thelovelylibrarylady's Reviews (1.1k)

Well Met is an extremely adorable romance that takes place at a Renaissance Faire. Emily, or Emma - her extremely imaginative faire name, agrees to volunteer at the event so her young niece can also participate. She quickly realizes she dislikes the organizer of the faire, a local English teacher named Simon, as he is uptight and overly serious. You can see where this is going right? I highly recommend adding this sweet romance to your shelf if you love the enemies-to-lovers trope, are a Ren Faire enthusiast, or are just looking for a cute contemporary read! 

As a horror novella, 8:59:29 was pretty average. It is difficult to really develop characters in a novella, but Hetta, the protagonist, was extremely forgettable. The motivations behind her actions were questionable and ultimately I was looking for more horror and more of a connection to Hetta and her cause. 

(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.)

Dear Child picks up where most thrillers end. The crime has been committed and the victim has escaped. But what comes next? I have never read a book quite like this one. Originally written in German, this translated title caused me to feel uneasy. Hausmann did a spectacular job creating suspense throughout the story and I had a difficult time putting this one down! I highly recommend this novel to thriller lovers!

As the fourth book in the Hawaiian Getaway series, The Holiday Prize, was a cute romance that allowed readers to revisit their favorite characters. However, this book can definitely be read as a standalone like all books in the series. This novel focuses on Connor and Tori, two real estate agents who team up to try to sell a luxury property that has been on the market for a long time. Connor’s grandparents absolutely stole the show and were my favorite part of the story. If you are looking for a lighthearted, seasonal read, The Holiday Prize would be a great choice!

Grumpy x Sunshine continues to reign supreme when it comes to romance tropes. Snowed In For Christmas follows the story of Becca and Harrison, neighbors with two wildly different personalities, and their time together when their town is hit with a blizzard right before Christmas. I absolutely loved watching the characters realize that they were developing feelings for the other, but did not enjoy the miscommunication they had throughout the book. 

(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.)

When reviewing this book, it is important to remember the context of when it was written. Thrive is just shy of a decade old and the self-care industry has changed significantly since its original publication. This does not mean that Huffington’s messages are not useful, but they may not seem as revolutionary as they did in 2014. A lot of the habits the author promotes are ones that have been adopted by others and could be considered mainstream today. The major takeaway from Thrive is that a life well lived is one spent with compassion and love. The maintaining of relationships, between oneself and others, is crucial. If we embrace these habits we will be more successful in our goals and be able to live our lives to the fullest.

Killing Eve meets Dexter in this novel filled with dark humor. Kitty, our protagonist, is a social media influencer. Bored with her superficial life, Kitty looks for ways to bring excitement into her days, and boy does she find it (through killing men who may or may not deserve it). From its morally gray characters and its attention-grabbing plot, I absolutely adored this story. 

(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.)

I was hesitant to agree to read this book early as I had some issues with the animal violence in Behind Closed Doors, another title from this author. Luckily, The Guest does not have that type of content. I personally found the pace of the novel to be slow which led to a waning interest on my end and a three-star rating. However, I predict that psychological thriller aficionados will enjoy this book with its twists and turns once it is published to the masses.

(PUB DATE: 02/20/2024)

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

 

 If you are looking to learn more about gender identity and the experience of intersex people, this is the book for you. Weigel, an intersex person and activist, shares her personal and professional experiences. I truly enjoyed her musings about bodily autonomy and how an individual can impact societal change. Inverse Cowgirl is a book that should be present in any LGBTQIA+ collection as it shines light on the complexity of intersex identity, unlike any other book I have come across. 

(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.)

Unfortunately, The Marriage Retreat was a miss for me. I found the pace of the novel to be too slow and the main character, Lorraine, to be irredeemable. The concept of the book - a couple owning a marriage retreat having secret marital problems of their own - pulled me in, but the execution was just not there. 

(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.)