4.5⭐️An own voices young adult novel that tackles disabilities from two different viewpoints. You first have Ellie who has been deaf her entire life a4.5⭐️An own voices young adult novel that tackles disabilities from two different viewpoints. You first have Ellie who has been deaf her entire life and loves celebrating her own deafness. Then you have Jackson who is just diagnosed with MS and has to grapple with the changes to his body and the unexpected future. Even though Ellie and Jackson each had very different life experiences, the two had the biggest hearts and were so supportive of each other. I also loved how the audiobook had moments where the speech was muffled to show how people who are hearing impaired may interpret spoken language.
Read for: -Deaf and MS rep -Teenage main characters -Friends to lovers -Family drama -Own voices ...more
A solid dark academia novel that examines the impact of the “me too” movement. I appreciate how this was told with sensitivity and respect as the subjA solid dark academia novel that examines the impact of the “me too” movement. I appreciate how this was told with sensitivity and respect as the subject matter was tough. What did not work as well was for me was the present tense timeline. I was slightly bored with the content and found the writing slow. There were not many twists, which is fine for me in this genre, and I did like how it all resolved in the end. For the audiobook, India Mullen's narration was top notch. Her voice kept me captivated throughout, and I loved listening to the Irish accent.
Read if you like: -Dark academia -Past/present timelines -Queer MC -Ireland setting ...more
3.5⭐️This was a laugh out loud funny book that makes for a quick and entertaining read. It follows two elementary school teachers/ enemies who are for3.5⭐️This was a laugh out loud funny book that makes for a quick and entertaining read. It follows two elementary school teachers/ enemies who are forced to spend some time together after finding out they rented the same unit for spring break. It was fun to see what started as a vacation fling turn into something more and all their adventures (especially the gas station food run… which had me loling). I also loved how there were some cameos from previous books integrated throughout the story.
What to expect: -Enemies to lovers -Co-workers -Math and art teachers -Forced proximity -Road trip -NYC school -Spring break -Low angst
Merged review:
3.5⭐️This was a laugh out loud funny book that makes for a quick and entertaining read. It follows two elementary school teachers/ enemies who are forced to spend some time together after finding out they rented the same unit for spring break. It was fun to see what started as a vacation fling turn into something more and all their adventures (especially the gas station food run… which had me loling). I also loved how there were some cameos from previous books integrated throughout the story.
What to expect: -Enemies to lovers -Co-workers -Math and art teachers -Forced proximity -Road trip -NYC school -Spring break -Low angst...more
I’ve been interested in trying one of Kate Alice Marshall’s YA books after really enjoying her adult debut What Lies in the Woods earlier this year. WI’ve been interested in trying one of Kate Alice Marshall’s YA books after really enjoying her adult debut What Lies in the Woods earlier this year. While I am not a horror reader at all, this book surprised me in the best way possible and is definitely one I’ll add to my student recommendation list! If you like audiobooks, Jeremy Carlisle did an amazing job bringing this eerie atmosphere to life with all the feels.
Read if you are looking for: -Sapphic romance -Dark academia setting -Ghost stories -YA horror/ thriller
Thank you Penguin Young Readers for the ARC. Pub date 8/1...more
This book is exactly what you’d expect when picking up a book from Ali Hazelwood: an incredibly tall MMC, a lot of science talk, enemies/ work rivals,This book is exactly what you’d expect when picking up a book from Ali Hazelwood: an incredibly tall MMC, a lot of science talk, enemies/ work rivals, unnecessary drama, some overreactions and a lot of corny humor. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this story, which felt more like a mindless and entertaining read after some more serious books. The romance felt well paced, and I was a big fan of Jack and how gentle and thoughtful he was.
Read if you like: -Women in STEM -A lot of science terminology -Academia and research -Boston setting -Workplace rivals -Grumpy/ sunshine -Diabetes rep
The Never Never series will be released in one volume by @htpbooks with an amazing updated cover. I just finished reading this book for a second time The Never Never series will be released in one volume by @htpbooks with an amazing updated cover. I just finished reading this book for a second time and it was even better than what I remembered. It is twisty, full and angst and truly combines what I love most about Colleen Hoover and Taryn Fisher’s books.
Synopsis: The story follows Charlie and Silas, two high schoolers who both find themselves with no memory of the past. What they do quickly learn is they supposedly loved each other and their families, who were once close, are now enemies. As they search for clues about who they were and what happened to them, Charlie and Silas get the chance to reconnect and figure out why they’d been in love in the first place.
Read if you like ▪️First love stories ▪️Star crossed lovers ▪️Alternating POVs ▪️Amnesia trope ▪️NOLA setting ...more
Rogue is the second book in Elle Kennedy’s Prep series and picks up right where Misfit left off. To avoid any spoilers, I am going to keep this brief.Rogue is the second book in Elle Kennedy’s Prep series and picks up right where Misfit left off. To avoid any spoilers, I am going to keep this brief. This series is beyond binge worthy and perfect if you love Gossip Girl (seriously there is all the high school drama). Alternating between multiple POVs you feel like you grow with the characters and empathize with them, even when they make the not so great decisions. There was also an added element of suspense as book 2 centered around figuring out what happened to one of the main characters, Casey, at prom night last year. I love how everything was tied up in the end but how Elle also set the stage for book three, which cant come soon enough!
Read if you like: -Gossip Girl -New England prep school setting -High School drama -Multiple POVs -Strong character growth ...more
Sophie had her dream job working as an athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox. That is until she made PERFECTION! This book absolutely blew me away!
Sophie had her dream job working as an athletic trainer for the Boston Red Sox. That is until she made a call during the World Series that got her fired and dumped. Needing a place to live and work, she ends up at an artsy New Hampshire boarding school not knowing a thing about working with high school kids, especially those that prefer music over sports. Further, when she moves into staff housing, Sophie finds herself with three male roommates, one of them being grumpy Jonas and from day one, she is on his bad side. That is until she starts helping him overcome his fears and slowly his walls begin to break down.
What I loved: -The grumpy/sunshine dynamic and he falls first -The New Hampshire prep school setting and all of the students on campus -The full cast of side characters, including Sophie’s best friend Astrid, her roommates Revi and Andy, and her father and his nursing home crew -The father/ daughter relationship, which was was tender and heartwarming -How the story combined sports, specifically baseball, and music in the most perfect way. I have never read anything like this and couldn’t get enough -The concept of musical fitness where Sophie treated and prevented injuries in devoted musicians and improved physical resilience. It was so interesting ! -Jonas’s transformation from the grumpy, closed-off roommate to the soft cinnamon roll hero -All the forced proximity, library dates and training sessions between Sophie and Jonas -How the story dealt with some heavier topics but the overall tone was still light, making it a perfect summer beach read
4.5⭐️ This is the third book in the Winslow Brother’s collection and while it can be read as a stand-alone, the main characters in the first two books4.5⭐️ This is the third book in the Winslow Brother’s collection and while it can be read as a stand-alone, the main characters in the first two books are strong supporting characters, so knowing the context behind all the brother talk and family banter is worth it! This series follows four tight-knit brothers who all have some major emotional baggage when it comes to women. Each brother, in some capacity, has that alpha male personality that brings all the spontaneous, sexy and entertaining vibes. However, when they each start top open their hearts to love, we see a soft side that brings all the feels.
This is Ty Winslow’s story, who I was convinced would be my least favorite of the brothers after seeing how much of a player he was in the first two books. However, when he meets Rachel Rose, and the two have one of the best meet cutes, you know instantly he’s a goner (and so was I). I loved how Ty was an English professor at NYU. We got to see such an intellectual and romantic side to him that we don’t often see in alpha male hero’s. And the tension with Rachel being a graduate student in the same department and her father being Ty’s mentor, brought the perfect amount of angst into the story. Also, not only do we get the best family moments with the Winslow brothers, but the dynamic between Rose and her older sister is a lot of fun as well!
What to expect: -TA/ Professor relationship -Age gap -Daddy issues -Grumpy female -NYU setting -English lit references -Dual POVs -Friends with benefits turned more -Laugh out loud humor -Open door scenes...more
A MUST!! I didn’t think it was possible to top Better Than the Movies but The Do-Over definitely did! This story follows Emilie, a HS junior, who findA MUST!! I didn’t think it was possible to top Better Than the Movies but The Do-Over definitely did! This story follows Emilie, a HS junior, who finds herself stuck in a time loop having to relive a Valentines day gone wrong. Waking up each morning with no one else but her remembering the events from the day before, she decides to live one day with zero consequences. Painter did a great job with the Groundhogs Day trope (it is usually a miss for me in YA books). I appreciated how each day Emilie relived was different, how the writing itself did not feel repetitive and how the author provided subtle clues as to why this was happening. I loved Emilie as a protagonist, Nick made a great swoon-worthy love interest, and the little details between her friends, family and typical high school stressors made this story come to life. Just like in Better Than the Movies, the audiobook was AMAZING!! There were many times I felt like I was watching a movie with a full cast of characters.
Read if you like: -YA rom-coms -Taylor Switft references -Groundhogs Day/ Ferris Buller’s Day Off mashups -Great character growth -Beautiful HEAs
4.5⭐️ The five books I’ve read by Katherine Center have all been winners for me!! I have no idea how she does it. Before reading this, I reccomend Hap4.5⭐️ The five books I’ve read by Katherine Center have all been winners for me!! I have no idea how she does it. Before reading this, I reccomend Happiness for Beginners first because of the character overlap. Full review to come!...more
I LOVE KA Tucker. This book had so much greatness to it, and I literally want to recommend it to everyone! While it is a YA romance novel, as the mainI LOVE KA Tucker. This book had so much greatness to it, and I literally want to recommend it to everyone! While it is a YA romance novel, as the main character is in high school, I’d compare it more to a Coho YA (Slammed, Heart Bones) where the characters are mature and the is story relatable for any age.
After her parents divorce, Aria and her mother move across Canada to live with her great uncle (an amazing person) and start fresh. Aria immediately connects with her new next door neighbors Emmett and Cassie. Emmett, is the town hockey star and the full package: attractive, trustworthy, kind and smart. Cassie, is Emmet’s younger sister and on the autism spectrum. Her larger than life personality brings a lot of smiles to the story. While Aria quickly adjusts to her new life, you learn from journal entries and glimpses of conversations with her mom that some events happened at her old school that she is tying to bury and put behind.
This story touches on so many important themes: bullying, mother/ daughter dynamics and trust, young love, acceptance for being different and forgiveness. KA Tucker’s inclusion of Cassie brought such a neat perspective to the story. As an SLP, I’m always a huge fan of neurodiverse characters. I think what makes this book a little different was that Cassie was lower functioning and not only struggled with nuanced social situations but also understanding language. It warmed my heart to see Aria let Cassie into her life with open arms and willingly include her because she wanted to not because she had to.
This book was soo much more meaningful than I expected. It will really make you think!! Also, it is super quick. You can easily finish it in one sitting.
I never know how I feel about time travel stories, yet I continue to read them. At first, I found the continuous loop repetitive and too implausible (I never know how I feel about time travel stories, yet I continue to read them. At first, I found the continuous loop repetitive and too implausible (I was not a fan of the movie Groundhog Day to begin with). I had NO idea how Solomon would keep the plot going for an entire book and was hoping the premise was similar to In a Holidaze where the time travel ends midway. While that was not the case, the plot definitely evolves, and I grew to love the story.
What won me over was Solomon’s quirky characters, diverse representation, body and sex positive messages, and the beautifully written love story. I was given an early ARC as a Jewish reviewer, and I wanted to highlight how well she integratedJewish culture and religion into the story and emphasized how there is not one way to be Jewish. In terms of the romance, this was a slow-burn, and I appreciated how a deep emotional connection and friendship was developed before any physical intimacy. Barrett and Miles got to know each other by simply asking questions about their family, friends, interests and life experiences. These conversation also paved a pathway to talk about the more difficult and sensitive topics, such as high school bullying, their own anxieties and family pressures. I didn't care for the conflict between the two main characters but fortunately, it didn't play a huge piece in the story.
4.5 ⭐️ If you loved Ten Tiny Breaths there is no way you won’t love Livie’s story. The main characters are flawed, there’s a lot of angst, and a love 4.5 ⭐️ If you loved Ten Tiny Breaths there is no way you won’t love Livie’s story. The main characters are flawed, there’s a lot of angst, and a love triangle that will make you go crazy, but still, all the pieces are put together so perfectly. A main theme is choosing what’s in your heart over your head and letting go, which I really enjoyed. As I said after reviewing Ten Tiny Breaths, this is a perfect series for CoHo fans. ...more
I have thoroughly loved every book in the series so far. Elle Kennedy does such a good job continuing to develop the stories that we already read abouI have thoroughly loved every book in the series so far. Elle Kennedy does such a good job continuing to develop the stories that we already read about, and the characters we weren’t ready to say goodbye to, while highlighting the next of the four roommates. I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes a story with a bad boy focus and some sports intertwined. Also, be prepared for lots of steam. ...more
A feel-good young adult sports/music romance that just made me soo happy. The main characters were super likable, there was little drama and angst, thA feel-good young adult sports/music romance that just made me soo happy. The main characters were super likable, there was little drama and angst, the banter and humor throughout the book was fun, the supporting characters added a lot to the story and the story felt realistic in a good way. ...more
4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this contemporary friends to lovers romance. It was interesting to see Reid, the main male character, as the more intimate4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this contemporary friends to lovers romance. It was interesting to see Reid, the main male character, as the more intimate and expressive one in the relationship and Mille, the female character, struggling to open up and share information about herself. I like how the authors included modern dating in this book and loved all the supporting characters that made the group of friends that much better. I’ve enjoyed every Christina Lauren book I’ve read so far; they are always sweet, funny and well-written. ...more
This romantic comedy was EVERYTHING!!! Highly recommend and probably a must read of mine. The fake dating trope worked perfectly in this storyline, anThis romantic comedy was EVERYTHING!!! Highly recommend and probably a must read of mine. The fake dating trope worked perfectly in this storyline, and for once, I did not feel bothered by it or annoyed by the miscommunication between the two main characters. Adam and Olive had such great chemistry. The side characters added so much to the story. I loved the academic setting and how the story highlighted woman in STEM. There was humor, playfulness and tender honestly. ...more
Jessica Paige (Exercise_Read_Repeat)
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