thisteacherlovestoread's Reviews (544)

4.5/5 ⭐️s. I couldn’t put this book down. I loved it from start to finish! Shae is a single mom with two young daughters. She is stretched thin and trying her best. She is reluctant to accept help from anyone and wants to be seen as independent. Shae is relatable as a mom and that mom guilt hits home.

Shae goes on a dating app and meets Conner. They realize they are only good as friends but he invites Shae and her girls over for Thanksgiving at his dad Nick’s house. Nick was also a young single father and wants to help Shae.

The love Nick shows for Shae and her daughters is so swoony. I couldn’t stop smiling! This book gave me all the feels! Nick is protective and will do anything for Shae and her girls.

Nick said lots of swoon worthy things to Shae but his actions backed it up and got Shae to slowly lower her guard. I was so sad when this book ended.

I gave it 4.5 out of five stars because I really wanted a bonus epilogue to get a little more of a glimpse into the future for these two and this found family. I thought the end was abrupt and was longing for more.

Read this if you like:
* reverse grumpy sunshine
* single mom
* he falls first (and falls hard)
* top tier book boyfriend material
* protective MMC
* spicy hallmark movie vibes

This was my first book by Morgan Elizabeth but it definitely won’t be the last! I’ll be stalking her blog and instagram for a bonus epilogue.

3.75 rounded up. I really enjoyed the first book in this series. While I still enjoyed this one it didn't live up to my expectations. I will continue to read her books if there are more in the series.

Rounded down from 3.5.

4.5. I can't get enough of Catherine Cowles books! Everyone of them has me engaged in the story.

I am becoming a huge fan of Morgan Elizabeth. I like her style of writing and her books make me laugh.

In this book we meet Abby and Damien. Abby’s boyfriend (who she thought was going to propose soon) of 4 years breaks up with her and is a total douche about it. She gets drunk with her friends and they make a list of ways she can get revenge on him. She joins a dating app and gets matched with his boss and thinks that would be the perfect revenge. She goes on a date with him to enact her revenge but it doesn’t go according to plan. Read the book to find out what happens next.

Cue the Hallmark movie. I really enjoyed reading The Worst Christmas Wife by Kate Bachand. In this book we meet Ava and Hendricks. Ava gets a job as the assistant to Hendricks who is an architect. Ava is a designer who is hasn't made a name for herself in the industry yet. Hendricks is trying to get the opportunity to build the dream house of a retired actress. In researching her, he finds that she is all about family. To get the edge up in getting the job, he asks Ava to be his fake wife.

It was a little slow in the beginning, but as I read on I really enjoyed it. I liked how Ava was able to get Hendricks to enjoy Christmas and enjoy her family and see what is important in life. Ava and Hendricks really complimented each other as an architect and designer. I feel they brought out the best in each other and complimented each other in so many ways. I would love to have had an epilogue and flash forward to a sneak peak a few Christmas's later.

Read this book if you enjoy
* grumpy sunshine
* Fake dating
* Christmas themes
* no spice
* hallmark movies in book form

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to others. Thank you Netgalley and Kate Bachand. I voluntarily read this book and gave an honest review.

4.5 out of 5 stars. I love Lynn Painter books. Even though they are geared towards YA, I feel like they are just great feel good books that make me smile. In Betting on You we meet Bailey and Charlie. Charlie and Bailey's paths first cross on a cross country flight. Bailey finds him annoying and then a few years later they become coworkers at the same water park. A friendship evolves and they help each other navigate dealing with their own families. They are both from divorced families and dealing with their parents in new relationships and step siblings.

I like how their friendship formed and how free Bailey was to be herself as well as how she accepted Charlie and his germ phobia and helped him through it with no judgement. I would love another epilogue as to where this couple is in the future.

3.75 rounded up. In Wreck My Plans we meet Lena and Gavin. Gavin is Lena’s brother’s best friend. He grew up in foster homes and Lena’s family has always treated him like one of their own. Lena and Gavin decide to give in to one night together and then go back to just being friends.

I liked both of these characters and how they brought out the best in each other. Gavin is swoony and a true gentleman.

Read this book if you like
*brother’s best friend
*close proximity/one bed troupe
*found family
*a few spicy scenes
*he falls hard

I liked this book and would recommend it to others.

4.5 out of 5 stars. In Puck the Holidays, we meet Hattie and Conner. Hattie gets a job as PR for the Seattle Vipers and meets Conner who is the goalie for the Vipers. Hattie just moved to Seattle after escaping a toxic relationship back in Texas. She is ready for a fresh start but is not quite ready to date. Hattie has had bad things happen in December and thus doesn't like Christmas. Connor loves Christmas and makes it his mission to change Hattie's mind about the holiday. Conner and Hattie spend lots of time together and become best friends. They spend a lot of time mutually pinning for one another but neither wants to make the first move.

I really enjoyed both characters and how their love for each other grew. Connor is a total protective teddy bear of a guy and I loved him. I loved the suspense that was was woven into the story.

I liked the side characters of Nat and Rizzo. I would love to see a Novella on them as well and hopefully get a future sneak peak at Hattie and Conner, since there was no epilogue.

This book held my interest and I would recommend it if you love:
* friends to lovers
* found family
* spice
* a little bit of suspense
* Tattooed and pierced MMC

The Gratitude Goggles by Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez, PHD and illustrated by Rita Nilson is a beautiful book that helps young students understand the abstract concept of gratitude. It gives young children concrete examples of what gratitude is and what happens to our sense of well-being when we don't show gratitude and instead express unhappiness with what we don't have instead. I like the visual of seeing things in gray and how it has a negative impact on our mental well being and that things will only get darker, but when we put on our gratitude goggles we see things in bright colors and feel a sense of happiness. I like that it gave examples of things to be grateful for that are not monetary items such as family, the sky, health, fishing, birds singing, etc.

I am a second grade teacher and when we talk about gratitude and what we are thankful for, lots of kids can only thing of superficial things and it takes some conversation to get them to think things beyond that. This book would be a great way to give them some other ideas to think about.

My own children are always comparing what they have to others and I am going to read this to them to remind them of the importance of being thankful for the things they have.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and will help children of all ages grasp the important concept of gratitude. As a teacher I love teaching through literature and this is such a great book to use in and out of the classroom. It's a great book to continually return to as a mentor text and reminder of all the things there are to be thankful for.

Thank you Netgalley and Andrea Mendoza-Vasconez for for this beautiful and important book. I voluntarily read it and gave my honest review.