Before I Let Go by Kennedy RyanSkyland #1Contemporary RomanceNov 15, 2022 by ForeverARC Review by Melinda Kennedy Ryan has covered heavy topics in her books before, like domestic violence, racism, and rape. The reason I love her writing is because she writes everything, including those heavy topics, with such depth. Her characters are always nuanced and fully fleshed out, and whatever topic she’s writing on it’s clear she’s done her research. At this point, I trust her to take care with Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- Reviews for books by A. Deborah Baker and Annette Marie
Into the Windwracked Wilds by A. Deborah BakerThe Up and Under #3YA FantasyOctober 24, 2022, by Tordotcom Another great adventure in the Up and Under. I enjoy this series almost as much as this author's Wayward Children novels. This is the third book following along as Zib and Avery journey along the Improbable Road with their companions, Crow Girl, and Drowned Girl. This might just be their most perilous adventure yet as they find themselves being swallowed up by a prehistoric sea Continue Reading
Audio Review: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn GreenwoodAudible StudiosComing of Age FictionAugust 9, 2016 Review by Jen All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood is a tough book to take. And… I couldn’t put it down. The story is well written, the main characters are damaged, sad, and strong. Where to start? First, the audiobook is just amazing. The voice actor, I think, has the best range of anyone I’ve ever heard. She was perfect. Wavy is a child. She’s been bounced Continue Reading
Audio Review: The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah PekkanenMacmillan AudioDomestic ThrillerMarch 8, 2022 Review by Jen This book should become a series. One of the MCs is a therapist with an unconventional approach to helping her clients. I need more of this character! The Golden Couple is a psychological thriller that follows the marriage troubles of a couple, the Bishops, who are beautiful, live in Washington DC and seem to have it all. Marissa is the owner of a cozy Continue Reading
Review: Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl WilsnerContemporary RomanceOctober 11, 2022, by St. Martin's GriffinARC Review by Melinda Mistakes Were Made is Meryl Wilsner’s sophomore novel, which can be a difficult book to get right, There are expectations from readers, especially after having a successful debut, which Wilsner did with 2020s Something to Talk About. I tried to go into it just expecting a good book, but I got so much more. When Cassie is out with her friends during Parents Weekend, she Continue Reading
Iby’s Minis: Reviews for books by Mariana Zapata, Lauren Layne and Elizabeth Cadell
When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana ZapataUrban FantasySeptember 15, 2022Kindle Unlimited Mariana Zapata is a stealthy author - she just randomly announces on instagram that she is dropping a book that day, and everyone rushes to read it. If you like Zapata’s writing, this book will definitely work for you. Highly slow burn, over 600 pages long, lots of dialogue between the two main characters. What’s different about this book is that it’s not contemporary romance - it’s a superhero Continue Reading
Review: Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger
Pen Pal by J.T. GeissingerPsychological FictionAugust 16, 2022 Review by Jen I don’t know what I was expecting from this book, but what I read wasn’t it. And I say that in a totally amazing great way. Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger was a crazy twisty good read!! I feel like the cover does this book an injustice. The story is so much more than then this shirtless dude. I like the cover, but it’s misleading. We have Kayla, who has just lost her husband in a tragic accident. She Continue Reading
Audio Review: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins ReidSports FictionRandom House AudioAugust 30, 2022 Review by Jen I LOVED Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid!! I listened to this one and was absolutely addicted from beginning to end. In fact, here’s my headline on TJR’s latest, If Netflix turns this into a limited series, it will do for tennis what The Queen’s Gambit did for Chess. It’s that freaking good! And, could the timing be any better with Serena on her farewell tour and the US Continue Reading
Review: Wildfire by Garrett Leigh
Wildfire by Garrett LeighLGBTQIA RomanceSeptember 8, 2022Heart Eyes Press Review by Kate H. Wildfire is Garrett Leigh’s most recent contribution to In Vino Veritas series (an extension of the Vino & Veritas series), which in turn is just part of Sarina Bowen’s World of True North, all set in Vermont. Sounds complicated? The good thing is each book is intended to stand alone, multiple authors write independently for each series, and you can pretty much dip in Continue Reading
Review: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan BannenFantasyAugust 23, 2022 by Orbit BooksARC Review by: Melinda This book was such an incredible and weird delight to read, I loved it so much. But it has a plot that’s hard to pitch well. Mercy is an undertaker, and Hart kills zombies and is required to take their bodies to specific funeral homes. The two hate each other from their very first meeting, which was a complete disaster. They both are intensely lonely and end up writing Continue Reading