thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

I am really enjoying reading the novels in the “Meant To Be” series. Kiss The Girl is a modern reimaging of The Little Mermaid. In this story, Ariel is a singer in a band with her sisters called Siren Seven. When the group disbands, Ariel realizes that she has lost her sense of identity and jumps at a chance to do something different when she crosses paths with another band with a handsome lead singer who just so happens to be named Eric. Kiss The Girl is a perfect summer romance with top-tier banter! Disney fans and romance fans alike will enjoy this title. 

(PUB DATE: AVAILABLE NOW)

(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

Royal Valentine was a cute story that lost stars due to its predictability. Overall, it’s hard for me to dislike a romance set in Italy. I enjoyed Ilaria and Callum’s adventures throughout Rome. 

Like many, this was my favorite story from "The Improbable Meet-Cute” collection. Told mostly through email correspondence, readers get to see a friendship and romance progress between the two main characters. The ending was super sweet and I would love a follow-up in the future from these authors!

As a fan of Guillory’s writing, I was disappointed with this story. The plot felt rushed and was a little unbelievable at times. Overall, this was my least favorite story from “The Improbable Meet-Cute” collection. 

This story was somehow sad, hilarious, and inspiring all at once. It follows Holly, a hospice nurse caring for her grandmother, and a stranger leaving notes and gifts for each other while she is on the clock. I enjoyed this story, but wish the conclusion to the story wasn’t so abrupt. 

The Haunting of Alejandra has been on my radar since it was published in the spring of 2023. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to read it. With beautiful prose and a strong theme of womanhood, this title is one that I devoured. I highly recommend listening to the audio recording of this novel, as the narrator's performance greatly added to my enjoyment of the story.

Neely, the author and illustrator of this graphic novel, was a student at Umpqua Community College in 2015 when there was a mass shooting on campus. Numb To This shows how being on campus during the horrific incident affected her life as a whole. It also explores how the public and the United States government respond to such events. Neely’s graphic novel is powerful and should be read to better understand the horrifying realities of survivors of mass shootings.

I have mixed feelings about Hendrix’s writing. This short story was confusing rather than scary and I wasn’t sure what to think after finishing. I would have loved for this story to be a little longer to clear up some of the loose ends. 

This short story was my first taste of Sally Thorne’s writing and I immediately want to pick up another title of hers. Rosie and the Dreamboat made me laugh out loud. Despite the story being a little over the top/cheesy, the witty banter between the love interests was fantastic and ultimately won me over. 

I found this short story to be extremely cute (and yes, a little cheesy). As someone who is currently planning a wedding, I could relate to the pressures of appeasing family with the wedding celebrations. It was fun to follow Audrey and Theo on their journey to find the missing groom on the day of the wedding. Overall, With Any Luck is a quick, but charming read.