I just finished You Between the Lines by Katie Naymon and here are my musings. Leigh never expected to be accepted into a prestigious MFA program… Things are looking up. That is until William walks in and he is also in the same program.. He is the bane of her existence and his poetry… pretentious… Excellent but it's what everyone else does… She writes outside the box and she will stop at nothing to get that fellowship… Trouble is William is gunning for it too. Firstly, this audiobook was really good. It set a beautiful pace and I was fully pulled into this cute romantic read. I am not a fan of poetry but I didn’t think about how vaste it can be. Leigh writes poetry like Taylor Swift lyrics and that's actually really bloody cool. I like the contrast between how and what William writes and what Leigh writes… It was almost like a grumpy vs sunshine poetry slam! It was totally clever! I think my biggest beef was Leigh. I like FMCs that are unsure and vulnerable but she was constantly getting in her own way and she allowed whatever was or wasn’t going on with her and Will to derail her. It annoyed me. She walked away from her comfortable life to do the program and she was wasting it… a lot. That rubbed me the wrong way. I get second guessing yourself but this made me cringe. It’s a debut novel so I always give more leniency to them and I could see some really solid work here. The pacing was off just a little bit but all in all I actually really enjoyed it. The last hour or so it really found its footing and was the best part of the book. It’s got some real vulnerable and raw moments and I can see what the book was trying to accomplish but some of it didn’t work as well as I hoped it would but I am super excited to see what the author does next. 3.75 stars Thank you to @netgalley and @hachetteaudio for my gifted copy. #youbetweenthelines #katienaymon #romanceread #romanceaudiobook #audiobooklover #netgalley #reader #readerofig #igbooks #bookblog #bookblogger

I just finished Enchantra - A spicy fantasy romance - by Kaylie Smith and here are my thoughts. Genevieve has questions about her mothers death and when no one will answer them for her, she goes in search of who she thinks is another necromancer that knew her mother… Trouble is, she has forced her way into something she now can’t get out of… Enchantra… She now has to compete in a dangerous game for the entertainment of others and all the other contenders are immortal. The only way she may survive is to pair up with Rowin… but while the games are deadly… Rowin might be even more of a danger to her…. heart. This book is next in the wicked games series… First book Phantasma.. Set quite the scene and this installment follows Genevieve and her quest for answers. Phantasma was good… This one was BETTER! I liked the build up between Rowin and Genevieve. It felt more authentic and you can tell the author really found their footing with the story. The tension was delicious and I liked the build up… It was sexually charged and the banter was on fore!! I hate the marriage of convenience tropes but this book made me a believer!! It was done really well. I felt like Genevieve was a much more realistic FMC. She didn’t act as aggressive as sister and I kinda liked that. Rowin was pure deliciousness so I can see why she fell for him. The pace was really good as well and I was sucked right in. The only beef I really have is how the author has been ending the books. I feel like the door was slammed in my face. It’s really well balanced for a spicy read as it actually has a plot and character development! That’s the trisecta of perfection. 4.5 stars Thank you to @netgalley @secondskybooks and @kaylsmoon for my gifted copy!!

I just finished Nothing Serious by Emily J. Smith and here are my thoughts. Edie is stuck in a rut. In love with her best friend Peter and in a job she doesn’t much care for. When Peter breaks up with his girlfriend, Edie finally feels like they could be more than friends but Peter has other ideas… He starts dating on dating apps. One woman really stands out and Edie finds herself drawn to the woman too until she winds up dead from a drug overdose right after a date with Peter. Unable to let it go, Edie starts her own investigation into what happened that night. Edie is a stage 5 clinger on everyone she tries to get close to and a stranger danger stalker. I know that's not what we are meant to get from this book but Peter and Edie… they might not 100% be the same but they are both dululu in their own ways. They are well suited really but Peter is a grade A level buttwipe. I found the story quite fascinating though. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone and I normally need the connection but I kinda like watching this trainwreck play out. The narration was really well done and I think I liked it more as an audio than I would have had I read it. I always read the reviews after I have read the book and I was quite surprised that people didn’t love it. I thought it was a rather clever way of highlighting the toxic culture of online dating and the tech world we all find ourselves in on a day to day basis. Yes Edie was obsessive to the point of almost breaking the law but I found the book rather compelling. It was different from my normal reads and I like that it shook me up. I would need a novella to list all the triggers so maybe check those out before you dive in. 4 stars Very original and very entertaining. Does have some dark humor and I always enjoy that personally. Thanks to @netgalley and @harperaudio ( I never thought to tag them before haha) for my gifted ALC #nothingserious #emilyjsmith #adultfiction #mysteryfiction #darkhumor #bookreviewer #bookblog #Readingallday #alc #audiobooks #audiobooksofig #igbooklovers #bookalorian #lionessofliteracy #booksbooksbooks #readsreadsreads

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.. I wasn’t going to bother with it. I thought a ballad of songbirds and snakes was a bust so I wasn’t going to waste my time or money.. Then my bestie started blowing up my dms. She was… insistent.. I was like ok settle down! I will do it and still I waited it. She is not only beautiful but RELENTLESS.. I grabbed my copy on Saturday.. I finished it Saturday night! Ugh ugh fuck fuck fuck… the tears were hot and blinding… my heart shattered. You think you know Haymitch.. think again. Yes we know his situation but you don’t know the how when or the why. You think you might know… it’s not true. I loved the writing.. I loved every emotional moment. I don’t think I can take another victor book. I wanted Finnicks but now.. I just… I don’t think I could take it. This book is the lynchpin you didn’t know was missing and if you are a hunger games person and was also disappointed in ballads.. don’t avoid this book. 5 stars #sunriseonthereaping #suzannecollins #hungergames #dystopia #bookalorian #bookreview #bookishblog #bookvlog #readervlog #bookishpost #bookishlove

Why memoirs are better as audiobooks and why they should be read by the author… I kept seeing The Third Gilmore Girl on booksta and I knew, I just knew I had to get the audio version as Kelly bishop **FAN MYSELF** narrates it herself. Honestly She was my favorite character on Gilmore Girls.. She was no nonsense, snarky and perfect!! My favorite quote Richard says… Only prostitutes have two glasses of wine at lunch!” to which Emily retorts… “Well, then buy me a boa and drive me to Reno because I am open for business!” She repeats the quote in the audiobook. I was transported right back to that episode and I laughed so hard I had to pause the book while I wiped the tears from my eyes. Believe it or not, Kelly Bishop doesn’t spend a lot of time in the book on Gilmore girls or the iconic dirty dancing. Her life was much more than that. She was a dancer and a stage star who had no acting classes but she was a super fast learner and she still carved the kind of career on the small screen that most actors can only dream of. Her role as Emily will always be a shining beacon… An iconic mastadon of epic proportions. She never had kids of her own which she does not regret, loves animals and found her soulmate later in her life.. And they had a beautifully supportive relationship, losing him set a really heartbreaking tone at the end of the book and I could hear the grief in her voice. I felt like I was getting a warm hug hearing her voice as she weaves her story. A time of ups and downs but ultimately she is eternally grateful for the life she has lived. I truly believe that audiobooks are the piece de resistance when it comes to memoirs because not only can you hear their voice and they tell you their story, you can feel the emotions it is bringing to the surface for them… I will say that I firmly believe that Kelly Bishop’s memoir is excellent in any format you choose but do yourself a favor and grab the audio because for a few hours… you will feel like a gilmore girl too. 4.5 stars #gilmoregirls #kellybishop #thethirdgilmoregirl #emilygilmore #memoir #kellybishopmemoir #booktok #booktalk #bookishpodcast #bookalorian #bookreview #bookreviewer #booktube

I just finished The Deathly Grimm by Kathryn Purdie and here are my musings. Genre - YA Fantasy Date of Release - March 25th 2025 Publisher - @wednesdaybooks Making it home after surviving the Forest Grimm but they aren’t safe.. They didn’t completely break the curse and what had gotten better has now gotten worse. Clara is having visions of the past and the only way to save the village is for her and Axel to go back into the forest but if they don’t undo the curse… They may not have a home to go back to. I feel like this one was better than the first but only just! The foundation was laid and it was good! You really should read book 1 first because it literally picks up right where it left off and yes, you could read it and it would make sense, there are things that you will miss without it. There was a lot more action in this book and it had a really solid footing to kick off from. Again, I had issues with the pacing. I don’t know… Maybe it's just the way the author writes her books but it was a bit slow and inconsistent for me. I actually bet the duology were phenomenal audiobooks. I liked how the story ended… It was definitely a wild ride to the finish. I loved how the characters all rounded out and I was really happy with the way it all turned out. I liked how it all turned out and I gave it an enthusiastic 4.5 stars!! Thank you for my gifted copy #thedeathlygrimm #kathrynpurdie #TheForestGrimmduology #fantasyduology #yabook #yafantasy #fairytaleretelling #bookalorian #booklover #bookishblogger #bookblogging #readervlog #wednesdaybooks #readreadread #booktok #bookreel #bookishreel #bookstagrammer #canadianbookstagram #bookmerchstore

I just finished The Forest Grimm by Kathryn Purdie and here are my musings. Genre - YA Fantasy Date of Release - September 19, 2023 Publisher - @wednesdaybooks - Author @kathrynpurdie Clara knows the cards are right but it doesn’t stop her making a dangerous journey into forest grimm to retrieve a magical book. The book of fortunes can reverse the curse on the village and save her mother. The forest took the book after someone took the life of another person and it’s up to Clara and her friend Axel to undo the dangerous magic but the forest is alive with dangerous people who do not remember who they really are.. Losing their minds is not the only concern for the duo… Well I can honestly say I was not expecting this!! People from the village went missing… Lost their minds and have taken on the persona of our fairy fairytale characters but wait… there's more… They are bloodthirsty little creatures… I was blown away with the creativity of this story especially as a lot of it is borrowed from content but it was fresh and exciting. I had the biggest problem with the pacing. I would have liked the story to move a little faster. There was so much going on! The plot twists were a little predictable but I kinda liked that. I didn’t need the insane whiplash! I did feel the repetitiveness of the fact Clara had a disability but it was just kind of repeated and people checking in on her instead of making it an active part of the story did seem redundant. I liked it overall though and I gave it a resounding 4 stars!! Thank you for my gifted copy and I am sooo glad I have the next installment lined up! #theforestgrimm #kathrynpurdie #TheForestGrimmduology #fantasyduology #yabook #yafantasy #fairytaleretelling #bookalorian #booklover #bookishblogger #bookblogging #readervlog #wednesdaybooks #readreadread #booktok #bookreel #bookishreel #bookstagrammer #canadianbookstagram #bookmerchstore

I just finished Death at a Highland Wedding by Kelley Armstrong and here are my musings. Book 4 in the Rip through time Series. Genre - Historical Mystery Date of Release - May 20th 2025 Publisher - @minotaur_books Mallory is thriving in the past… After slipping back 150 years in the past into a maids body… She has carved a decent life for herself as assistant to the undertaker DR Gray and Detective McCreadie. The trio are on the way to McCreadies sister's wedding in the highlands…Something is very off when they arrive and when one of the guests turns up murdered… They must race against the clock to uncover the killer before another guest turns up dead. I was super curious about the audio of this series so I thankfully got a copy of this one to read and an audio to fully submerge myself into their world. The audio was amazing!! The narration was spot on!! Mallory is one of my favorite FMCs. Being a detective in her time, she has skills that haven’t even been invented yet and she finds a way to become useful to the police in the only way a woman can.. Under the protection of men. They know she's from the future and they have a perfect dynamic. It was a nice change of pace getting out of the city and into the country. It gave the series a new dimension… I loved every second of it. I love how all the characters work together and I am so invested in this series that I am already thirsting for the next installment. I love how everyone is kind of on the fringe of society and they couldn't care less! They all live their lives unapologetically and I am here all day for that! I have to admit, I am so worried that Mallory will end up back in the future and never make it back to Duncan.. I hope that does not happen… Kelley Armstrong has a beautiful writing style and you will be drawn right into this series! Now you can read it as a standalone book but knowing their backstories will give you a better feel for the story. 4.5 stars Thank you for my gifted copy - Minotaur books and @netgalley for the audio and ebook. #deathatahighlandwedding #kelleyarmstong #aripthroughtime #historicalmystery #bookseries #bookreview #bookblogger #bookishreview #bookstababe #bookalorian #lionessofliteracy #bookishpodcast #bookinfluencer

I just finished The Love Haters by Katherine Center and here are my thoughts. Katie has gotten herself between a rock and a hard place.. they are laying people off at work but she’s been given a lifeline.. to do the video productive of hutch.. a coast guard.. trouble is she lied about being able to swim. She didn’t go down there expecting to feel things but they are both closed off from love and she is starting to fall back in love with herself. Genre - Contemporary Romance Date of Release - May 20th 2025 Publisher - @stmartinpress Format - audio and hardcover and the narration was amazing! There is something you should know about Katherine’s books is that she always puts a moral in there and it will resonate with you. It’s always more than just a romance. It’s a book of self discovery too. I loved the characters. Katie is so relatable. All the characters are perfect! I was sucked right into Hutch’s world and I didn’t want to leave. The book was beautifully written and the story just flowed. It gave me all the feels! It made me laugh, it made my eyes well with tears. It had some really tender moments and I was fully invested in the outcome. The ending was brilliant too. You won’t be sorry for picking up this book! If you love heartwarming rom-coms, grab this one next month! 5 stars Thank you St Martin’s press and @netgalley for my gifted copies #thelovehaters #katherinecenter #romcom #bookreview #igbooks #igreader #bookish #smpinfluencer #bookishreel #bookalorian #booksbooksbooks #romancereader #booklove #readersofig #readingallday