I am a sucker for a good cover, and I didn't even have to read the synopsis to be sold on Where Are You, Echo Blue? by Hayley Krischer. Turns out thisI am a sucker for a good cover, and I didn't even have to read the synopsis to be sold on Where Are You, Echo Blue? by Hayley Krischer. Turns out this author has 2 YA books, but this is her adult debut, and it definitely made me want to go back and read her others (plus whatever she writes next of course). I loved the way the viewpoints were structured going back and forth between Goldie and Echo Blue all the way until we find out exactly what happened. I felt bad for Goldie and that girl's obsession since childhood with Echo needed some professional help, but I was relieved that she grew by the end of the story.
The audiobook was killer for me with Helen Laser and Alex McKenna as the narrators. I loved them both so much, and they each narrated their characters perfectly making it a very enjoyable listening experience. Dare I say, I would recommend the audio over the book; that's how much I loved it. ...more
The Bookish Life of Nina Hill is what first introduced me to Abbi Waxman, and I have loved her ever since. Even though I didn't love Christa Comes OutThe Bookish Life of Nina Hill is what first introduced me to Abbi Waxman, and I have loved her ever since. Even though I didn't love Christa Comes Out of Her Shell quite as much, it has a lot of great qualities. For one, I will always enjoy Waxman’s writing. It is consistent, sharp, and clever, and I love the way she tackles things like rocky family relationships, the importance of therapy, and exploitation which are all discussed in this story. The plot for this book is definitely out there as many readers have mentioned, and Christa’s age doesn’t quite match up to her current situation, but these are things that I didn’t even think about, and I found myself lost in the story and characters.
I listened to the audiobook which was very enjoyable, and I loved Jesse Vilinsky & Jonathan Todd Ross as the narrators. Vilinsky sounded a little young to be the voice of Christa, but I kept forgetting that she is only mid to late 20s, so ultimately, she had the perfect voice for her. There is some spice and a lot more romance than I was expecting, but the banter between Christa and Nathan was adorbs and I wanted them to be a couple. There are annotations in the book which was a nice little touch that I’ve been seeing a lot recently, as well as all chapters having a unique title (mostly animal-related) with their scientific names below. Despite all of the book's great qualities, there was still something missing for me, and I can’t quite pinpoint what it was. I do however wish it had been about 50 pages shorter. This is still an entertaining and interesting read though, and I definitely recommend it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
I am having a next-to-impossible time coming to a rating for Such a Bad Influence by debut author Olivia Muenter, and I don't even know if this one wiI am having a next-to-impossible time coming to a rating for Such a Bad Influence by debut author Olivia Muenter, and I don't even know if this one will stick. I loved all of this book until the very end which sent me into a spiral that made it hard for me to figure out what I felt. I didn't have any of the issues other readers had with repetition or being disappointed in one of the reveals, and if anything, my only other complaint is I think it could have been a bit shorter. THAT ENDING THOUGH!! *Shakes fist*
I loved the use of mixed media in the book as well as the spotlight on how being a social media star can impact a family. This is ALL about social media and what it means to be an influencer, and maybe even more so than the actual mystery itself. I also adored the audiobook which is narrated by a full cast and is way too many to name, but trust me when I say they were all excellent. I fully believe the audio is the way to go with this one.
Back to the ending, I actually had to read it with my eyes because I thought I missed something, and it just makes me so mad. It also didn't quite make sense to me and left me even more frustrated. Do I recommend this? Maybe... Probably? I'm not sure. But don't let me stop you if you think it sounds good, and you best believe I will still read any other book this author writes....more
The Princess of Las Vegas is the second novel by Chris Bohjalian that I have read with the first being The Flight Attendant, and boy these two books cThe Princess of Las Vegas is the second novel by Chris Bohjalian that I have read with the first being The Flight Attendant, and boy these two books couldn't have been more different. If you look at Bohjalian's list of published titles it is easy to see that he writes a little bit of everything, and I love him for how unique and different each of his books is. This book focuses on Crissy, the spitting image of the late Princess Diana, who has thus created a Vegas musical cabaret based on the woman's life. Things start to get extremely complicated for her when her somewhat estranged sister Betsy shows up with her daughter Marisa and a very shady new boyfriend, and the bodies start piling up. This is a THICK novel, and while sometimes I feel like it isn’t necessary to the storyline, I thought the length was perfect for this book, and I greatly enjoyed the world-building and characterization throughout.
You know what else is fun about The Princess of Las Vegas? The audiobook! The extremely talented Saskia Maarleveld narrates Crissy while Bohjalian’s daughter Grace Experience narrates Betsy and Marisa. I had no idea his daughter was a narrator until I read the acknowledgments and I thought that was such a fun fact. She hasn’t narrated too many books, but I do hope she narrates more in the future since she did a really fantastic job with both Betsy and Marisa. She managed to make herself sound older and younger based on whose POV she was voicing, and her pacing was perfect. I listened to the audio at around a 3x speed the entire time, and I do think it would be a little tough if I had to listen at a 2 the entire time, especially with the length. This book dove headfirst into the world of cryptocurrency as well which is not something I know much of anything about. That was interesting to me, but I mostly enjoyed the family drama and the way the book went out with a bang. ...more
Love on the Byline by Xio Axelrod is a great start to the Plays and Players series as well as a great introductBook Rating: 4.5/5 Audiobook Rating: 3/5
Love on the Byline by Xio Axelrod is a great start to the Plays and Players series as well as a great introduction to the author herself! I loved basically every moment of this book, and I loved how beautifully fleshed out all of the characters are especially Blake and Oliver AKA Ollie. The beginning of the novel hooked me immediately and had me so excited to see how the story was going to play out and what would eventually happen with our two MCs. There is some spiciness in the book, but it fits very well with the storyline and it wasn't too much for a Hallmark-loving person like me.
Axelrod created such a wonderful blend of humor and serious topics, and I ended up going back and forth between having a smile on my face, and at times, tears in my eyes. This is a bit of a lighter read but there was definitely a lot more depth than I had expected from a romance, and it was really just the icing on the cake. There is even a mysterious air to the story and once you find out what the big secret is, you can't help but feel some things.
I will note that I didn't love the audiobook for Love on the Byline as much as I could have, and while I really enjoyed the male narrator, William LeRoy, Lynn Wright was not my favorite. She has a great voice but for some reason, and maybe this is down to editing, she would have weird pauses at the wrong times and it was just strange. Highly recommend reading this one if you love romance with complex characters and lots of substance.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
I don't know how it's possible that I have only just now read a book by Ann Garvin, but I'm not mad that it was There's No Coming Back from This. I alI don't know how it's possible that I have only just now read a book by Ann Garvin, but I'm not mad that it was There's No Coming Back from This. I also don't know what I was expecting, but this was the perfect mashup of mysteriousness, women's fiction, romance, humor, and general adorableness. The small dog Kevin really stole the show for me, but I couldn't help but love Poppy as well. She is a Midwesterner through and through and being from Minnesota myself, I was thoroughly delighted by the fact that Garvin had her be from Wisconsin. This entire book was a true delight from the storyline all the way down to the characters, and Poppy really grew as a person between the beginning and end.
The audio for this was also incredible, and Andi Arndt was able to perfectly nail the Midwestern Wisconsin accent that Poppy piles on in one scene. I honestly think listening to this made me love it even more, and it is a Kindle Unlimited title, so I highly recommend checking out the audio if you have it! There's No Coming Back from This was the perfect read for escaping real life which made it incredibly easy for me to knock it out in basically one day. It was interesting to me that the author chose to use the name "Three" for one of the characters, and now I am desperately curious as to why she did this. I may have only just finished, but I'm already looking forward to my future reread which I will most definitely be doing.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
Rachel Lynn Solomon is a bloody genius, and I really need to read more of her backlist now that I have read and absolutely adored 2 of her novels! BusRachel Lynn Solomon is a bloody genius, and I really need to read more of her backlist now that I have read and absolutely adored 2 of her novels! Business or Pleasure is literally everything I was hoping it would be, and not only is it laugh-out-loud funny and lighthearted, but it is also serious in the best possible way. It's not often you get to read from the POV of a ghostwriter, and I love that it was the career Chandler had, and the way she ends up meeting Finn. The Nocturnals show in the book gave me serious Twilight vibes, and I thought it was so fun for Solomon to mix in scenes from this fictitious TV show into the story. Chandler and Finn have excellent banter and I couldn't help but root for them from their first meeting and oh-so-awkward one-night stand.
I marked Business or Pleasure down on my rom-com-worthy shelf, but there is lots of steam, and I appreciated the way the author brought sex into the conversation. She also included some wonderful Jewish and mental health rep, and this is one of those romances with extremely relatable and dimensional characters. Listening to the audiobook was an experience in itself, and I can't help but recommend it if you listen to them! Hathaway Lee is apparently an incredible narrator, and words can't even describe how much I loved her for this audio. She was able to completely bring Chandler to life and had spot-on precision with the way she read the novel (emphasis on the right words, etc.). This made my heart so happy to read and there was more than once I had tears in my eyes from laughing so hard. It's almost 400 pages but it might as well have been 100 pages with how short it felt. If you are looking for a steamy romance that brings all the feels, Business or Pleasure is an absolute must for your shelf!
I received an advanced listening copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own....more
I have been meaning to read a novel by Kate Bromley for a while now, and I'm thrilled I started with Ciao For Now. There are quite a few different troI have been meaning to read a novel by Kate Bromley for a while now, and I'm thrilled I started with Ciao For Now. There are quite a few different tropes woven into it, such as forced proximity and enemies to lovers, and it was a wonderful romcom that I would definitely watch if it were made into a movie. Much of the book is set in Rome which I loved, but I also really enjoyed that it ended in New York with Violet realizing precisely what she needs to do. The book is told entirely from her perspective, which I thought worked quite well for the storyline, and she grows quite a bit by the novel's end. I also loved the focus on fashion and despite this being a romance, it is also about Violet's journey and how she pursues her passion for design.
If you enjoy audiobooks, I would highly recommend listening to Ciao For Now, and I loved the narrator, Natalie Naudus. She made my listening experience incredibly enjoyable, and I thought she got the flow spot on. I was swept away into the story even more so thanks to Naudus, and she made me like it more than if I had simply been reading it. There is lots of witty banter and laugh-out-loud moments, and it doesn’t hurt that Matteo was quite ...more
I saw Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly on Bookstagram, and even though I haven't seen basically anything she's been in, I knew I had to read it. TherI saw Tell Me Everything by Minka Kelly on Bookstagram, and even though I haven't seen basically anything she's been in, I knew I had to read it. There are a lot of rave reviews out there and I can see why. If you are looking for a tell-all about her life in Hollywood, you really aren't going to find it here, but if you want to get to know Minka and her life growing up, that is what you will get. The end of the book completely wrecked me, and I was sitting on my couch bawling like a baby. I wouldn't have known she had such a rough childhood, but that isn't even the part that had me crying. She has so much emotion in her story, and it really comes across in her writing.
I did listen to the audiobook, and if you listen to them too you HAVE to go that route. Even though there is no doubt that she has a knack for writing, it is even better to listen to her talk about her life and childhood rather than just reading her words. I also didn't realize all of the various jobs she held before she got her break in Hollywood, and she is a very fascinating woman. I was completely wrapped up in her life, and this is a very real, raw, no holds barred type of memoir. She does touch on Hollywood to a certain extent since she's an actress after all, but I'm really happy Tell Me Everything didn't actually focus on that part as much. It was moving to hear what she has been through, and I appreciate what it had to have taken to share so much with the world....more
I love memoirs, and I especially love memoirs from celebrities that I am familiar with. Since I love Friends and could rewatch it nonstop for the4.5/5
I love memoirs, and I especially love memoirs from celebrities that I am familiar with. Since I love Friends and could rewatch it nonstop for the rest of my life, I knew I had to pick up Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry. Perry starts with a story that completely shook me, and I had no idea it had even happened to him. I can't even begin to tell you how many things I learned about him through this memoir. He has had a life completely FILLED with addiction, be it alcohol or drugs, and he said at one point he was taking 55 Vicodin a day. I mean can you believe that?? FIFTY-FIVE PER DAY. And that is just one of the tidbits of information that I was shocked to learn about the beloved Chandler. I also enjoyed the forward from Lisa Kudrow although it was a little strange? Not sure what her headspace was when she wrote it, but it felt like she was talking to specific people, and it was an odd vibe.
I waited for ages to get the audiobook from the library, and I am glad I did because reading this just wouldn't have been the same. Hearing Perry telling his own story is definitely the way to go, and if you are an audiobook listener, or honestly even if you aren't, I would highly recommend it. He is just so incredibly honest, and I don't think he left out much of anything. You really get a clear picture of what his life has been like and what a struggle he has had with addiction. If you want a book that's going to talk about the Friends cast, this probably isn't it, and while he does talk about his time on the show, he's not going to tell you much about the other actors. Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing is really focused on Perry's life which Friends was a big part of, but this book wasn't created to dish about them so just keep that in mind.
I do recommend picking a physical copy up if you can so you can see the pictures, and if I am remembering correctly, I don’t think the audio had Lisa’s forward. The only reason I knocked off a half star is because there is quite a bit of repetition, but other than that I really enjoyed his writing and this really is a wild memoir, while at times being positively heartbreaking as well. I’m glad he opened up and shared such personal things about his life, and who knows, maybe it could potentially help someone knowing these intimate details of Perry's life....more