. 

One of my favorite quotes from the book was:
“No one should have to lose a piece of themselves to make others comfortable”

I really enjoyed listening to this one!  I am such a fan of dual POV and even better via audio when they have two narrators. The flow of the book via audio made it a super quick listen. Also it's always a bonus when a book takes place in Philadelphia.

One thing I loved is that they both knew they were into each other right away. It may have taken a bit for things to get hot and heavy but they always known there was something there. And yes there is steam 🔥🔥 

There was such a mix of light and funny moments to serious discussions so please check the content warnings on this prior to reading. Bravo to Mazey on your debut!!

Another YA romance that I just absolutely loved. There was so many different representations within this book that it would be so good for a high schooler to read (or even an adult like myself). 

High schooler Ophelia has always known she was into boys, really into boys. And all her friends and family have even teased her about her boy crazy mind. And then Talia Sanchez appears into her life and turns Ophelia's life upside down. 

I love the friendships between all the characters in the book. Ophelia had a great friendship with Wes who really helped navigating these new feelings. I did enjoy that Ophelia had friendships with boys who were nothing more than platonic friends (I have read too many romances that just assume the characters will get together in some way). 

It was just so well written and stellar all around. 

Thank you to my bookstagram friends for putting this one on my radar! 

Just like all CoHo books, this one is EVERYWHERE on Bookstagram so naturally I was swayed. I had been wanting to read this one for awhile and just kept putting it off for one reason or another. And finally I had to chance after a book club made it its February pick. 

This was my 2nd CoHo book and just like the first the writing made the pace of reading super quick. There were two dual narratives - one in present time and the other a manuscript from author Verity Crawford. Lowen is an introverted author who is asked to finish writing a series from Verity Crawford who after a vehicle accident is incapable to do so. In a series of events, Lowen doesn't believe that Verity is actually injured. Lowen is also paranoid after reading Verity's unfinished autobiography manuscript that she is mentally unstable. This book leaves you questioning the whole time and never know like with any thriller who to trust, who is telling the truth. 

I was SHOCKED at the fact that Jeremy and Lowen had sex WITH NO PROTECTION as majority of the books that I read make sure to have consent and use of some sort of protection. I get that it was needed for the end of the book but my goodnessssss. Also I was happy that for the most part Jeremy was a standup guy as he was throughout the book and I was just waiting for that twist to happen.

I really enjoyed this and of course love the romance element that was woven in. I hope she continues to dip into the psychological thriller genre more. 

Also please make sure you check out the content warnings on this. 

This book has been popping up everywhere this past month due to its presence with Book of Month and its fab reviews. 

Sadly, this was just not my jam. This is a case of its not you, it's me. There was nothing wrong with the writing or the context of the work. I am not a huge historical fiction fan and I kept getting confused on who was who. Don't let my review sway you and please check out.

There were parts that I really enjoyed and about 70% in everything clicked. This story is about family and their secrets, loss. Please check out the content warnings if you are planning on reading. 

I was able to be a viewer of an author's q&a and hearing her talk about the book made me appreciate it more. 

Absolutely loved this book! It had been on my radar for awhile and finally gave in and did the audio. For as many times that I've watched this trope in movies/tvs, this is the first time (in my memory) that I read a book where the good girl and bad boy fall for one another. 

Karina is a bright high school student who feels the pressure from her parents to go into a STEM profession when all she wants to study is English. She is asked to tutor Ace, a fellow student in her English class who is a known bad boy with a reputation. After spending time together, she begins to learn that he isn't what he is appears to be. And then the shock that game to Karina when Ace tells his family that they are dating. Their fake dating morphs into real dating. Karina's parents are very strict and have expectations set for their daughter. Ace did come across as the perfect on paper boyfriend which as a hopeless romantic, loved! Also loved the anxiety rep and how throughout the book Karina used counting as her coping mechanism. 

This audiobook is on the longer side but to me it went really fast. This was just such a cute YA book and made me smile for Karina. 

I am a huge fan of the Housewives and immediately was a fan of Dorinda when she started on "Real Housewives of NYC." Dorinda narrated her book which made it even more enjoyable. You could hear the emotion in her voice talking about her parents especially her mom and often time my eyes were welling up knowing that she was too. I never knew much about her history and this really gave me a sense of who Dorinda is as a person. She came from a hardworking family and worked her whole life to get where she is today. She went through the good, the bad and the ugly side of life. Also love that she went to college about 45 mins away from me. We bonded once in a small moment over the Amish community that surrounded the college. 

Favorite Quote: "People are like fire, you want them to warm you, not burn you" 

**I am not rating memoirs as this is someone's life story that they are sharing & should not be judge**

Reread: This is my 3rd time reading this book (1 physical & 2 audio) and I still love this book so much. Maybe even more so the 3rd time around. 

I cannot wait to see the movie!! WHERE IS IT!
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"It’s just us. It’s just you and me in this relationship."

This book will likely be on the list of my top 5 books of the year. I finished this a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I had major book hangover from this causing me the following day to listen to numerous podcast episodes and interviews of Robinne talking about the book. I read this book as a library borrow and as soon as I was done, I ordered a copy of the book.

The author has stated that this book was not based on anyone butttttttt there is a strong argument that the male love interest Hayes could be a Harry Styles equivalent. Which is why I am kicking myself for not reading this book sooner because if you want to know anything about me, it is that I am a huge Harry Styles fan (I am even in a FB group dedicated to Older Styles Fans).

This book tells the story of a 39 year old mother of a tween who falls in love with a member of her daughter's favorite band. The story takes us on a whirlwind over the course of almost a year. We are taken to the life of the rich and famous - the food, the yachts, the parties, the lodging. 

This is the first time I read the trope of an "older woman, younger man" and I really enjoyed it! I was hoping that it would not have kept being so much on Solene's mind as the story and the relationship progressed but it was just something that was just always there.  Hayes was just so smitten and I think once he met her, it was game over. 

“It’s art. All of you is art.”

After reading reviews on various pages there were several comments on how they did not like the ending. I have to disagree, I am not going to spoil the ending but I think that is what made me love the story even more. It also made me crave for a second book which I believe the author is dabbling with.  

I could go on and on about how much I love this book. I am already looking forward to doing a reread via audio. 

Thank you so much NetGalley, Farah Heron & Forever Publishing for an advance copy of this book! 

This is my first book by Farah Heron. I had meant to read "Accidentally Engaged" but the ever growing TBR prevented me but I am so glad I read this! 

Kamila Hussian is a later 20s ambitious young woman who wants to please everyone in her life. She is likes to take care of everyone and not always taking their feelings into consideration.  She works for her dad's business Emerald as a CPA, volunteers at an animal shelter and even has Bollywood movie parties every Friday night with all the works (lots of food and drinks).  I seriously love her time management skills because girl knows how to keep herself busy. 

I love that this book highlights mental health in older adults and children taking care of their aging parents.  I also loved that we saw the progression of Kamila and Rohan's relationship throughout the book. Rohan seems like such a stand up guy and would do anything for Kamila's family and for Kamila. He also isn't afraid to stand up to her and tells her the things she may not want to hear.  

It was also refreshing to have the main female protagonist make reference a few times about not wanting to have children. Most books that I have read never really come out and say this which as someone who likely will never have children was happy to see. And to know you can have a fulfilled life without that element.

The writing in this was really light and fluffy and occasionally came off as YA in the dialogue (internal monologue and the repetitiveness of what was going on). One thing I did love is that the author incorporated so much of the Indian culture into this book. It made me want to experience a Bollywood movie as well as go visit the local Indian restaurants and try the foods mentioned in the book (thankfully she also provided recipes to try).  

I really would love to see this adapted to screen as I think it would work perfectly on any streaming service as a rom com.

Audiobook: I want to thank the Bad Bitch Book Club for putting this book on my radar that I normally would not have picked out myself.  I have very limited knowledge of Ramadan so that was refreshing to read about a holiday that isn't normally spotlighted. 

This was such a quick listen & the book isn't too long if you are looking for a quick, cute YA read. Dua is visiting her family for a month in New York City during the holy month. I had to chuckle with Dua when she talks about her struggle during fasting at the start of the holiday. I would feel those same struggles. 

Dua gets to meet other Muslims while visiting which is overwhelming as she is from a smaller town and doesn't know any other in her school. She becomes smitten with a young man who is brother of her cousin's fiancee. He helps Dua learns the text of Quran at which during this time they become close. Along with Dua we also follow her cousin Mahnoor and her dilemma with being in an arranged marriage. 

There is a moment that happens to her younger cousin as a result of Islamophobia. 

I was surprised at the ending which I will not ruin but my gosh it seemed so rushed!!!! 

I will admit that I rushed through the audio to make sure that I got through it before a discussion so my memory of everything is a bit foggy. And now its been days since I listened, which makes writing this review a bit tougher.