Bookmas

My Christmas Wishlist | Holiday 2024

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
It’s Bookmas Day Three! I thought it would be fun to share my holiday wishlist. While I do have many books on my wishlist, I also have a few bookish items as well. Keep in mind, this isn’t a comprehensive list—it’s just the highest-priority items.

Also, I know this goes without saying, but I am incredibly grateful for every gift I receive and feel so blessed to get anything at all.


Shop My List
Fourth Wing Bag:
https://amzn.to/49kYKzZ
Kindle Page Turn:
https://amzn.to/3ZjkAPr
Hexed (Never After, 6) by Emily McIntire:
https://amzn.to/49nHD0b
The Hurricane Wars (The Hurricane Wars, 1) by Thea Guanzon:
https://amzn.to/4eU49Py
Forgive Me Father by Katerina St Clair:
https://amzn.to/3D5YmJf
A Pirate’s Life for Tea (Tomes & Tea, 2) by Rebecca Thorne:
https://amzn.to/4eYrEa3
Given Our History by Kristyn JJ Miller:
https://amzn.to/3Zg3ORw
Off to the Races (Gold Rush Ranch, 1) by Elsie Silver:
https://amzn.to/4f1NdGX
The Complete Briar U Series Set by Elle Kennedy:
https://amzn.to/4ijcEGU

There you have it—my holiday wishlist! I’d love to know what you’re asking for this holiday season. Do you write a Christmas list every year, or are you like me and just share your Amazon wishlist with family and friends? Let me know in the comments! Before you go, don’t forget to click the follow button so you’ll be notified whenever there’s a new Bookmas post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Lovelight Farms | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Stella Bloom enters a contest with influencer Evelyn St. James to save her struggling Christmas tree farm, hoping the publicity and $100,000 prize will solve its financial troubles. The catch? She lied, claiming to own the farm with her boyfriend—who doesn’t exist. Enter her best friend, Luka, who steps in as her fake boyfriend, turning their holiday charade into something unexpectedly real.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3CO7MsQ

My Rating

I’m not gonna lie—at first, I really hated this book. I even put it down for a while, thinking I was going to have to DNF it. But I will say, one thing this book has going for it—even though I didn’t love it—is that it’s a fairly quick read, and the plot moves at a decent pace.

This is a friends-to-lovers, fake-dating story. Our main character owns a failing Christmas tree farm and enlists her best friend, Luka, to pretend to be her boyfriend while a social media influencer visits the farm. It has small-town vibes and is definitely a slow burn.

However, the writing was super cringey. Some of the things the characters said—especially our female protagonist, Stella—were just plain cheesy. People don’t actually talk like that, at least not in my experience. On top of that, Stella and Luka gave off serious teenager vibes. They acted like they were in high school, even though they were supposed to be in their late 20s or early 30s.

“I guess I thought owning a Christmas tree farm would be romantic.”

Maybe it’s just where I am in life now, being in my early 30s, but I don’t want to read an adult romance where the characters feel like teenagers. I might as well pick up a young adult contemporary instead. Stella overthought everything, even when Luka clearly told her what he wanted, and it was so frustrating.

The whole story felt unrealistic and overly dramatic. The ending conflict, which boiled down to denial and miscommunication, was resolved within a single chapter. What’s the point of a big blow-up if it’s going to be fixed immediately? It came off as lazy writing to me, but that’s just my opinion.

Overall, you can probably tell this book wasn’t for me. The characters were immature, the small-town setting was very stereotypical, and I wasn’t a fan of Luka’s jealous streak. I also don’t enjoy slow-burn romances, and the intimate scenes here were pretty basic. That said, it’s an easy read, and the Christmas tree farm setting does give it some holiday charm. If you’re looking for a light festive romance, it might work for you.

In the comments, let me know if you think it would be fun to own a Christmas tree farm. Don’t forget to follow the blog and like this post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

December 2024 | To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Happy Bookmas Day One! Today, I’m sharing my December TBR with you. But this time, I decided to do something a little different. I let my husband pick 10 books for me to read. He had free rein of my bookshelves, and honestly, I think he did a pretty good job. I did, however, pick two books myself. Since we have the classic song “12 Days of Christmas,” I thought a total of 12 books on my December TBR would be fitting. The first 10 books I’ll share are my husband’s picks, and the last two are mine.


Butcher & Blackbird by Brynne Weaver
I was surprised when he picked this book since it wasn’t really on my radar. All I know is that it’s a dark romcom about two serial un-alivers. I’ve never read anything like it before, so I’m a little unsure if I’ll enjoy the plot. Still, I’m willing to give it a try.


Winterhouse by Ben Guterson
This book was probably low on my TBR since I don’t typically read middle grade. However, I’ve heard it’s a great winter read. While I’m not disappointed it’s on the list, I’m not necessarily excited about it either.


The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary E. Pearson
My husband picked this one solely because of its pretty sprayed edges. He didn’t know anything about it other than it’s a romantasy—which, honestly, is all I know about it too. But since I’m very much in my romantasy era, I’m intrigued.


Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
He was kind enough to pick this sequel because I raved about the first book in the series. I can’t say much about the plot since I don’t know what happens, but the series follows a young woman who just so happens to be the assistant to a notorious villain.


A Game of Fate (Hades Saga, #1) by Scarlett St. Clair
This is the first book in a companion series to Scarlett St. Clair’s Hades and Persephone series, which follows Persephone’s narrative. However, these books are told from Hades’s perspective. I’m excited to get his take on things!


The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi
This gothic mystery-fantasy gives me Mexican Gothic vibes. There are a lot of intriguing elements, including romance and a curse, so I’m curious to see how it plays out.


Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis
I think this is a cozy fantasy, but I could be wrong about the genre. Based on the synopsis, it seems like a funny and fast read. It’s recommended for fans of Travis Baldree, which makes me nervous because Legends and Lattes didn’t wow me. Still, I’m going to go into the book with an open mind.


You May Now Kill the Bride by Kate Weston
This is a murder mystery. It feels more summery, which doesn’t work well with my seasonal reader personality, but I think I’ll enjoy it anyway. The plot sounds fun—the bride ends up dead, and the bridesmaids are the main suspects. It seems like it could be a humorous mystery, so I’ll either love it or hate it.


The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna
This is a YA fantasy that I hadn’t thought about since I bought it. It has an interesting premise, but since I’m not much of a YA reader anymore, I probably would’ve kept putting it off if my husband hadn’t chosen it.


Fireborne by Rosaria Munda
This book is about dragons! I’m halfway through Fourth Wing, and it’s made me want to read all the dragon books. Funny enough, my husband didn’t know it was about dragons when he picked it. I’m not mad about it being on my TBR, though it is the start of a new series. I love that for me. Hopefully, you can read the sarcasm in that sentence.


A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy
This is the companion novel to A Merry Little Meet Cute, which I read two years ago. I know the third book in this spicy holiday romance series is already out, so I need to read this one. Unfortunately, I haven’t been in the mood for it, so I decided to make it one of my TBR picks to give myself a little push.
Related Post: A Merry Little Meet Cute | Book Review


Spectacular by Stephanie Garber
This is a holiday novel set in the Caraval world. If you know me, you know I really enjoyed the first book in the trilogy—it’s a solid 4-star series for me. I’m excited to return to this world with these characters, especially at Christmastime!
Related Post: Caraval | Book Review

And there you have it, my chaotic but fun December TBR. I know there aren’t many holiday books on this list, but I’m not too upset about that. With all the Christmas movies I’ll be watching, I’m glad to have some variety in the genres I’ll be reading. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you leave so you never miss a Bookmas post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Happy Holidays | Bookmas 2024

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I’m excited to announce Bookmas 2024! I’ve participated in this fun blogging challenge for the past two years. So, this will be my third year of creating Bookmas content. Starting December 1st, you’ll get a new blog post from me every day for the next 24 days!

The tradition of Bookmas started on YouTube and, from what I know, was created by the BookTuber Hailey in Bookland. Over time, many bookish creators have joined in and put their own spin on it. I’d love it if you left me some post suggestions in the comments below—I always enjoy creating content my readers request!

Before you go, don’t forget to hit the follow button so you never miss a Bookmas post. You can also share this post with other book lovers and follow my Facebook page, where I post updates whenever new content is live.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Winter Essentials // Book Tag

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
I feel like I have done so many tags this Bookmas. But does that mean I’m going to stop? Nope. Thus, on Bookmas, day 22, I am doing another winter inspired book tag. I saw someone do the ‘Winter Essentials’ book tag on YouTube and thought I should do it as well.

Hear me out, but Holly Chase from ‘The Afterlife of Holly Chase’ by Cynthia Hand isn’t the warmest character at first. This is a young adult retelling of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and let’s just say that Holly can be a real Scrooge. But, her ending character development was fantastic.

I had to think about this for a moment, but in the end I realized that ‘Legends and Lattes’ by Travis Baldree has such unique characters. I have never read a cozy fantasy before, let alone one that follows an orc. It is a great story, with a fun cast of characters.

Honestly, I think that the March family from ‘Little Women’ is amazing. I would love to spend the holidays with them and be one of the March girls. Although, their story is quite sad in some aspects, I still think that they are a wonderful fictional family.

This is easy. ‘Flight 171’ by Amy Christina Parker is simply mind boggling. No hate to you if you enjoyed this book, but I just thought it was so weird. By the end of the book I was left shocked as to what I had read. It’s an interesting story to say the least.

Well two of my sweet bookish friends gifted me books this year. Ashley from OfFictionandFantasy sent me ‘Flawless’ by Elsie Silver and Kathlin sent me ‘Starling House’ by Alix E. Harrow. I feel so blessed to get any gifts, and it was so kind of them both to send me a gift.

The biggest book I have ever read is ‘New Moon’ by Stephanie Meyer, which is the second book in the ‘Twilight’ saga. The book has a total of 563 pages. Personally, I think that is insane, since the plot wasn’t particularly all that fast moving or compelling.

I have no idea, because I try my hardest to keep my books in great condition. But, probably one of my editions of ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. Sometimes my mom will find them secondhand and gift them to me, so the condition will vary.

I recently got ‘The Bodyguard’ by Katherine Center, which has a ton of colors on it. I am very excited to read this adult romance, and the cover screams spring time.

The first book that came to mind was ‘The Accident Season’ by Moïra Fowley-Doyle. This book was trying to do too much, and it didn’t work for me. There was magic, mystery, ghosts, and romance. The plot wasn’t fleshed out enough to make the story work.

I don’t feel like I can answer this question, because I have way too many favorite characters. However, I will say that one of my favorites is Blythe Hawthorne from the ‘Belladonna’ series, by Adalyn Grace. I was a big fan of hers in the first book, but I fell even more in love with her character in book two.

I don’t reread many books every year, but one that I always reread is ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens. I feel like a broken record since I have mentioned this book a lot, but it’s one of the only books that I reread every year.

Lastly, you can tag anyone to this post, so I want to tag all my fellow book lovers. You can leave your answers in the comments, or do this tag on your own bookish platform. Don’t forget to follow the blog, so that you never miss a post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

24 In 2024 // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Today is Bookmas day 20, I am going to talk about 24 books that I hope to read in 2024. I did not want this list to be only new releases, so I think I have come up with a good mix of both newer and backlist books. There are many series on this list for some reason, but I am not mad about it.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/48qfQL1

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But Book: https://amzn.to/4avuRNm

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In the comments, let me know if you have read any of the books. Also, I would love to know what is on your 2024 TBR. Remember to follow the blog because I will be sure to be reviewing each of these books once I read them.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Tis The Season For Revenge // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Abbie Keller thought that Richard Bartholemew Benson the Third would be her forever. So she does what every girl does when she’s broken up with: she calls her friends, gets drunk, dyes her hair, and formulates her plan for revenge. It just so happens that the universe supports her efforts and gives her the perfect match to prove to her ex that he made a huge mistake: his boss.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/48tEY3m

My Rating

If you’re looking for a bingeable, smutty holiday romance, then you will most likely enjoy this book. I found the book to be very easy to read, and the spicy scenes were done very well. I would give it a 3.5 spice rating. This isn’t a closed door romance at all.

In the book we follow Abbie, who gets dumped by her (jerk) boyfriend that bordered on emotional abuse. Drunkenly, she and her friends decide to create her a dating profile, but when she matches with he ex’s boss, Damien, she decides the sweetest revenge would be to date him.

Honestly, the book gave me Legally Blonde vibes and you could tell that Elle Wood’s was a big inspiration behind Abbie’s personality. It was interesting to see Abbie rediscover herself and take back her power. She let her ex take part of herself, so it was very different look at an abusive relationship.

“A relationship is like the law. It needs balance. If it’s out of balance, if one person sees themselves as less valuable, if another sees themselves as more valuable, the balance isn’t there.”

The romance was fantastic. It was an age gap romance, since Damien is much older than Abbie. And, it is clearly a ‘he falls first’ plot. I liked how they communicated a lot throughout the book, and talked about things such as kids and the future. For a plot that is pretty far fetched their relationship felt very realistic.

The thing I liked most was that the plot wasn’t drawn out, and the story moved at a good pace. The ending conflict was handled really well. I hate when adult romances have characters that act like they’re teenagers. But, I am happy to say, that wasn’t the case in this book.

Overall, this isn’t the most well written book, but I am excited to read more from this author. However, I do wish that we had gotten a longer epilogue, but that isn’t something I’m going to hold against the book. I do think that it makes for a fun holiday read for anyone who is looking for spice, rather than fluff.

In the comments, let me know if you have read this book. It would be amazing if you gave this post a like and share. And, follow the blog before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Best Book Covers Of 2023

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi friends,
Happy Bookmas day 18. For today’s Bookmas post, I wanted to talk about my favorite book covers for 2023. I mentioned before that sometimes, like many readers, I can be a cover buyer. Therefore, at the end of the year, I always love showcasing some 2023 book releases with covers that absolutely captivate.

Buy Book: https://amzn.to/48m6aRF

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Leave a comment below if any of these books are on your TBR. Remember before you go, follow my blog so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

This Or That // Holiday Edition

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Today is Bookmas, day 17! I’m doing my own little version of a holiday ‘This or That’ tag. I found some holiday ‘This or That’ questions on Pinterest, and thought I’d turn it into a little tag. As you know, I love doing tag posts, whether they are bookish or not.

Build A Snowman or Make A Snow Angel
I’ve actually done both of these in my life, but I’m going to have to go with build a snowman. I think it’s way more fun and less risk of catching a cold than making a snow Angel.

Hot Chocolate or Apple Cider
This one is hard, because they are both so tasty. However, I have been loving hot chocolate this holiday season. It seems that in the winter time, my night isn’t complete without a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Gingerbread or Peppermint
Hear me out, I’m a peppermint girl, through and through, but during the holidays give me all the gingerbread flavored stuff. Thus, I’m saying gingerbread (but I still do love peppermint everything).

Skiing or Ice Skating
Unfortunately, I have never been skiing, but I would like to. I did take ice skating lessons for a short period of time when I was a teenager. Fun fact – one of my favorite movies use to be ‘Ice Princess’, so of course I’m going to have to say ice skating. For nostalgia.

Clear Lights or Colorful Lights
I love the look of clear lights, because they are very clean and simplistic. But, I think that colorful lights scream the holidays, which is why they would be my pick.

Cookie Decorating or Gingerbread House Making
Every year my family does a gingerbread house making competition, but we also make and decorate cookies. There are pros and cons to both, but despite the fact that you can’t eat a gingerbread house (I guess it depends on the freshness), I still would rather make one than decorate cookies. I know, I’m strange.

Heated Blanket or Cozy Fireplace
Unfortunately, I don’t have a fireplace in my house, but I use to in my first apartment. Although, I love a good heated blanket, nothing beat a fireplace. For me they are timeless, beautiful, and classy.

Home For The Holidays or Traveling
This one is hard, because I would give anything to spend the holidays in New York, or England. However, there is just something special about spending the holidays at home with family. So, traveling during the winter season, but I’d rather be home on the actual holiday.

Christmas Movies or Christmas Carols
This is probably one of the hardest questions, because I love them both. But, I’m truly a music lover. I am going to have to say Christmas carols. I could fall asleep listening to Silent Night, and be content.

Christmas or New Year
This is going to be an unpopular opinion, but as much as I love Christmas, I’m a New Year’s girl. My favorite day of the year is New Year’s Eve because you have a whole new year full of new possibilities to look forward to.

There you have my holiday ‘This or That’ tag. Feel free to do this on your own blog, and please let me know if you do. I would love to see all of your answers. As always, you can show your support for my blog by giving it a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Secret Santa // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Lussi must find the next horror superstar to compete with Stephen King, Anne Rice, and Peter Straub. It’s the ’80s, after all, and horror is the hottest genre. The Office meets Stephen King, dressed up in holiday tinsel, in this fun, festive, and frightening horror-comedy set during the horror publishing boom of the ’80s, by New York Times best-selling satirist Andrew Shaffer.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3NsoNLN

My Rating

If you love thriller and horror books, but still want a holiday read, then this is the perfect read for you. I loved the plot, characters, and how fast the book was paced. It is a good, short, palate-cleanser Christmas horror novel that is not too gory.

When I first read the synopsis, I was nervous that this book would be gruesome and cheesy. However, I was hooked on the first page, and found the writing to be really good. Who doesn’t love a good horror story set during the holidays? In particular, one that takes place in a publishing house.

The book was set in the 80’s, and we follow Lussi, who is tasked with finding the next big name in horror novels in her new publishing job. However, during the company’s annual Secret Santa, she receives a demonic doll. That is, when things start to get a little weird, accidents start happening to her coworkers.

“Authors are God’s neediest creatures, eclipsed only by actors and puppies.”

The 80’s vibes were on point, and I loved all the nods to horror as a growing genre in the book industry. This makes sense, considering that the book is set during the time when Stephen King and Anna Rice were becoming big name authors. It is a really fun read for a horror and thriller reader like myself.

This book is not a feel good Christmas story, and there are not many traditional holiday aspects to the narrative besides the Secret Santa plot. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed it, and the storyline as a whole was intriguing. I liked Lussi as our main character because she was smart and did not ignore all the unusual things that were happening. I think her knowledge of horror novels and movies really helped her.

Overall, this is not a five-star read by any means, but it is a really good horror novella. I would recommend it if you are looking for a book to break up all the romance novels, you might be reading this time of year. I would categorize it as ‘Child’s Play’ meets ‘Rosemary’s Baby.’ For me, this was a one-sitting read, and the ending was fantastic.

In the comments, let me know some of your favorite horror holiday novellas, because now I want to read them all. Don’t forget that you can always like and share all of my posts, and give the blog a follow before you go, because it really does help me grow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny