Romance

Happy Place | Book Review

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About The Book
Harriet and Wyn, once the perfect couple, now navigate their unspoken breakup during their annual Maine getaway with friends. They pretend everything’s fine as they share a cottage soon to be sold, concealing their lingering desire for each other. Amid cheese, wine, and coastal air, they play the role of ‘happy couple’ to spare their friends’ feelings. Can they maintain the facade for a final week among those who know them best?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4eHcmHV

My Rating

I dove into this book with high expectations. Despite hearing mixed reviews, I had a feeling I’d love it—and I did. This is surprising since second chance romances usually aren’t my thing, but this one hooked me completely. Honestly, I don’t know what it was about this story but I was wholeheartedly invested in it.

The story centers on Harriet and Wyn, college sweethearts who broke off their engagement six months ago. They’re forced to pretend they’re still together on a trip with their college friends. What follows is a love story that’s both romantic and heartbreaking, and it had me in tears more than once.

But the romance is just one part of this amazing book. It also explores themes of friendship and growing up. We see a close-knit group of friends who, instead of growing apart, are simply growing up. As they transition out of their twenties and start new chapters in their lives, each one faces the future while striving to maintain the strong friendships and family they have built.

“Love means constantly saying you’re sorry, and then doing better.”

The book shows that friendships don’t have to disappear but can change as life changes. Harriet always talks about her “Happy Place,” this little cottage in Maine where the book takes place. But as her character develops throughout the book, she realizes that happiness isn’t a place—it’s the people you’re with.

The characters, especially Harriet and Wyn, felt so real. Their relationship issues were portrayed authentically, and I could feel their heartache. Harriet’s complicated feelings about love, influenced by her family, made their story even more touching. Wyn’s struggles with depression were crucial to their relationship story. I loved how the author emphasized that love doesn’t have to be perfect because flawed love and people are the most precious.

Overall, this book truly resonated with me. It might not appeal to everyone, especially if you’re in your teens or early twenties, but as someone in my thirties, it really struck a chord. It helped me appreciate my own relationships more and kept me engaged until the final page. This is how you nail a second chance romance. Just a heads-up: you might need some tissues handy while you’re reading it.

If you’ve read this book, let me know what you think in the comments. Don’t forget to like and share this post, and follow the blog so you never miss an update!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Red, White, and Blue Books // July 4th Reading

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
In honor of the 4th of July holiday, I wanted to share some red, white, and blue books. These might not be my all-time favorite books in these colors, but they are definitely ones worth checking out. I know this post isn’t the most original, but I love recommending books I’ve enjoyed. I hope you might find joy in them too!

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‘Summer’s Edge’ By Dana Mele
I am going to be upfront and admit that this isn’t truly a favorite of mine, but I think the concept of this book is really cool. It’s a queer young adult paranormal thriller that takes place during the summer. Although I had my issues with it, I do think that it is a pretty decent summer thriller. Also, it is compared to *I Know What You Did Last Summer*, which, if you are a horror movie fan, takes place during July 4th.
Related Post: Summer’s Edge // Book Review

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‘A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder’ By Holly Jackson
I really wanted to give out new recommendations, but when it came to a white book, the only one that stood out was *A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder*. I’m not going to rave about it too much since it is a widely popular YA mystery book, but this is such a good, fast-paced mystery with great characters and an interesting storyline.
Related Post: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder // Book Review

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‘How Not to Fall in Love’ By Jacqueline Firkins
This is a blue book that I think is underrated. It is a young adult friends-to-lovers romance. I found it to be so cute, and it has the exchange of service plot that I adore. The plot follows Harper, who tries to teach her hopeless romantic best friend Theo how not to fall in love with every girl they go out with. I read this book really fast, so if you’re looking for a quick and cute read, you should definitely give this book a chance.
Related Post: How Not to Fall in Love // Book Review

There you have three recommendations for books to read this 4th of July. These books might not take place during the summer holiday, but they are still good reads nonetheless. Before you leave, hit the follow button so that you get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Love Hypothesis | Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
Reluctant Ph.D. candidate Olive Smith fakes a relationship with notorious professor Adam Carlsen to appease her best friend. When Adam supports her at a chaotic science conference, unexpected attraction sparks between them. Olive navigates real feelings while balancing love and her academic dreams.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Wf0fe9

My Rating

I felt unsure about this book before picking it up. All I knew was that it had a lot of hype and centered around a STEM-based romance. Although I love reading adult romance, I hadn’t read one with a STEM focus before. But after the first ten chapters, I really got into it. So if you’re finding the beginning slow, try giving it at least until the halfway point.

The story follows Olive, a Ph.D. candidate who starts a fake-dating relationship with Adam Carlsen, a well-known young professor. It combines the fake-dating trope with a grumpy-sunshine dynamic. While everything kicks off a bit quickly—Olive practically jumps on Adam in the first chapter—I appreciated how the story eventually slowed down.

Olive’s character was likable, and I could understand why she struggled to let people in. That said, I’m not usually a fan of characters who miss what’s right in front of them. Adam, though, was an amazing love interest—and maybe I just have a thing for no-nonsense male characters. Their chemistry felt strong, with just the right amount of witty banter.

“That’s the thing with science. We’re drilled to believe that false positives are bad, but false negatives are just as terrifying.”

As for spiciness, I wouldn’t call it overly steamy, but it’s not a closed-door romance either. I’d give it a spicy rating of 2.5 out of 5. The one intimate scene the author included works well for readers who prefer a mostly clean romance with a hint of spice. In my opinion, it won’t make you blush, but it does offer a descriptive moment.

One of my favorite parts of the book focuses on how women in STEM get treated. The author highlights their struggles to be taken seriously in a male-dominated field, which sadly reflects reality. This added depth to the story and underscored the importance of having more women in STEM.

Overall, the writing style shines, and the plot keeps you engaged. If you don’t mind the third-act miscommunication trope when it’s executed well, you’ll enjoy this book. It serves as a fun read and a great palate cleanser between heavier books. I look forward to reading more from this author and believe this book absolutely lives up to the hype.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve read this book or any others by the author. Don’t forget to like and share this post with fellow book lovers. And if you enjoy book reviews, hit the follow button so you never miss a post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

If you want your reading experience to be more unique and personalized, the Custom Keychains of “The Love Hypothesis” will keep the love going.

July 2024 // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I’m excited to share my July TBR post! This month, I’ll be playing my roll-the-dice game again. For a detailed breakdown of the rules, please read my June TBR post. The new rule I added is that if I don’t complete my main TBR from the previous month, I have to add an extra roll. Also, if I get any doubles, I add one extra roll. Normally, I start with 5 rolls, but a double means I’ll do 6 rolls. Since I didn’t complete my June TBR, I started with 6 rolls and got doubles, so I have seven books on this TBR.

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Last year for Christmas, my husband did a 24-day bookish advent calendar for me. Unfortunately, I haven’t read many of those books. For this prompt, I’ll read ‘Vespertine’ by Margaret Rogerson, a young adult fantasy book.

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I typically don’t read books before I buy them, but I’ve been trying to get better at that, especially with YA books and authors whose works I don’t always love. For this prompt, I’m picking ‘Heiress Takes All’ by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. The story takes place during a wedding and claims to have an “Oceans 11” vibe.

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For this prompt, I had many books to choose from, but with my husband’s help, I decided on ‘The Wisteria Society Of Lady Scoundrels’ by India Holton. This is a fun historical romance with pirates, making it a good summer read.

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I’m very happy I got this prompt because I’ve been wanting to read ‘The House Across The Lake’ by Riley Sager for a while. I think it will be a great thriller read for this time of year, and there is clearly water on the cover.

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I’m going to try and read the third book in the Lovelight Farm series by B.K. Borison called ‘Mixed Signals.’ This series consists of interconnected standalone romances. The fourth and final book in the series is set to release sometime this fall.

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I’m shocked by how many books I have on my shelves by authors I’ve never read before. Keeping with the summer and mystery trend, I’m choosing ‘The Summer She Went Missing’ by Chelsea Ichaso. This is a YA mystery, so I’m a bit worried I might not love it, but I’m going to approach it with an open mind.

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I have many BOTM books that I’ve bought secondhand. Soon, I’ll have Riley Sager’s newest book to add to my collection, but first, I want to get through some of his backlist titles, most of which I have as BOTM editions. For this prompt, I’m going with ‘The Last Time I Lied’ by Riley Sager, another perfect summer thriller set at a camp.

In the comments, let me know if you enjoy TBR games and what books you plan on reading in July. I plan on listening to the audiobook for most of these books via Everand (click here). Don’t forget to follow the blog to stay updated with all my posts.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Lovers // Book Review

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About The Book
Nora Stephens, a cutthroat literary agent, is not the typical heroine, but she agrees to a month-long trip to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina with her sister Libby. Libby envisions a small-town transformation for Nora, but instead of idyllic romance, Nora keeps encountering Charlie Lastra, a brooding editor from the city. Despite their un-cute history, repeated encounters with Charlie challenge Nora’s self-perceptions. Their unexpected connection might unravel the stories they’ve crafted about themselves.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/45D8Vy1

My Rating

This book marks my introduction to Emily Henry’s work, and I can see why she has a dedicated following. Her characters are well-crafted, and her writing style is engaging and immersive. However, I found it challenging to pinpoint the exact trope of this book—it teeters between semi-enemies-to-lovers and workplace romance. There is even a lot of focus on family and the complexity of family relationships.

First and foremost, the book is a romance, following the relationship between Nora and Charlie. The two must work together on a new book from one of Nora’s clients. As they navigate their similarities and differences, they inspire each other to become better versions of themselves and embrace who they’ve always been. Meanwhile, Nora, also a serious workaholic, finds herself whisked away on a girls’ trip to a small town in North Carolina by her younger sister, Libby.

While I enjoyed the dynamic between Nora and Libby, I found Libby’s character to be somewhat annoying at times, particularly in her tendency to belittle Nora’s lifestyle choices. Additionally, Nora’s constant sense of responsibility for Libby, stemming from their upbringing by a flighty mother, felt somewhat tiresome. I wanted to scream at Nora that you don’t have to give up your dreams for the people you love and then throw it in their faces. However, their sisterly bond does evolve throughout the story, offering a satisfying arc.

“Some books you don’t read so much as live, and finishing one of those always makes me think of ascending from a scuba dive. Like if I surface too fast I might get the bends.”

For me, the author’s writing really shined through in the first half of the book. There were moments that had me genuinely laughing out loud. However, I found as the story progressed it lost its grip on me, leading me to put it down for almost six months before picking it back up.

Overall, while I’m glad I finished it and would be open to reading more from Emily Henry, the story as a whole didn’t captivate me as much as I had hoped. But, I do think that my reading experience was much more positive than negative and there really was no reason for me to put the book down for so long. In short, it is a solid read, but didn’t strike me as anything particularly special.

In the comments, let me know your favorite Emily Henry book. Don’t forget that you can always like and share this post with others. Before you go, give the blog a quick follow. It’s completely free, and really helps my blog grow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

She Drives Me Crazy // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment

About The Book
After an embarrassing loss to her ex-girlfriend in their first basketball game, seventeen-year-old Scottie Zajac gets into a fender bender with her nemesis, Irene Abraham, head cheerleader. Irene’s car needs repairs, forcing them to carpool and endure a rocky relationship. Scottie then bribes Irene into a fake-dating scheme to get back at her toxic ex and climb the social ladder. The scheme threatens to reveal real feelings between Scottie and Irene.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4e7ppSQ

My Rating

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me. It’s one of those books that just didn’t leave a lasting impression. Maybe it’s because it’s a YA contemporary, and sometimes they tend to blur together in my mind, but I don’t remember much about the story itself.

I do know that this is a queer romance with an enemies-to-lovers twist. However, I didn’t feel the chemistry between the two main female characters. You could also call it a forced proximity romance, since they (reluctantly) have to drive to school together, and there is a bit of fake dating involved as well, so this book incorporates a lot of very popular tropes.

One aspect I did enjoy was how the story highlights that not all cheerleaders are just pretty faces, and that cheerleading is tough work and a real sport. It also touches on the disparity in attention and recognition between women’s and men’s sports, with one of the main characters being a female basketball player.

“People break our hearts, but they create more room in them first, and that room makes it possible for us to become more ourselves.”

The personal struggles of the main characters were far more interesting than their romance, as far as I’m concerned. Scottie is dealing with a breakup, and coming to terms with the less-than-great aspects of her past relationship. Meanwhile, Irene is grappling with her sexuality, and the fallout from a toxic friendship that played with her emotions.

Overall, the romance was cute, and it’s a quick read if you’re looking for a light queer contemporary romance. But the developing love story wasn’t the most compelling part of the story. I wouldn’t say this is a must-read, and it’s definitely not a book I’ll remember in the future. This is pretty obvious since my memory of the plot is already fading.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve read this book. You can listen to this audiobook on Everand, and if you use my link (click here), you can get a free trial. Don’t forget to like and share this post with others. Your continued support means a lot to me, so please hit the follow button before you go.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

June 2024 // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Today, I’m sharing my June TBR, and I couldn’t be more excited! June is my birthday month, so I’ve come up with a special way to choose my TBR using a ‘Roll The Dice’ game. The game is pretty simple: I use a six-sided die, roll it once to determine the column, and roll it again to find the row and prompt. I hope that makes sense. As usual, I’m picking five prompts, but to make things more interesting, if I roll the same number three times, I’ll add an extra roll. This rule only applies once, so I’ll never have more than six books on my TBR.


For this prompt, I chose ‘Bunny’ by Mona Awad. I’m both excited and nervous to read this book because I have such high expectations for it. It will be devastating if I don’t enjoy it, but maybe I’m being too dramatic.

This prompt means I have to scroll through Instagram (Bookstagram) and read the first book I see that I own. The first picture I saw that included a book on my physical TBR was shared by wallflower.bookshop. It showed the entire Chestnut Springs series by Elsie Silver, so I’ll be reading ‘Heartless’, the second book in this companion cowboy romance series.

This one might make my June reading a bit chaotic since I’m adding two books to my TBR. The first book that came to mind was ‘Magnolia Parks’ by Jessa Hastings. I discovered that ‘Magnolia Parks’ can be tandem-read with ‘Daisy Haites’, so I’ll be reading both. Unfortunately, I don’t own these books, so they won’t help reduce my physical TBR.

The only book I could think of for this prompt is ‘The Unmaking of June Farrow’ by Adrienne Young. I’m a bit disappointed that I don’t own this book either, but I’ve heard great things about it and have been wanting to read it.


For this prompt, I chose an ARC I received from NetGalley called ‘A Game Most Foul’ by Alison Gervais, which will be released on June 18th. I’m a bit nervous because I’ve never read anything by this author. However, I do enjoy a good YA mystery.


For this prompt, I picked ‘The Last Girls Standing’ by Jennifer Dugan, a young adult thriller about the surviving counselors of a summer camp massacre. This book sounds like a fast-paced thriller and includes LGBT representation, which is perfect since June is Pride Month.

That’s my June TBR! Let me know in the comments what you plan on reading this month. Don’t forget to check out Everand, my favorite audiobook and ebook subscription service, to see if any of these books are available. By using my link (click here), you can get a free trial of the of Everand. Before you go, please show your support by following the blog.

Until the next chapter,
Bunny

The Eras Tour // Book Tag

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
I’ve been enjoying Taylor Swift’s album “The Tortured Poets Department,” which was released on April 19th. So, I’ve decided to do a Taylor Swift book tag. It’s called “The Eras Tour” Book Tag, created by Words About Words and inspired by Taylor’s awesome Eras Tour.


This was an easy pick because the only book that made me really anxious while reading was “The Do-Over” by Lynn Painter. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great YA romcom, but for some reason, it made my anxiety levels shoot up.
Related Post: The Do-Over // Book Review


I owe my love of reading to ‘The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants‘ books by Ann Brashares. As a huge Gilmore Girls fan, when I found out that Alexis Bledel, who played Rory on the show, was starring in the movie adaptation of the first book, I decided to read the book first. The rest, as they say, is history.


Picking just one thriller is tough since I read a lot of them. But “The Family Game” by Catherine Steadman stood out for me in 2023. It’s a really intriguing thriller with a plot that keeps you hooked.
Related Post: The Family Game // Book Review


Could Life be considered a villain? In “Foxglove” by Adlynn Grace, we encounter Life, the brother of Signa’s love interest, Death. While he isn’t malicious, he’ll stop at nothing to keep Signa away from Death for specific reasons. So, in my opinion, he played somewhat of a ‘villain’ role in the book, though he wasn’t necessarily evil.
Related Post: Foxglove // Book Review


I think “House Of Hunger” by Alexis Henderson deserves more attention. It’s got a really interesting story and the writing is fantastic. I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did, but I’m really glad I did.
Related Post: House Of Hunger // Book Review


I frequently read books with multiple points of view, particularly when it comes to romances and fantasies. One of my favorites is the Letters Of Enchantments duology. The first book, ‘Divine Rivals,’ is excellent, and ‘Ruthless Vows‘ provided a satisfying conclusion to the story.
Related Post: Divine Rivals // Book Review


I’m not certain if this is my favorite mythical world, but I recently read “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries,” and the world within it is fascinating. It’s a great cozy fantasy set in a world full of mystical creatures.
Related Post: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries // Book Review


After reading ‘The Love Hypothesis‘ by Ali Hazelwood, I can certainly understand why people enjoy her romance novels. It was a delightful grumpy-sunshine romance with STEM elements.


As an emotional person, many books have completely devastated me. However, one book that affected me in the worst way, and for which I wanted justice for the characters, was “Good Girl, Bad Blood” by Holly Jackson. This book broke me in ways I can’t explain.
Related Post: Good Girl, Bad Blood // Book Review


One of the very first books I ever binged was “P.S. I Still Love You” by Jenny Han. I remember staying up until about 2 a.m. reading this book. It is still my favorite book in the “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” trilogy.


There are so many books being released this year that I can’t wait for, but my most anticipated release is “Wisteria” by Adalyn Grace. I will definitely be reading this the minute it is released.
Related Post: Belladonna // Book Review

Please let me know in the comments your favorite Taylor Swift album. Don’t forget to share and like this post with other readers. Also, remember to follow the blog so that you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Happily Never After // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Sophie wants to call off her wedding after discovering her fiancé’s infidelity but fears repercussions from her father-in-law. Enter Max, a wedding objector for hire who prevents doomed marriages. They develop a fun partnership, and despite their cynicism about love, their chemistry grows undeniable. When Sophie is hired to object to the wedding of Max’s ex, they must confront their true feelings.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/4bp0NDg

My Rating

The synopsis had me thinking I’d really enjoy this book, but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. That said, it’s not a bad book at all—just not particularly special or entertaining. The story is quite original, but also fairly predictable. Normally, that’s not a deal-breaker, but I wasn’t a fan of the characters’ outlook on love.

The story follows Sophie and Max. They meet when Max is hired to object to Sophie’s wedding. Max is a semi-professional objector, saving people from disastrous marriages. Sophie and Max soon form an objector partnership and a friendship. Unfortunately, I didn’t love the objector aspect of the book as much as I thought I would. As a romantic at heart, it pains me to think people need to hire someone to get out of their wedding.

Sophie is a workaholic with strong opinions on love. I didn’t love her negative views on relationships, but they did make sense for her character. Max, on the other hand, was fantastic. Although he shared some of Sophie’s skepticism about true love, he was much less cynical. They balanced each other well, and it’s very much a “he falls first” type of romance.

“How can you ever be sure you’ve found the one ‘true love’ of your life when you haven’t even met one percent of the people on the earth?”

This is a relatively clean romance, though not entirely closed-door. The steamy scenes are not super descriptive, so I’d call it slightly open-door. If you’re not into a lot of explicit scenes, you’re safe with this one. However, infidelity is mentioned throughout, so keep that in mind if it’s a sensitive topic for you.

The writing style wasn’t my favorite. This surprised me because Lynn Painter has written one of my all-time favorite YA books. Yet, this one felt a bit slow. The chapters are short, but it had a Netflix romcom vibe that didn’t quite resonate with me. However, the author did a good job balancing character and plot development.

Overall, this book didn’t stand out for me, but I’d still recommend it for a quick read. It’s a good pick for those reading slump days. Maybe my hopeless romantic heart influenced my feelings about this book, so take this review, like all my reviews, with a grain of salt.

Let me know in the comments if you plan to read this book. Don’t forget to like and share this post if you enjoyed it. For more bookish content, hit the follow button so you never miss a new post.

Until the next chapter,
Bunny

Eclipse | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3wHH1nb

My Rating

This book is a bit of a rollercoaster for me, within the Twilight series. Let’s dive into the good and the bad. Starting with the downside, I have to say I wasn’t too keen on Jacob or Edward in this installment. Edward’s controlling behavior towards Bella in the first 30% of the book really put me off.

Jacob’s attempts to impose himself on Bella were just uncomfortable to watch. Their interactions lacked any romantic appeal, and I can’t fathom how anyone could root for Team Jacob. Now, if we’re discussing the movie adaptation, that’s a different tale altogether. His disregard for Bella’s boundaries, followed by apologies, felt manipulative and immature to me.

Now, onto the positives of the book. I liked that halfway through, Edward changed his behavior and gave Bella more freedom because, let’s face it, no one should be treated like property, no matter how much you love them. It was also intriguing to delve into the backstories of Rosalie and Jasper, particularly since Jasper happens to be one of my favorite characters in the series. Although the Cullens didn’t have a major role in this book, I enjoyed learning more about their pasts.

“There are no rules that can bind you when you find your other half.”

Another aspect I really enjoyed was delving deeper into the werewolves’ history. Even though they were introduced in “New Moon,” we didn’t get much backstory then. Seth is definitely a standout character for me. He brings such a fun energy, even though we haven’t fully explored his personality yet. Hopefully, in the next book, we’ll get to see more of who he is. My heart goes out to Leah a bit, because of the whole situation with Sam and her cousin Emily. It’s truly heartbreaking.

I’d say the main reason why this is my favorite, of all the books I’ve read so far, is because the plot was so fast-paced. Even though it’s longer than the first two books in the series, there wasn’t much downtime or what I like to call ‘filler’ chapters. Every chapter had something happening to push the story forward, and I really liked that the chapters were super short. I’m not a fan of long chapters. They tend to make a book feel more intimidating to me.

Overall, this is a highly bingeable paranormal romance series. Despite the writing not being the best, and most of the characters getting on my nerves, the plots lack depth, making them very easy to read. I wish I could discuss this book more individually than the series as a whole, but being the third book, it’s hard to avoid spoilers. Nonetheless, it was a solid read, and I’ll definitely continue with the series. Although I do feel like the plots have become a bit repetitive, with Bella constantly yearning to be a vampire and someone always trying to harm her.

Let me know in the comments if you’ve read the Twilight saga. Don’t forget to like and share the post with others. If you enjoy bookish content, be sure to follow the blog so you never miss a post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny