This Time Around by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book! I loved the characters and the build of the plot. Katie and Chase had good chemistry and kept me engaged. I could definitely identify with Katie and connect. I would recommend this book.
The Letter Carrier by Laurie L.C. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of my favorite genres of books to read. I thought that this book was engaging. It gave a well written take on what life was like during this time for the family. I appreciated that the family was from France as this is not always the perspective given in the genre. I would read more from this author.
The Secret Cure by J.D. Spero
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this story about revenge. It was a quick read for me. There were some intense points in this book that I honestly wasn’t expecting. It definitely holds your interest and holds merit as a psychological thriller. I’m not usually a fan of multiple character woven throughout but this was well done.
Fighting for Us by Bella Emy
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book and it kept me engaged. I really liked Carissa and rooted for her in the story. I find that if I don’t connect in some way with the main female of the story, the book drags for me. There was the right mix of elements for books of this genre. I would definitely read more by the author.
Between Darkness & Light by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This is the third in the series. While I like the series, something about Julie is making each installment a little harder for me. The author is a great storyteller and I like her take on the vampire genre. I do look forward to seeing what is next. I am definitely invested in the plot and seeing where it is leading to!
One In A Billion by Belinda Williams
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was an ok read for me. I enjoyed the others in the series a little better than this one. I had a hard time getting on board with Seth and Victoria. Their chemistry didn’t work for me. I really had a difficult time liking both of them so it made it hard for me to root for them. That is definitely personal choice.
Pursuit into Darkness by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This second book continues to be an interesting take on the vampire lore. The characters are well developed and the plot makes sense. I read the first one so I appreciated the continuation. I look forward to seeing where it goes next. The author does a good job keeping you hooked in.
Love in the Roses by T.L. Clark
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I haven’t read a book in this time period in a while. I enjoyed it. Isabel was a pretty good character with a good balance of qualities. I am always partial to food mentions during historical fiction books and really enjoyed reading about some of the treats in this book. Her connection with William was very authentic and they had good chemistry.
The Lie That Binds by Amy Argent
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good read. It was an engaging YA with a good balance of love, angst as well as heartache. Nathan was a good character and some of the tones were relatable. It connects from a teen perspective in my opinion. I would definitely recommend this book.
Victoriously Yours by Anise Storm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was definitely darker than the other ones in the series for me. Jonas and Kenzie have such a heartbreaking connection. The woven stories in this series are very complex at times. I did enjoy the set up for Kristopher. It is hard to not go deeper because I do not want to spoil it!
The Mastermind by Nadia Han
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I had a hard time connecting to this book. There were facets that I enjoyed (the cute cats!) and other tones. I do not enjoy conspiracy stories so I think that played a disconnect role for me. Audri was also a little too nice. I wanted a bit more fire. Some good spice, though!
The Happily Ever After Bookstore by Bernadette Marie
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I like multiple point of view books. This was really a very sweet read. Being less of a spicy read was refreshing in this genre. I enjoyed the characters and the way their stories worked. I would read more by this author!
Finding Starlight by Shannon Nikole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this book. Ellawyn was a relatable character. Her friendship with Benji was beautiful as was her developing relationship with Beckett. There definitely were some trigger themes in this book that tugged at parts of the heart and mind. I really like dual point of view stories. I would definitely read more of this series.
Unlikely to Tell by Olivia Sherwood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed the fourth installment of this series. I’ve enjoyed the others but I think the storyline of this one was my favorite. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly Karen. Brody was a great pairing for her and it was enjoyable to watch their story unfold. I am glad to have read the others in the series first but it could be read as a standalone in my opinion.
The True Garza by S. Ann Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. Lonny was hard for me to connect with at first but once I did, I appreciated her character. I really enjoyed True, however, from the beginning. I liked the pace of this book and the overall story. I would definitely pick up more books by this author.
The Day the Librarian Saved the Galaxy by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good story. I could see some of my students enjoying this book especially those just starting to read chapter books. I thought the plot was easy to follow and the illustrations were cute as well. It is a good introduction to the sci-fi genre. It was definitely a story that students can relate to. I would recommend it to kids.
The Mind-Reading Hat: Invisible Magic Wand Book Six by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a nice story that I could see using in the classroom. I really appreciated the simplicity of it but the way that it could encourage interesting discussions. I found the concept of the hat very interesting and loved the connection to his grandpa. The format of the illustrations was interesting and I think that children would enjoy it. Overall, this was a cute book.
Toby: The (Mostly) True Story of a Former Bad Dog by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a very cute story! I’m a cat person but found myself rooting for Toby at times. The first few chapters were well thought out. As the story progressed, I’m not sure if the details were added to plump the story but I didn’t always feel it was connected. I was also frustrated by the ending. Overall, this was a cute story that kids would enjoy reading.
Bake Believe by Cori Cooper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cute book. Definitely not something I would normally pick up but I enjoyed it. I thought it was interesting that Cat’s moods while baking were influential of others. This is definitely a good book for middle school age/pre-teen and would recommend it. I also appreciated the recipes!
Bake Off by Cori Cooper
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a fun sequel to Bake Believe. Again, loved the recipes after each chapter. The relationship of the grandmother with the granddaughters was really special and something I can connect with. This is another book I would definitely recommend for middle school age/pre-teen. I look forward to book three to see where the story goes.
Everything to Me by Lauren Fraser
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I always like books like this one. The story of Kendall and Pete was good and had just the right amount of spice. I definitely think I needed the first book since there were some situations that were alluded to but it didn’t take too much away. As nice as Pete was, I had a difficult time connecting to his character. I enjoyed the storyline and it was a nice, quick read.
Blood & Ravens: A dark, paranormal romance by A.D. Brazeau
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book was definitely a little different than what I’ve been reading lately. It did start slow for me. However, the characters of the story are well developed and the plot keeps you invested. It was a nice vampire interpretation mixed with some other depths of mythology. The story did not always pan out the way you think it will which is refreshing from the predictable nature that this genre can have.
The Cruiser by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a quick, spicy read. I like when books jump between the perspectives of the characters. The author did a good job crafting the plot in a short amount of pages. I could have seen this be a little longer to expand on some of the plot lines but then again that could have drawn it out essentially taking a way from the arc. I liked the characters but didn’t really connect with them. Overall, I would read more by this author.
The Last Cabin Girl: A totally gripping thriller full of twists by Tom Swyers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a good book. I did like Josie and her story from past to present. The added element of COVID conversation really gave a deeper sense of unease. The pace of the story was good and the development of the characters. Definitely would read more by this author.
Unabridged by Melinda De Ross
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I always love a second chance romance kind of book. I liked the layers of spice in this one. The element of loving kittens and books was another big sell for me. The chemistry between the two characters was well crafted. I would definitely read more by this author!
Hush, My Darling by Winter Austin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a pretty good book! It held my interest which is sometimes something I struggle with when reading new authors and when I haven’t read the first book in a partnership series. Lila being a survivor of a serial killer attack added a depth to her character for this genre. Her teamwork with Elizabeth was well crafted and connectable. I definitely will need to go back and read the first one!
The Sound of Murder by K.L. Montgomery
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a quick, enjoyable read. I really liked Ruby’s character and thought she was clever. It was fun to follow her along, solving the clues and trying to solve the murder. I would like to go back and read other books of hers. I look forward to seeing more in this series.
The Know-It-All Pencil by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was a cute story. I think that my second grade students would have a good time discussing what their “know it all pencil” would write. I had to read the story a few times because I felt like some of the plot was rushed and didn’t always make sense. I would be interested to see other writings by this author.
Forbidden Love – Book 1 of The Forbidden Duet by K.M. Lowe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I was really engaged by this story! Clark was such a driving force for me. I was so angry reading this story because of the torture he was enduring. I felt awful for Kally and was glad that she had someone like Clark. The mother… I can’t even with her. Can’t wait until the continuation because I need to see what happens!
Checking Boxes by Magdoline Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a pretty good, quick read. The romance and chemistry between Ian and Grace which made you root for them. They way they were able to resolve their pain from the past as their love grew was a good, connectable piece. I especially enjoyed viewing it from the perspective of both characters. I really enjoyed this debut book and look forward to reading more by this author.
