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INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR JESSICA JOYCE // chatting with debut author of You, With a View about this glorious childhood rivals to lovers romance you need injected into your veins!!!
Gosh dang am I excited about today’s post and am oh so grateful that our guest Jessica Joyce agreed to be here today. I haven’t read a debut THIS GOOD in a long freaking time and I shall no go forth and shove her down your throats!!!! 💌 Big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africafor the early copy of You, With a View! Title: You, With A ViewAuthor: Jessica JoycePage count: 352Date published: 11 July 2023Genre: Adult contemporary romance 💌 Synopsis: Two weeks on the road… stuck in a car with your high-school enemy. Noelle Shepard is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos and letters that hint to a forbidden love in her gram’s past. Needing to know the full story, she creates a TikTok video appealing for information – and it goes viral. Through her video, she manages to track down her grandmother’s secret love, Paul, who offers to take her on the honeymoon road-trip he and Gram planned but never got to go on. Noelle jumps at the chance to make this one last connection with her grandmother. There’s just one problem – Paul’s grandson is Noelle’s frustratingly handsome high-school rival…
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JULY RECAP // movie theatre mania aka going to barbenheimer, publisher events, back to school & cute reads
Quite chuffed with myself for being mostly on time with these lately. Who knows if it’ll stick because I have a big fat deadline at the end of August. You have been warned of my potential upcoming hibernation. Let me stop freaking us all out (lmao) and jump right in! — Nothing More To Tell by Karen M McManus {★★★½☆}:I FINALLY picked up this one and ugh Ms McManus always manages to sweep me away with a great time. Unfortunately, this was not my favourite of hers, I usually tend to love her characters but they weren’t my fave in this one. But the cold case was fun and I kept going, so it’s definitely worth a read if you’re a fan like me. Big thanks to Penguin Random House South Africa for the eARC and physical copy. More thoughts in GR review right over here You, With A View by Jessica Joyce {★★★★½}: I mean wow. Round of freaking applause for this DEBUT that literally knocked my socks off. Jessica has pure talent in those finger tips and this book was just absolutely everything. From the writing to the romance to the settings and the gut-wrenching grief conversations THIS…
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MAD ABOUT YOU BY MHAIRI MCFARLANE // spoiler-free book review: meet one of the best adult contemporaries i’ve ever read aka a delightfully british rom-com that has me in a chokehold
Please say hello to this absolute gem of a book that you should be ashamed you haven’t read yet. Yes I do have the right and power to say that about you all and you are not allowed to say it back *hides* AHHH I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH IT HURTS AND IM SHOVING IT DOWN ALL YOUR THROATS FOR ETERNITY!!!!! Onwards with the crying/yelling/screeching about this author *wink wink* Title: Mad About YouAuthor: Mhairi McFarlanePage count: 432Date published: 14 April 2022Genre: Adult contemporary fiction 🏡 Synopsis: Two reluctant housemates.Two broken promises.One crazy plan… Harriet Hatley may be one of the most in-demand wedding photographers in Leeds, but she hates the idea of marriage. Cal Clarke is used to the world falling in line with his plans – apart from his own love-life, which has gone hopelessly wrong. When they become unlikely housemates, it’s clear they’re both running away from something bigger. Can they take a crazy risk to face the past and change everything? 🏡 🏡 STAR RATING: (5 out of 5 stars) Trigger warnings for previous relationship emotional abuse — My heart is so full and I am jumping for joy and Mhairi McFarlane is…
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MID YEAR BOOK FREAK OUT TAG // 2023 edition: i’ve read almost 30 books so far ft. stunning 5 star reads, new favourite authors & exciting new releases
Time for my overused Christmas in July joke once again? We all laughed right? Glad I can amuse you. Anyways, I always love doing this tag but I’m realising it’s been a minute since I did a tag. And there are more questions than I remember so hopefully you get this at a reasonable time and not in like November. I deserve a commandment if this post is early honestly. An entire ceremony if you ask me, Alright, I’ll shut up now and get into the questions!!! BEST BOOK YOU’VE READ THIS YEAR SO FAR ✯ Honourable mention: Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong ✯ Happy Place by Emily Henry The internet had me scared for a second there with all them bad reviews but turns out I should trust my gut. And also my mother Emily Henry. Because she never disappoints and I loved this one. As expected. God, I loved it so much. And hated it. Conflicting but in a good way. Emily Henry is writing my obituary at this point honestly. Not to be morbid or anything, but I do need her to do that. Anyways, yes this book destroyed me and brought me back to life.…
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JUNE RECAP // back on the blogging game ft. some new fave reads, a book event but nothing much really oops
Doing pretty well with these recaps lately. Aren’t you proud? It would be mean if you weren’t, just sayin’ Anyways, not much to waffle about so we’ll just jump right in! — Happy Place by Emily Henry {★★★★★}: thank the heavens I got off my butt and actually read this freaking book. I thank you all for your endless patience on waiting like 6 months for me to review this. I’ve done a whole review already so go read that for more in-depth thoughts. But I will say shame on the Internet for making me doubt Ms Henry for a hot minute because I was scared for a second. But that was not necessary because she was as good as I needed her to be and I want to cry on the floor at how good this freaking book was omg!!! I love you Viking Books & Penguin SA, ty for my gifted copies! Something More by Jackie Khalileah {★★★☆☆}: sad she was exactly what I wanted but still recommend if you’re looking for a fun debut YA romance with some stunning autism rep. Big thanks to Colored Pages Tours & Tundra Books for the eARC! GR review right over…
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TWICE SHY BY SARAH HOGLE // spoiler-free book review: a cinnamon roll of a contemporary romance that you absolutely need to warm your cold hearts <3
Read this literally a year ago and I have only just managed to get my hands on a physical copy and I need to yell at you all about this delightful book. Ugh, it’s so good and underrated and let’s just get into it!!!! Title: Twice ShyAuthor: Sarah HoglePage count: 302Date published: 6 April 2021Genre: Adult contemporary romance 🌳 Synopsis: Can you find real love when you’ve always got your head in the clouds? Maybell Parish has always been a dreamer and a hopeless romantic. But living in her own world has long been preferable to dealing with the disappointments of real life. So when Maybell inherits a charming house in the Smokies from her Great-Aunt Violet, she seizes the opportunity to make a fresh start. Yet when she arrives, it seems her troubles have only just begun. Not only is the house falling apart around her, but she isn’t the only inheritor: she has to share everything with Wesley Koehler, the groundskeeper who’s as grouchy as he is gorgeous—and it turns out he has very different vision for the property’s future. Convincing the taciturn Wesley to stop avoiding her and compromise is a task more formidable than the other…
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LAST VIOLENT CALL BY CHLOE GONG // book talk: died and went to heaven reading these masterpiece novellas from my fave series
Finally being the obedient fan that I am and caught up on my fave hence these reviews are very close together. Did you all know I love Chloe Gong? Didn’t know if it was obvious or not haha Quick disclaimer: I’m actually not spoiling this book in particular, but the entire plot is a spoiler for previous books in the series, especially Our Violent Ends, hence me titling this a book talk. However, if you’re up to date with the series, I’m not spoiling anything *wink wink* Anyways, this has been a long time coming and I’m excited to get into this! Title: Last Violent CallSeries: Secret Shanghai book #3.5Author: Chloe GongPage count: 233Date published: 28 February 2023Genre: New adult historical fiction ☎ Synopsis: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Chloe Gong come two captivating novellas surrounding the events of Foul Lady Fortune and following a familiar cast of characters from These Violent Delights. In A Foul Thing, Roma and Juliette have established themselves as the heads of an underground weapons ring in Zhouzhuang, making a living the way they do best while remaining anonymous in their quiet life. But when they hear about Russian girls showing up dead in nearby…
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HAPPY PLACE BY EMILY HENRY // spoiler-free book review: the most perfect summer read from my queen mother ft. stunning best friends on vacation & heartwrenching second chance romance
Let us ignore that I could have read this book months ago but I was too much of a scaredy cat lmao But I shall cease to be in awe of the Henry magic and I shall now spend the rest of my days shoving this down your throat. You’ve been warned! Let’s dive in ; ) Title: Happy PlaceAuthor: Emily HenryPage count: 388Date published: 25 April 2023Genre: Adult contemporary romance ☀️ Synopsis: A couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends. Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college—they go together like salt and pepper, honey and tea, lobster and rolls. Except, now—for reasons they’re still not discussing—they don’t. They broke up five months ago. And still haven’t told their best friends. Which is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Their annual respite from the world, where for one vibrant, blissful week they leave behind their daily lives; have copious amounts of cheese, wine, and seafood; and soak up the salty coastal air with the…
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IMMORTALITY BY DANA SCHWARTZ // spoiler-free sequel book review: my new fave YA gothic historical fiction series that you all need to read!!!
Eeeep so excited to finally rave about this book with you all. I’ve been holding it in for a hot second and it’s finally my time! Warning: since this is a sequel, the synopsis does contain spoilers for the end of book one aka Anatomy by Dana Schwartz! The spoiler-free section shouldn’t be too spoiler-y so you’re good there, but maybe skip the synopsis if you haven’t read it yet. Without further ado, let’s get right into it <3<3<3 Title: Immortality: A Love StorySeries: Anatomy Duology book #2 Author: Dana SchwartzPage count: 389Date published: 28 February 2023Genre: Young Adult gothic historical fiction 🧠 Synopsis: Hazel Sinnett is alone and half convinced the events of the year before—the immortality, Beecham’s vial—were a figment of her imagination. She doesn’t even know if Jack is alive or dead. All she can really do now is treat patients and maintain Hawthornden Castle as it starts to decay around her. When saving a life leads to her arrest, Hazel seems doomed to rot in prison until a message intervenes: Hazel has been specifically requested to be the personal physician of Princess Charlotte, the sickly granddaughter of King George III. Soon Hazel is dragged into the…
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MAY RECAP // a lot of essay writing, cute new books & some romance to relieve the stress
Who doesn’t love when Ruby only does recaps? Definitely not you, because you love me no matter what I do right? I’m full of myself I know. Please just ignore me. Let’s get into this already ; ) — Sabrina September Is A Liar by Nikki Lincoln {★★★★☆}: never going to get over how stunning this cover is and you all so need to read this absolutely fabulous debut romance! I was SHOCKED it was a debut because the writing is blow-you-socks-off good and I’m so excited to see Nikki flourish. Tysm for gifting me with an ARC and a finished copy!!! Click here for the GR review xoxo! Meet Me At The Lake by Carley Fortune {★★★★☆}: Another stunner of a cover, gosh these pinks are getting to me, man. This was an excellent follow-up to Every Summer After, which I really liked last year. She almost had the potential to get a higher rating but something was holding me back. But I loved the characters, and the writing was wonderful and I literally want to go to Canada rn. Love that for me. I’m truly going haha. Click here for more thoughts With Love, From Cold World by…
