2 Book Lovers Reviews
My Favorite Books of 2018!
Week of February 22nd, 2021
Book Review:
Well Met
By Jen DeLuca
*Top Recommendation!*
I adored every minute that I spent reading this novel. With a wonderful cast of characters, a close-knit community setting, a
whimsical Renaissance Faire, and the chemistry between the two main characters, this book had everything that I was looking for.
*Read my full review...
Week of February 15th, 2021
New Release & Review:
Dark Horses
By Susan Mihalic
*Top Recommendation!*
Susan Mihalic’s debut novel is aptly named. Dark Horses deals with some difficult, heavy, dark subject matter, but it’s a story that deserves to be told. It’s a story that felt like a punch to the gut. Its brutal honesty was a painful reminder that you never know what goes on behind closed doors. I was immediately pulled into Roan Montgomery’s life and invested in her story. Dark Horses is not the type of book that you will just sit down to read a couple of chapters to pass some time. This book is a riveting reading experience that, once you begin, it demands to be read.
*Read my full review...
Week of February 8th, 2021
Book Review:
The Flatshare
By Beth O'Leary
Once again, I am admitting that this book sat on my TBR list for far too long. After hearing so many wonderful things about The Flatshare, I waited for the perfect time to finally take the plunge, and I am so glad that I did.
The Flatshare is classified as a romantic comedy, but I wouldn’t exactly call it that. Sure, it had its funny moments, but it was much more emotionally charged than I expected. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, there’s nothing that I like more than a well-rounded novel, and that is precisely how I would classify The Flatshare.
*Read my full review...
Week of February 1st, 2021
New Release & Review:
The Project
By Courtney Summers
The Project is a compelling and riveting reading experience. It’s a story of sisterhood, but it’s so much more than that. It’s emotional, gut wrenching, and utterly heartbreaking. This author slowly, quietly, and effectively ripped my heart out with every turn of the page.
Bea and Lo’s lives were forever changed by the horrendous car accident that claimed their parents’ lives and left Lo hanging on for dear life. As their mother always reinforced, sisters share a sacred bond, and losing her parents and seeing her sister wounded was almost more than Bea could bear. She felt lost, alone, bereft, helpless…and in walked Lev Warren, the leader of The Unity Project, to make his pitch and save the day.
*Read my full review...
Week of January 25th, 2021
Book Review:
All About Us
By Tom Ellen
I am always drawn to books that lead the characters to wonder: what if? If given the opportunity, would you revisit a certain event in your life and possibly make a different decision? I think that it’s human nature to wonder if we’ve made the right choices, followed the right paths, and ended up exactly where we were always meant to be. Tom Ellen takes his readers on a magical, emotional, and heartfelt journey on a multitude of Christmas Eves in Ben’s life in order to for him to truly discover where his heart belongs.
*Read my full review...
Week of January 18, 2021
New Release & Review:
What's Worth Keeping
By Kaya McLaren
*Top Recommendation!*
What’s Worth Keeping is a deeply moving story of a family’s journey of finding acceptance, healing, peace, and the things that are worth keeping. In my opinion, this novel deserves nothing less than a five-star rating because it made me feel so much. Throughout the book’s entirety, I was invested, riveted to the pages, and completely immersed in the story and the characters.
*Read my full review...
Week of January 4, 2021
2020 has certainly been a challenging year. One of the things that I enjoy most about reading is that it provides an escape from
reality, and this year I needed it. With that being said, no matter how much I wanted to dive into a book and lose myself within
its pages, I felt distracted. I wanted to read, to meet new characters, have new adventures, but the real world just kept sucking me back in. Damn you, real world! It took me a while to get back into my usual flow and routine, and when I did, I was transported into some amazing stories. I didn’t read as many books as I would have liked – again, distraction – but most of the books that I did choose to spend my time with were wonderful. These are books that stayed with me long after I finished reading the final page.
*See my list of favorite books of 2020...
Week of December 28th, 2020
New Release & Review:
The Wrong Family
By Tarryn Fisher
I had read the synopsis for The Wrong Family when the book was first announced, but when I finally went in to read, it I decided not to refresh my memory. I wanted to be surprised, taken on the ride, and experience it all unfold without any details. It was a good choice.
With any thriller, it’s important to grab your readers from the beginning, and Tarryn Fisher did just that. I was captivated right from the first page, and the writing and dual points of view kept my curiosity piqued. I wanted to, no, needed to keep reading in order to find out more information and details in this twisted tale.
*Read my full review...
Week of December 21st, 2020
Book Review:
Not What I Expected
By Jewel E. Ann
I don’t think I will ever be able to look at a turkey’s head the same way again. This is also the first time that I’ve ever mentioned a turkey’s head in one of my reviews, but I digress.
Everyone knows that being in a long-term relationship isn’t always easy. Once the honeymoon stage in a relationship is over and the comfort level rises, the little annoyances start to rear their ugly heads. Even the things that we may have once found cute and endearing in our partners have lost their luster and now just grate on our last nerves. Jewel E. Ann had asked her readers for some examples of what their significant others do or say that gets under their skin, and what did she do with these tidbits of information? She incorporated these reader responses into this novel, and the result was both hilarious and honest. I couldn’t help but share many of them with my husband.
*Read my full review...
Week of December 14th, 2020
Book Review:
The Great Alone
By Kristin Hannah
*Top Recommendation!*
What an amazing journey! I’m ashamed to say that this was my first book by this author, however, on the bright side, I now have her
other books to look forward to.
The Great Alone is a well-rounded story that pulls the reader into the story and into the rugged, ferocious beauty of the Alaskan wilderness. It’s a story about family, loyalty, love, and survival, not only survival from the harsh elements, but also the harsh reality of life within the four walls of Leni’s family’s cabin.
*Read my full review...
Week of December 7th, 2019
New Release & Review:
Layla
By Colleen Hoover
*Top Recommendation!*
Layla is Colleen Hoover’s first foray into the paranormal genre, and, in my opinion, it can be summed up with one word: success!
This just goes to prove that she can write the heck out of anything and still stay true to her style and ability of creating unique characters and storylines. It still screamed one hundred percent
Colleen Hoover, but with an eerie paranormal story and a generous side order of creep factor.
Week of November 30th, 2020
New Release & Review:
This Time Next Year
By Sophie Cousens
*Top Recommendation!*
This was an absolutely delightful novel. This Time Next Year swept me up and into the lives of the characters. I was more than happy to spend my free moments within the pages of this book. It really is the whole package. It is a charming, witty, quirky, lovely story that, once I was reading it, I did not want to put down.
*Read my full review...
Shelley's Daily Blog
My Ride or Die
By Leslie Cohen