I want to preface this review by saying that I find Nicole Byer hilarious and my star rating for this book is in no way a reflection of my opinions of her as a human being. In fact, my admiration for her was the reason that I picked up this title in the first place. However, I am hesitant to even call # VERY FAT # VERY BRAVE a book in this review. Why? Well, the majority of the pages are just photos of Byer in her many different bikini combinations. Also, the writing that is present is insubstantial. The whole book is poking fun of those who call plus-sized women "brave" for doing mundane things in their bodies. The advice Byer gives as to how to "be brave" is sarcastic and witty, similar to her style of comedy. I just wish that Byer had included more writing in this one to accompany her photos.

After reading The Proposal, the second book in this series, I thought that no love interest in a romance book could top Carlos. And while Carlos is still my favorite, Max, the love interest in Party Of Two came close. Obviously, Jasmine Guillory knows how to write men that appeal to me! On a more serious note, I really loved Oliva, the protagonist, as well. She is a strong, funny, and hardworking woman. I think this is Guillory's strongest book in The Wedding Date series so far and I look forward to reading her latest release, While We Were Dating, soon!

Oliver decides to visit a gay bathhouse, despite being in a dedicated relationship with his partner. A traumatic incident occurs during this visit which sets off a chain of events. Oliver continues to have to lie to the people in his life to cover up his betrayal, but his lies are catching up to him. I enjoyed this novel because it didn't remind me of any book I've read before. A while ago, the majority of the books I read were thrillers. However, I have since strayed from that genre because the books started to all have the same plotline. I recommend trying this title from P.J. Vernon if you are looking for a fast-paced, unique read.

In Bradbury's middle-grade novel, a group of young boys and their mysterious "chaperone" learn about the origins of the holiday we now know as Halloween. In addition to this, the boys are trying to find their friend, Pipkin, and eventually have to make an important decision regarding his fate. This title reminded me of the books in the Magic Tree House series mixed with A Christmas Carol (but swap Christmas with Halloween). While it was written for younger readers, I believe that readers of all ages will appreciate this novel. I am so glad that I went outside of my comfort zone and grabbed The Halloween Tree from my local library because I truly enjoyed reading it!

One thing I love about Jackson's writing is that there is always a purpose. Monday's Not Coming is a YA contemporary novel that touches on the heavy topics of domestic abuse and missing children of color. The protagonist, Claudia, is determined to find out where her best friend is after she fails to show up to school. Without giving away any spoilers, this story is heartbreaking. So you might be wondering why I only gave this novel 3/5 stars. First, the way this book is structured is (purposefully) confusing. The storyline jumps all over the place and I sometimes was lost when trying to figure out when certain events were happening. And second, the ending. There is a major revelation that occurs towards the end of the story that explains a lot of the oddities of this novel. Unlike in other stories, there was no build-up to this twist and I was caught very off-guard when it was revealed. In my opinion, it did nothing to strengthen the quality of this book and actually caused me to take off a star from its rating (up until that point, I was ready to rate it 4/5 stars). Despite loving Tiffany D. Jackson and her books, this one just didn't work for me!

Duck Duck Gator is what you get when you combine Duck Dynasty and a murder mystery. Yes, you read that correctly. The Gator Guys and The Mallard Men are two reality tv families from Louisiana who become involved in a murder investigation after one of the families suffers an unimaginable loss. I am not going to lie, the premise drew me in. However, I did not have a great reading experience. Wheaton, the author, had a lot he wanted to put into this book and it shows. There are too many storylines happening in this novel which made it confusing at times. In addition to this, there were also too many characters to go along with these storylines. With some major editing and a more clear focus on the investigation, I think this book would have been a lot better.
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(I received a digital copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed above are my own.)

I actually enjoyed this title way more than I thought I was going to. I originally decided to read this story because I loved Verity which was also written by Hoover. And while I still think that Verity is a better book (because it is SO creepy), Layla was also pretty good! This story is full of twists that I guarantee you will not see coming. While reading this one, I constantly kept asking myself "who could even come up with this type of story"? The answer to that is none other than Colleen Hoover. She continues to impress in a variety of genres and I am looking forward to reading more of her work.

Tiffany D. Jackson is one of the greatest YA fiction authors. I have read many of her books and I am continuously impressed by her ability to bring stories to life. After I finish a book by her, I immediately want a film or tv series adaption just so I don't have to "say goodbye" to the characters in it. These feelings towards Jackson led me to pick up Allegedly, her debut novel that was first published in 2017. As we all know, debut novels can be tough. They do not always showcase the author's talents fully and that was certainly the case with this book. Mary, the protagonist, is very unlikeable and I did not have that same attachment to her when compared to other characters in Jackson's newer books. Also, to be blunt, the ending of this novel was terrible. I'm sure some readers will like it for its shock factor, but I thought it was kind of a cop-out. Overall, if you are looking to read something from Jackson, I would recommend Let Me Hear A Rhyme or White Smoke over this title.