thoughts on books

Book Reviews

  • Marion by Leah Rowan

    you thought you knew Psycho… think again. 🔪✨

    Marion by Leah Rowan takes the bones of the classic Psycho and flips the narrative into something far more empowering—and honestly, way more satisfying.

    Instead of watching another brilliant woman fall victim to violence, this retelling asks: what if she fought back?

    Marion is still smart, still captivating—but this time, when Norman comes for her, she refuses to be the ending. And that’s just the beginning. Beyond that iconic setup, this story takes on a life of its own with twists, layered characters, and a much more modern lens on power and survival.

    I especially loved that Marion isn’t the only strong woman here. Hannah, the detective unraveling the mystery, is navigating a male-dominated field while piecing together a seriously twisty case. And Lauren’s mother? Absolute standout—fierce, loyal, and unforgettable.

    The final 20% completely explodes with twists. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough.

    ✨ If you’ve ever wanted to see a story where women reclaim control instead of losing it—this one delivers.

    🎧 Audiobook thoughts:
    I’ll pick up anything narrated by Natalie Naudus, and she did not disappoint—even in a smaller role, her performance adds so much depth. The primary narrator perfectly captures Marion’s vulnerability and fear, making this an immersive and easy listen. Both narrators absolutely nailed it.

    📖 Pub date: June 2, 2026
    Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC.

  • Handle with care by Marybeth mayhew whalen

    🎧📚 AUDIOBOOK REVIEW 📚🎧

    ALC Review — Thank you to NetGalley & Thomas Nelson Audio for the early listen!

    💥 Handle With Care by Marybeth Mayhew Whalen (publishing 4/13/26)

    This one surprised me—in the best way. It’s marketed with a bit of thriller energy, and while there is a tense, hostage situation at the center, this is really a deeply character-driven women’s fiction story about what happens when life pushes you to your breaking point.

    The setup is simple but powerful: three women walk into a post office, another is working the counter—and suddenly everything changes when Nadine’s estranged husband, desperate and fueled by scotch, storms in and takes them hostage after she refuses to reconcile.

    But what makes this story shine is why each woman is there. Each one is mailing something that represents a turning point in her life, and as the situation unfolds, we get layers of their stories, their choices, and what—and who—they’re willing to fight for.

    ✨ My standout character: Morrow. She felt so real and relatable, the kind of character you recognize pieces of yourself in.
    ✨ I also loved Hope, the hostage negotiator—steady, thoughtful, and compelling in a quieter way.

    🎧 And the narration?? Jane Oppenheimer absolutely nailed it. You might think a multi-POV story like this would need a full cast, but she brings such distinct tone and emotion to each character that it’s effortless to follow. Her performance is subtle, immersive, and really lets the emotional weight of the story land.

    This book explores:
    💔 Limits and breaking points
    🛡️ Who we choose to protect
    🔄 Life at a crossroads

    It’s tense, emotional, and quietly powerful—an audiobook that keeps you hooked while also making you feel. I flew through it.

    ⭐️ 4.25 stars — highly recommend

    Every woman will see herself somewhere in these pages.

    AudiobookReview #HandleWithCare #MarybethMayhewWhalen #NetGalley #ThomasNelsonAudio #WomensFiction #Bookstagram #ALCReview #AudiobookLover #EmotionalRead

  • Tropesick by Lauren okie

    I went into this expecting a trope-filled romance… and came out completely wrecked in the best way. Because yes, the romance is there (and it delivers), but this story is so much more about grief, addiction, and the messy, complicated process of growing up and moving forward.

    Katie is ghostwriting for a famous romance author (think Nora Roberts vibes 👀) when she finds out her co-writer is none other than Tyler—her ex-boyfriend and her late brother’s best friend. The same Tyler who disappeared from her life eight years ago after her brother Mikey’s death. And now? They’re forced to work together in close quarters. Cue tension, unresolved feelings, and so much chemistry.

    Let me just say: the marketing calls this a love letter to romance tropes, but that almost undersells it. The tropes don’t feel like boxes being checked—they feel natural, lived-in, and completely earned. The story itself flows effortlessly, and the emotional depth hits hard.

    And Meredith??? ICON. Every single line of wisdom she gives is stunning—I highlighted almost all of them. Truly one of those side characters who quietly steals the whole book.

    No spoilers, but there is a twist—and if anyone tells you they saw it coming… they’re lying. Immediate unfollow. 🚫😂

    Tyler’s final declaration of love?? I’m still not over it. Gentle, generous, and deeply romantic in a way that feels real. Raise your standards, everyone.

    Other things I loved:
    ✨ The picturesque setting
    ✨ Katie’s chaotic, whimsical fashion (think: a 5-year-old at Disneyland and I mean that lovingly)
    ✨ The chemistry—palpable, emotional, and earned
    ✨ A respectful, realistic portrayal of recovery and addiction

    ⚠️ CW: sibling death, parental neglect/abandonment, addiction

    I preordered a copy the second I finished—and I cannot wait for more people to experience this one. It’s not just a steamy romance—it’s a deeply human story that stays with you.

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

    Bookstagram #ARCReview #Tropesick #LaurenOkie #RomanceBooks #NetGalley #AvonBooks #BookReview #EmotionalReads #SecondChanceRomance

    ARC Review — Thank you to NetGalley & Avon for the early copy!

  • extracurricular by rachel lynn solomon

    I absolutely loved Ramona and Nick’s story in Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon. Ramona is a feminine, flirty pop star who I kept picturing as Olivia Rodrigo. She was cast as a child in a Disney Channel–style show called Greta Lives and went on to have an incredibly successful pop career. But after years of nonstop work and extreme exhaustion, she decides to step away from the music industry and enroll at UCLA as a first-year student to try to live a normal life.

    That’s where she meets Nick Navarro—her psychology professor. Nick is 36, divorced, and living with his sister and her daughter. He’s a caring, thoughtful professor who truly loves teaching and isn’t looking for love at all.

    This book features an age-gap romance (Nick is 36 and Ramona is 26) and a professor/student dynamic. Normally that trope can feel uncomfortable because of the power imbalance, and it’s something I usually find pretty icky. But in this case, it worked for me. Ramona is independently wealthy and extremely famous, while Nick is very much not, which shifts the typical power dynamic and makes the relationship feel much more balanced and believable.

    One of my favorite things about this book is that there’s no third-act breakup—which felt refreshing and let the story focus on the characters actually building something together. The banter between Ramona and Nick is incredible and made their chemistry feel so real.

    The ending especially sealed the deal for me. There are two scenes near the end that had me making the full-on “this is so cute” face, 😍and they were so sweet that I bumped my rating up from 4 stars to 4.5.

    I loved this book so much that I already preordered a finished copy—especially after seeing that it has sprayed edges and decorated inner and outer covers. This is definitely one I can see myself returning to again and again. I really believed in their love, and the chemistry between them was fantastic.

    Content warnings (mild spoilers): off-page sexual assault prior to the timeline, panic attacks, and discussion of the stress, loneliness, and pressures of being a child star.

    Thank you to Berkley for the ARC.
    Extracurricular will be published July 14, 2026

    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5 stars)

  • love is an algorithm by laura brooke robson

    What a unique story and a fresh new voice in fiction. Danny is a tech start up bro, he is the coding half of the duo that started Pattern, a dating app that measures compatibility. Eve is a musician who comes from a Manhattan elite family, her brother co-founded the company with Danny. He is marrying a beautiful “influencer” and says things like “crushing it.” Danny is approaching the app and the compatibility score with a lot of thoughtfulness, and it is being used in very human, messy ways.

    This is a really unique writing style that I will admit, it took me awhile to get used to. With razor sharp references, this seems to skip prose and descriptions in favor of rapid jumps to snippets of conversations. The narrative skips around in character and time frame rather abruptly, but once I got used to the style, I realized that I knew the characters in their complexity and relationships much more so than I would have expected in just a few hundred pages. This is one that grew on me over the course of me reading it. By the ending, you realize the commentary it is making on relationships, how they work, and how they are influenced by the modern age.

    The best thing about this book is the rather complex conversation that it is having around AI, Algorithms, how we are relying upon our devices and some AI that has been programmed by some very very human and imperfect people.

    I was lucky to approach this as an immersive read as I received both the ARC from Harlequin Trade as well as the ALC from Harlequin Audio. The audiobook performance was excellent, but audio-only could be a challenge to some readers due to the writing style. I personally did very much need the “eyeball” reading to keep track of where I was in the book.

    Book to be published March 31, 2026. Thank you to NetGalley, Harlequin, and the author.

  • a parade of horribles by matt dinniman

    Carl and Donut are back and in a succession of races. This installment is weirder than ever, with so many of our favorite side characters making an appearance. The stakes are greater, but at this point we have taken the success of Carl and Donut for granted, and look forward to them remembering random “before” facts and in relying on their relationship to strengthen their game play as crawlers.

    “When you focus on what you can’t control, we start to ruin the things we can control.”
    -the great philosopher Princess Donut

    For me, this one was more repetitive and less ambitious than the others, and it is still a favorite series although I found the overall arch of this one to be a little lacking. That said, we can now see the end goal of the series. I am really looking forward to the next 2 novels. My favorite parts involve a weiner dog and the origin story of why Donut doesn’t like hedgehogs. I could read a whole book of them just bantering like an old married couple.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Ace Publishing for the ARC. Book to be published May 12, 2026

  • wait for me by amy jo burns

    If you are interested in this novel and not sure if you should read with your eyes or ears, this is great on audio. Not only is it exquisitely acted, well paces for audio, easy to follow, the performance is excellent and there are several songs that really set the mood. Because this is blue grass, 70’s country music hearing it sung and produced really enhances the experience of the story.

    The genre is mainly historical fiction, but reads like family drama as we follow the story of young singer songwriter Elle Harlow, her trauma and tragedy, how she comes into Nashville and befriends Josie, another singer that comes from Tennessee royalty. It asks questions of privilege and how talent versus presence versus having the right contacts makes you successful back in the 1970’s, then fast forwarding to the 90’s. Elle Harlow had 2 great albums then disappeared for 18 years. Marijohn is an 18 year old girl unsure of her parentage. She also loves music, has a great father, and follows him into the mystery of Elle Harlow and if this is her mother.

    The dual timeline really works well here, as each story progresses, we learn the reasons why people are the way they are and build up our empathy. The record company executive Cleo is a great character to hate, but at the end of the day you understand his motivations as well. I loved Josie and Elle and their experience and how they gained and lost loyalty to each other.

    Thanks to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for this ARC. Book to be published March 3, 2026

  • vera stein is fine by julie murphy

    Vera has turned 40 and is taking an about face to her life. She has made herself small to fit the ego oh her long term boss and situationship. When she discovers his plan to let her go in exchange for several 20 something assistants, she sends a resignation letter and heads to her grandmother’s retirement community. Vera recently lost her mother to cancer and so her grandmother is her only escape hatch. Soon Vera is crashing on the chaise lounge and discovering what life is like in the community.

    Naturally, her ex also works there! and she gets a job as the events coordinator. Vera has an old screenplay from 10 years ago that she sometimes edits. The interstitial chapters are the screenplay (which is kind of awful, on purpose) and through these she is realizing that she is not the same person she was when she originally found this to be a love story.

    I found the way Vera left behind Brody to be inspiring! Like many Julie Murphy heroine’s, Vera is in a larger body. She is confident and secure in her body, there is no fatphobia or weight loss talk in this book- which is great. I do love some books that handle fatphobia and body acceptance, but in this book her size is mentioned but is not a major plot point. I really hated Brody and was angry at how much he did not appreciate Vera and he was such a dumb, mediocre white man. It was hard to understand why she would allow herself to be in that situation for as long as she did, but you were really rooting for her to find herself.

    I would find this a midlife second chance coming of age book. I loved the octogenarians, the descriptions in the banter and the time jumps allowed us to know Vera and Elias and how their characters developed. I loved this one!

    Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the ARC- I have already pre-ordered a trophy copy!
    Book to be published June 21, 2026

  • big girl blitz by danielle allen

    This is the spicy sports romance with a plus-sized beautiful black FMC that you have been waiting for! Jazmyn is a teacher and has come back to town as her beloved Aunt Addison (who has been more like a mom to Jazmyn) is at the end of her life. Addison has had a stroke and Jazmyn wants to be here to support her and her care team, and stops into a sports bar to watch the Baltimore NFL football game where she meets Lamar Anderson. He is tall, dark, handsome, athletic, and seems to love football as much as Jazmyn does. Soon she finds out that he doesn’t just LOVE football, it is his career also. Aunt Addison wants Jazmyn to start living her best life, it has been 2 years since her divorce and she hasn’t dated at all.

    First of all, this may be a bit too spicy for my own personal taste, but I know that is perfect for others! This is a romance that has a lot of substance, the grief that Jazmyn has for her aunt and how she fits into her family, she has really strong friendships (girlfriends chiming in with their loud opinion are the BEST) and stepping into her power after finding her next chapter. I was rooting for Jazz and Lamar ALL the way! I thought they had a great friendship and the relationship was more than just their physical chemistry, he was so respectful and thoughtful of her. She was so supportive of his career and wanted the best for him. I think what I loved best about Lamar was how he made her feel KNOWN. Isn’t that what we all want?

    Audiobook review- this is a top notch audio performance, I loved the narrator and the passion and sparkling personality she put into all the characters. It is well paced for audio and is well worth the listen. I just had to pre-order the paperback for my shelves as a trophy!

    Thank you to NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published April 14, 2026.

  • the half life by rachel beanland

    An exceptionally well written historical fiction with a deeply engrossing setting and wonderful characters.

    The story starts out as a coming of age story, Eileen O’Malley is sort of floundering in grief. Her brother was killed in Vietnam after being drafted, and she has foregone college and is working at a department store. There she meets Paul, and things are going okay, when he tells her that the Navy is sending him to Italy. And they sort of spontaneously decide to get married, and she follows him to La Maddalena, a Mediterranean island that the US Navy is doing something with nuclear power on a submarine. There she has to learn how to navigate not only Italian culture, not only ex-pat culture, but also how to be a Navy wife. There she discovers how to let go of American exceptionalism, and maybe their actions are harmful in many ways.

    Set in 1970’s Nixon America, this is less nostalgia and more written to a future, unnamed person who we find out about in the epilogue. While the narrative took awhile to get to major plot point, the journey is well worth it for the deeper characterization and learning about who you are within the context of a marriage. Eileen floundered at times and became curious, giving herself so much pressure and stress to mask the grief from her brother’s death.

    I love the way that Beanland is simultaneously giving us the journey of Eileen, of Paul and Eileen’s marriage, and the setting of the US Navy’s occupation and nuclear strategy. All of them are stories worth telling and have their own story arc. I found myself so drawn in to this one.

    Main character in 3 adjectives= curious, bold, strong

    Favorite minor character- Eileen’s mom

    Hollywood Cast
    Eileen- Bella Thorne
    Paul- Mark Paul Gosselaar
    Laura- Brittany Snow
    Teo- Michele Morron

    Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for the ARC. Book to be published July 14, 2026