thisteacherlovestoread's Reviews (544)

I love a good feel good Hallmark Christmas movie vibe book and this is definitely that vibe. I also love a good second chance romance. In this book we meet Brie and Rockwell. They dated in high school but Rockwell broke Brie's heart when he broke up with her and left town. Now he is back and they are spending time together. Before he returned Brie made a Christmas list and put "I want Rockwell Davenport for Christmas." Do wishes really come true?

I liked the characters and how Rockwell wanted Brie reach her dreams. Brie was supportive of Rockwell and they complimented each other well. There was also cute banter between them that made me smile. Rockwell was sweet and even though he had his reasons for leaving, he felt really bad and wanted to make it up to Brie. Brie was a sweet and forgiving person and didn't hold any grudges.

The narrators were great and I love a dual POV in a romance book. 4/5 stars for narration, 3.75 stars rounded up for storyline of book.

Listen to this book if you enjoy:
* cinnamon roll MMC
* second chance romance
* hallmark movie vibes
* small town romance
* dual POV
* fake dating (sort of)

This audiobook will be released on December 20, 2023. If you are looking for a fun rom-com, check out this audiobook!

Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Select for an advanced copy of this audiobook. I voluntarily listened and gave an honest review.

Listened to the audio for this one and maybe the lower rating was due to the narrators. The guy was good but when the girl impersonated the guy she added an accent (like a New Jersey accent) when the male narrator didn’t have one.

The plot was cute though!

The Fake Out is book 2 in the Vancouver Storm Series. I loved the first book and I loved this one even more. It has everything you want in a romance book.

Things I loved:
* Dual POV
* Protective, swoon worthy, patient MMC.
* Funny, outwardly confident FMC
* Fake dating
* Growth of the main characters
* Spicy

Hazel and Rory are perfect for each other! I can't wait for more books in this series!

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt is a beautiful story that follows Sage and Fisher. Sage and Fisher were each on a journey of self discovery. They were vulnerable and honest with each other. Sage was so relatable and someone I want to be around. She was quirky and found the beauty in simple things. It was really inspiring. I liked her positive nature even though she has been through some difficult things. Fisher was a great MMC as well, he wanted to do better and was reflective and put his niece Indy’s needs first.

The banter between the main characters was fun and made me laugh out loud. I love that this story had dual POVs. I love getting a look inside both of the character’s heads and seeing things from each of their sides.

This was my first book by Tarah, but it certainly won’t be my last. She creates characters that stick with you and that you can’t help but root for and want all the positive things for. She also wove difficult topics into her book in a beautiful and meaningful way.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Griffin Publishing for allowing me to voluntarily read this book and give an honest review. This book will be released on May 21, 2024.

I loved Matching All the Way by Veronica Eden! It is a stand alone set in the Heston Lake world. Cole Kincaid returns to Heston Lake when he gets a job as temporary assistant coach for the Heston U hockey team. Eve is the daughter of the head coach and happens to be the sister of Cole’s best friend. Eve and Cole grew up together and had mini crushes on each other but nothing ever happened between them. Now they keep matching on a dating app and secretly act upon their attraction within the app. Their connection grows stronger and Cole is total book boyfriend material. He is swoon worthy and understands how to support her. He even listens to her spicy audiobooks so he knows what she likes and tries to act them out with her. He is patient and loves her for who she is and supports all her dreams. There is neurodivergent representation in the main FMC. As a girl who loves to craft, I really related to Eve. This book is spicy and a five star read for me.

If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay is a fast passed thriller with lots of twists and turns. Many that I didn't see coming and some that were predictable. There are multiple story lines happening and you have to use the information you get in each one to try and figure out how they are all interconnected. At times, I wasn't sure how each of the story lines would connect, but it did and I felt it was well done.

The book starts with Ali and her boyfriend Ryan going to a place called Lovers Lane. Ali ends up being taken from her fathers car and Ryan is hit on the head and pulled from the car. Everyone thinks Ryan was the one who took her but he maintains his innocence. While overseas on a school trip, Ryan sees the man he thinks he remembers from the night Ali was taken. Back home in Kansas, Ali's dad's car is found in the lake and this leads to lots of questions and new mysteries to solve. The main question is still, what happened to Ali?

This is the second book I have read by Alex Finlay. I look forward to reading more books of his.

Read this book if you enjoy:
* fast paced mysteries
* Quick read
* Corruption/ criminal underworld
* multiple story arcs
* diverse settings
* short chapters

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. If Something Happens to Me will be published on May 28, 2024.

This review is for the audio version of this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced audio of Momma Cusses. While I am a parent of an 8 and 12 year old, there were still many things that resonated with me in this book. If any of these resonate with you, I highly recommend you read or listen to this book. Gwenna Laithland is relatable and honest. As I was listening, I felt like I was having a conversation with a friend.

These are the things that resonated with me:
* Our job is to parent ourselves out of a job.
* No amount of perfection will ever be enough. That is the problem with perfection.
* Messing up around our kids is a teachable moment.
* Show kids how to apologize by apologizing.
* Don't seek perfection, just improvement.
* Mom guilt is useful. It makes us more aware of our tone and actions.
* I"m sorry is an important thing to say to our children.
* We have to let kids learn how to fail safely.
* Taking care of yourself is taking care of your kids.

I love parent mantra:
I'm not a perfect parent and that's ok. I'm doing my best and that's enough. I am learning how to be a parent just like my kid is learning how to be a person.

Quotes subject to change upon publication. If any of these things resonates with you or you relate to them, learn more by reading or listening to this book upon the audio release on March 5, 2024.

I enjoyed this YA thriller. It was a quick and easy read and had many plot twists I didn't see coming. I enjoyed the camp feel vibes throughout the book. It was a good mystery that would make a great YA series for streaming.

In Two Sides to Every Murder, we meet Olivia and Reagan. It begins in a flashback 17 years earlier where 3 people lost their lives at Camp Lost Lake. Once in the present we learn that Olivia was born during the infamous murder spree. She now has questions about her birth that she wants answers to. Reagan has been on the run with her mom who is suspected to have committed the triple homicide 17 years earlier. She wants answers as to what really happened that night. Both Reagan and Olivia return to Camp Lost Lake in search of answers but there are obstacles standing in their way and people who don't want them to find the answers they are looking for. Will they be able to find those answers and make it out of Camp Lost Lake alive? Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this book when it is released on June 4, 2024.

A quote that I enjoyed from this book is:
"I came here to learn the truth, but the truth was so much more complicated than I ever thought it could be."

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group for the advanced reader copy of this book.

*Quotes subject to change upon release of the book.

Piper's Pet Pursuit by Cortney Cino is an engaging book that will have kids laughing at the antics Piper goes through in pursuit of the perfect pet. Piper wants a pet and wants to show her parents that she can take care of one so she shows them all the ways she can be a good pet owner.

This book is very relatable to young readers. As a 2nd grade teacher, we do an opinion writing lesson on what animal is the perfect pet and why. This would be a great mentor text to get them engaged in the topic and get them excited about writing.

As a parent this is a great book to have children predict if Piper finds a pet or not, what pet that might be, what pet they think would be the perfect pet and why, etc. After each pet you can ask your child if that animal would make a good pet and why or why not. There are so many great ways to work on reading comprehension with this book.

The pictures are engaging and beautiful. This book will have parents and young readers hooked from the first page.

There are so many great reasons to read this book and as a teacher and a parent I am so glad there is literature like this to engage students and get them thinking and talking about text.

Teachers and parents, do yourself a favor and pick up this book on January 9, 2024. I know I will!

Thank you NetGalley and Courtney Cino for voluntarily letting me read this book and give an honest review.

Name your Price by Holly James was a fun read! I really liked the reality show/Big Brother vibe. I liked the characters and the vulnerability they showed. They both had character growth and I was totally rooting for them. In this book we meet Olivia and Chuck. Olivia and Chuck are both in the Hollywood world in some way. Chuck is striving to be an A list actor but after getting fired from a blockbuster movie his star is on the decline. Olivia's parents had her during a scandalous affair and have since past away leaving her feeling abandoned and with some insecurities. Olivia and Chuck have a bad breakup and somehow it was recorded and went viral. They have an opportunity to live together and make a lot of money. Can they stand to live in a house together for a month? Read to find out if they can overcome the challenges of living together under the watchful eye of cameras and how they deal with the drama of their circumstances.

I love Olivia and her relationship with her grandma. This book is so cute and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys reality tv and Hollywood drama.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for an advanced reader copy of this book. This book will be published on July 30, 2024.