Young Adult

Hot British Boyfriend // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment


About The Book
This enchanting debut teen romance novel, which follows one girl across the Atlantic in a quest to find adventure, love (preferably with a guy with a cute accent), and maybe even herself, is perfect for fans of Kasie West and Stephanie Perkins.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3joJ2hz

My Rating

 

Get ready for a rant review! Typically, I’m not one to drag on books, because everyone’s bookish opinions and tastes are different. However, I cannot write this review without trashing this book, at least some. So please, as with all my reviews, take this with a grain of salt.

This books has to do with a teenage girl that, after suffering public humiliation, jets off to study abroad in the UK with the more elite students in her grade. Honestly, are high students as cruel as they are in movies and books? Because if so, I’m glad I was home schooled.

Ellie is the main protagonist of the story and probably one of the worst main characters ever: First off, she thinks being called Ellie is childish, which is ridiculous. She instantly starts flirting with the first British guy she meets and the lies fly so easily from her lips.

She doesn’t care that she’s not being herself as long as he likes her. So desperate! At one point she was going to get into a car with a literal stranger because he was cute and British. She was that naive and stupid.

Not only is her main priority some guy she just met; she wasn’t serious about the school at all. She didn’t know what she wanted in life, and was in need of some self discovery. Her solution to her problems was to runaway, which was completely immature.

“He brushes my hair from my face and I swear I’m in a romantic comedy. I can almost hear the music swelling.”

As for the side characters, Ellie did form a small friend group early on in the book. I liked her roommate, Sage, a lot. She was smart and driven, and not boy-crazy. Her other friends were good additions to the story as well. However, her crush, Will, was snobby, judgmental, and a jealous jerk.

There is the mention of fairy gardens in the book. I don’t know if they’re a real thing, but they should be. Also, I liked how the book showed that even if you don’t get straight A’s, or are good at school, it doesn’t mean you’re dumb. We are all smart in our own way.

Sadly, that one redeeming plot point didn’t make up for the entire rest of the book. Ellie’s character was way too childish, and her choices were horrible! She would drop her friends for a boy at any given moment. She was so unlikable. I seriously wrote in my notes that Ellie was stupid and annoying, which I think pretty much sums up my feelings regarding her as a person.

Overall, the book felt very young. I read a lot of YA, but the writing and characters were so immature that it drove me insane. While on GoodReads, I came across a review that said this book is irredeemable, and I 100% agree with that assessment.

In the comments, let me know your take on this book. Don’t forget to follow my blog if you are a fan of book reviews. I promise that most of them aren’t this negative.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

February 2023 // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
It is time for my February TBR post! I’m so excited, because this month I will be taking part in the Sims Readathon created by the lovely Ashely’s Reads. Ashley has become one of my best bookish friends, and this readathon is so much fun. This readathon is inspired by the popular Sims video game, but is in no way affiliated with EA. This first round of the readathon focused on the original Sims game, so this time we are focusing on the Sims 2.

Now every month, I do a Sims picks my TBR and this month was no different. So, my Sims picked 9 prompts (but actually 10 since I got to add an extra book). I have to try and get my prompts to fit the readathon prompts. Otherwise, I have to add books which I don’t want to do.

My Team: I chose to be apart of Team Pleasant! The host for Team Pleasant is Mariana from Lucifer’s Library.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: A Book That Intimidates You.
Sims Readathon Prompt: University (School Setting): ‘Ace Of Spades‘ by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is a YA mystery thriller that takes place at a boarding school. I’ve been wanting to read this for a while, but it definitely intimidates me. I just hope it lives up to my expectations.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: Read The Last Book Added To Your TBR.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Nightlife (City Setting): That would be ‘Bloody Fool For Love‘ by William Ritter, which is a Buffy the Vampire Slayer retelling focusing on Spike. The book takes place in London, so I think it fits this prompt.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: A New To You Author.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Open For Business (MC Has A Job You Want): I’m going with ‘Jo and Laurie‘ by Maragaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz, since in the book Jo is a writer and I have always thought that would be an amazing job. Also, I’ve never read anything by either of these authors.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: Last Book You Purchased.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Pets (Pet Pick): I let one of my dogs choose my book and after a while they picked ‘Cinderella is Dead‘ by Kalynn Bayron. This is one of the last books I purchased from Barnes and Noble’s buy one, get one 50% off sale.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: A Book With Representation.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Seasons (Your Favorite Season): ‘Wintergirls‘ by Laurie Halse Anderson is going to be a hard read, since it has anorexia representation. I’ve suffered from the disease myself, so it might be a difficult read. However, it does have winter in the title and that is my favorite season, which made it an easy pick.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: Read a 12 Book Challenge Book.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Bon Voyage (Journey/Trip): Since ‘Furyborn‘ by Claire Legrand is a fantasy story I’m assuming there’s a journey aspect included in it. There typically is a journey of some kind in most fantasy stories. Also, this was one of Ashley’s recommendations for my 12 book challenge so it is only fitting that I read it for this readathon.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: A TBR Vet.
Sims Readathon Prompt: Free Time (MC Has A Hobby): Back in 2017, I added ‘Moment Of Truth‘ by Kasie West to my TBR. I can’t believe I haven’t read yet, but it works for this prompt since are main character has a hobby. She’s a swimmer.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: Random Letter (L).
Sims Readathon Prompt: Apartment Life (Under 300 pages): I’m going with a graphic novel that I’ve been interested in called ‘Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me‘ by Mariko Tamaki. The book starts with an L and is only 289 pages long.

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: Continue A Series.
Sims Readathon Team Prompt: Read A Book Featuring Siblings: I really am unsure if I want to pick this book up, but I’m going with it – ‘Finale‘ by Stephanie Garber. This is the last book in the ‘Caraval’ series, which follows sisters Scarlett and Tella.
Related Post: Caraval // Book Review

Sims Picks My TBR Prompt: A Book Under 300 Pages.
“Marty and Clark Davis, whose tragic circumstances brought them to a “marriage of convenience” on the frontier prairies during the mid 1800s.”

Book Club Pick
“Don’t miss the USA Today bestseller and addictive psychological thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that’s burning up Instagram–Freida McFadden’s The Housemaid is perfect for fans of Ruth Ware, Lisa Jewell, and Verity.”

There you have my February TBR! This list is giving me a bit of anxiety, but I’m just going to see how the month goes. Let me know if you are taking part in this, or any other, readathons for the month of February. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you go, because it really helps out my little blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The January Book Tag // 2023

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Last year, I did the January Book Tag and I thought I’d make it a yearly tradition. I don’t want to ramble too much, so let’s just jump right into the questions.

In 2022, the last book I read was ‘Whiteout’ by Various Authors. This was a fun holiday contemporary, but it was just meh. The first book I read was ‘Late To The Party’ by Kelly Quindlen. I surprisingly still remember a lot about this book. It was just your run of the mill YA Contemporary, but it did have good LGBT representation.
Related Post: Late To The Party // Book Review

Sadly, it was ‘Five Survive’ by Holly Jackson. I don’t want to say too much about this book, but it wasn’t a good start to my reading year.

As always I did a whole post on my reading goals for the new year. But, I wanted to share three goals that I didn’t mention in that post. The first is that I want to complete the 12 book challenge. This is where your friends give you book recommendations and you need to read 12 of those books by the end of the year.

Next, I’d like to read some Stephen King books this year. Unlikely, one is on my 12 book challenge, yet the main one I want to read is ‘IT’. Lastly, I want to read books out of my comfort zone. Who knows I might find a hidden gem in a genre I’d never consider reading before.

‘She Is a Haunting’ by Trang Thanh Tran (February 2023): Maybe it’s just me but this book is giving off major ‘House Of Hollow’ vibes. It’s a thriller, horror book that takes place in a French colonial house in Vietnam. Haunted house story’s are always creepy.
Related Post: House Of Hollow // Book Review

‘One of Us Is Back’ by Karen M. McManus (August 2023): This is the final book in the ‘One Of Us Is Lying’ universe. Not only are the Bayview four back, but so are the characters from the second book ‘One Of Us Is Next’. I’m just hoping we get some more Phoebe and Knox moments.

‘The Bewitching Hour (A Tara Maclay Prequel)’ by Ashley Poston (August 2023): I cannot wait for this release. Although, I was never the biggest Buffy fan. For some reason I was more of an ‘Angel’ series person. I loved Tara! She was my favorite Buffy character. I’m so excited to read a book about her before she met the Scooby gang.

I surpassed my GoodReads reading goal for the year, which was pretty amazing! But, other than that I don’t thank I read my shelves as much as I would have liked. And, I barely read any backlist titles.

‘Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute‘ by Talia Hibbert: Don’t get me wrong this sounds like a cute YA contemporary romance, which I tend to love. However, it’s a second chance, ex-best friends to lovers romance. I’m just not a fan of that trope. Still, I’m not completely riding this one off.

‘Happy Place’ by Emily Henry: Not going to lie Emily Henry is a good writer and I did read 50% of her novel ‘Book Lovers’ before putting down. That being said, I don’t really think her books are for me. Also, this is a second chance romance, which I don’t jive with in books or movies.

Probably, just really thinking about the books I pick up and if I’ll like them. I want to get better at knowing my reading taste.

I’m pretty excited for ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes’ even though I haven’t finished ‘The Hunger Games’ series. But, I’ve seen the movies and can’t wait to see this adaption. Also, I did see a rumor that the adaption of Kristin Hannah’s novel ‘The Nightingale‘ might come out this year, which I’d been interested in seeing.

It would probably be reading 103 books. That is the most books I have ever read in a year, so it made me really proud of myself.

I started ‘All the Bright Places’ by Jennifer Niven close to the end of the year, which I would like to finish. And, I’d eventually like to go back to ‘Lovely War’ by Julie Berry. I’m about 50% of the way through with it, so it shouldn’t take me too long to finish.

Let me know in the comments, if you have done this tag and I will go give it a read. Also, tell me what was your first read of 2023. Don’t forget to share and like this post, and click the follow button.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Best Reads Of 2022

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
It’s time for me to share my favorite books of 2022! In 2022, I read 103 books, and you’ll be able to find reviews on all my 2022 reads soon. However, 10 of those books stood out among the rest and have earned a spot on this list. But, remember these are my personal favorite books of the years they might not match your reading taste. Still, I adored each and everyone of these reads!

1 Number PNG0 Number PNGLove, Life And The List by Kasie West
Kasie West will forever be a favorite author! This book was so cute, and the friends to lovers romance was swoon-worthy. I don’t know if a lot of people will enjoy this story, since it is predictable, but most Kasie West stories are pretty easy to figure out.
Related Post: Love, Life And The List // Book Review

9 Number PNGSeance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
This story was warm-hearted and sad. Honestly, I didn’t think that this graphic would make it on to this list, but it rightfully has a spot in my favorites of 2022.

8 Number PNGThe Cousins by Karen M. McManus
It isn’t a surprise that this book has made it on to my favorites list, since the story completely shook me. I read this book in a day! It is such a fast-paced thriller, with an amazing twist.
Related Post: The Cousins // Book Review

7 Number PNGEight Nights Of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds
I read this book close to the end of the year not expecting it would be come a favorite of the year. But, I loved this second chance enemies to lovers holiday romance. This book is everything I love about YA contemporary.
Related Post: Eight Night’s Of Flirting // Book Review

6 Number PNGYou’ll Be The Death Of Me by Karen M. McManus
Yep, another Karen M. McManus book on the list. This book probably wouldn’t be a lot of peoples favorite but I loved it! The ending was amazing and kind of a cliffhanger. I really hope that there’s a sequel in the works, because I need more of this story and these characters.
Related Post: You’ll Be The Death Of Me // Book Review

5 Number PNGThe Fear by Natasha Preston
This actually wasn’t a five star read for me. However, this book truly creeped me out. We get chapters in the mind of a serial killer, which are super eerie. The book gives off major Criminal Minds vibes, so if you are into that, than you’ll love this book.
Related Post: The Fear // Book Review

4 Number PNGHow Not To Fall In Love by Jacqueline Firkins
I adored this entire story. I’m not typically a friends-to-lovers fan, but Jacqueline Firkins did it right. The plot hooked me from the start, and I could not put this book down. Honestly, I was smiling throughout the entire book.
Related Post: How Not To Fall In Love // Book Review

3 Number PNGThe Night Shift by Alex Finlay
This was my first adult thriller/mystery read, and it made me fall in love with the genre. I loved the plot about a present time murder being similar to a past murder. I felt like I was watching an episode of Cold Case, but better. That might only make sense to me, but still, I found this book to be amazing.
Related Post: The Night Shift // Book Review

2 Number PNGBetter Than The Movies by Lynn Painter
I’m going to go ahead and say that this book has become an all time favorite YA contemporary of mine. Throughout the story, I laughed, blushed and even cried. I am so glad that I picked it up andirons rightfully deserves this number two spot.

1 Number PNGHidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
Immediately after reading this book, I knew that it was going to be my favorite read of 2022. I could not put this book down, and raved about it to everyone. The ending was incredible and heartbreaking at the same time. I want this to become a movie so badly, and I am available to star in it.
Related Post: Hidden Pictures // Book Review

There you have the list of my best books of 2022! Last year, I read some great books, but I’m pretty happy with how this list turned out. In the comments, let me know your top book of 2022. Don’t forget to follow my blog for more posts like this one.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

My Worst Reads Of 2022

- Bunny 4 Comments

Hi Friends,
In today’s post, I’m going to be talking about my worst reads of 2022. These are the books that let me down completely. But, please keep in mind that everyone’s reading tastes are different, so if you liked a book on this list, then I’m happy for you. It just didn’t work out for me.

1 Number PNG0 Number PNGThey’ll Never Catch Us by Jessica Goodman
This book wasn’t horrible, it was just a complete waste of time. It didn’t give mystery/thriller vibes, and I didn’t really like the outcome of the story. There was some slut shaming involved as well, which I wasn’t a fan of at all.
Related Post: They’ll Never Catch Us // Book Review

9 Number PNGAll I Want For Christmas by Wendy Loggia
Cheesy is the word I would use to describe this book. I love me a good, predictable, cute Hallmark-esque Christmas romance, but this book was too much for me. It was way too over the top. And the fact that main character’s sole desire was to get a boyfriend was super irritating.
Related Post: All I Want For Christmas // Book Review

8 Number PNGThe Lake by Natasha Preston
This book made me realize that I hate cliffhanger ending in mystery/thrillers. Also, the whole plot was slightly ridiculous. It felt like I was reading a book about a bunch of shallow, immature teenagers with no common sense. And don’t even get me started on that insane ending.
Related Post: The Lake // Book Review

7 Number PNGThe Towering Sky by Katharine McGee
This is the finale book in the ‘Thousandth Floor’ trilogy, and I’m quite sad that it’s on this list. The first book made it’s way on to my best books of 2021 list, but the series went downhill fast. The second book is unremarkable, but this one was frustrating to say the least. I just didn’t enjoy reading a book about a bunch of entitled rich kids that get away with literal murder. Thank you, next!
Related Post: The Towering Sky // Book Review

6 Number PNGTook: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
I’m pretty shocked as too how much I disliked this book. It’s a middle grade graphic novel that was a bit out there for me. The plot was slow moving, and it was really depressing. There was child abuse depicted throughout the story, and it was very grim. I’m not even sure I’d classify it as a middle grade read.

5 Number PNGIn A Holidaze by Christina Lauren
You can’t see me but I rolled my eyes when thinking about this book. Maybe I’m just bitter that the story didn’t go the way I was hoping, but I was not a fan of this Christmas romance. The Groundhog Day plot was minimal, the main character was okay and the love interest got on my nerves. I was not swooning over this story at all.
Related Post: In A Holidaze // Book Review

4 Number PNGFlight 171 by Amy Christine Parker
If this book is any indication, sci-fi might not be the genre for me. The plot of this book was all over the place and demonic possession took it to a whole new level. The book was just too much for me, and I’m still shocked I didn’t DNF it. Because I really should have just cut my losses and walked away.

3 Number PNGYou’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao
I am so disappointed in this book, because I love sad YA contemporaries. However, this book missed the mark for me. I didn’t like how the topic of grief was handled in the book. Also, I don’t think the sci-fi element really worked or was explained well.
Related Post: You’ve Reached Sam // Book Review

2 Number PNGAs Good As Dead by Holly Jackson
If you’ve read my review on this book than you know just how much it let me down. This is the final book in the ‘A Good Girls Guide To Murder’ trilogy and it left such a bad taste in my mouth. Honestly, just read my review, because I think it really describes how I feel about it in depth.
Related Post: As Good As Dead // Book Review

1 Number PNGHot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce
Hate is a very strong word, but I hated this book! The main character was annoying and the writing was immature. I don’t think I’ve ever disliked a book as much as I did this one. I’m fuming just thinking about this book, so that should say it all.

There you have my 10 worst reads of 2022! As I said before, please take this list with a grain of salt. In the comments, feel free to tell me the worst book you read last year. Who knows? It might be one that I loved.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Haul // Christmas 2022

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I am finally getting around to doing my Christmas book haul! After taking a small break after completing Bookmas 2022. Yes, I successfully did Bookmas. This year, unlike past ones, I didn’t receive that many books. However, as an avid book buyer I’m completely fine with that fact. But, I did end up getting a ton of amazing books to add to my shelf.

The Upside of Falling by Alex Light
“A fun, flirty teen debut from Wattpad phenom Alex Light about a fake relationship and real love.”
Related Post: The Upside Of Falling // Book Review

The Stand-In by Lily Chu
“Readers will delight in this glamourous, swoon worthy enemies-to-lovers romance that is as hilarious as it is heart-wrenching.”

She’s Gone by David Bell
“A new page-turning thriller from USA Today bestselling author David Bell. When a girl disappears, who do you suspect?”

Don’t Let In the Cold by Keely Parrack
“A claustrophobic, high-stakes thriller that will have you fearing what waits out in the cold.”

Undead Girl Gang by Lily Anderson
“Veronica Mars meets The Craft when a teen girl investigates the suspicious deaths of three classmates and accidentally ends up bringing them back to life to form a hilariously unlikely – and unwilling – vigilante girl gang.”
Related Post: Undead Girl Gang // Book Review

A Christmas Carol Murder by Heather Redmond
“In this clever reimagining of Charles Dickens’s life, he and fiancée Kate Hogarth must solve the murder of an old miser, just before Christmas.”

Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
“A middle-grade graphic novel about growing up that’s perfect for fans of Ghosts and Making Friends.”

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
“A supernatural thriller about a woman working as a nanny for a young boy with strange and disturbing secrets.”
Related Post:Hidden Pictures // Book Review

Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury
“A rich, dark urban fantasy debut following a teen witch who is given a horrifying task: sacrificing her first love to save her family’s magic.”

The Christmas Stories of Charles Dickens by Charles Dickens
“This illustrated edition features the classic Christmas stories of Charles Dickens!”

Baloney and Friends (Baloney & Friends, Bk. 1) by Greg Pizzoli
“Meet Baloney! He’s the star of this book, along with his best buddies: empathetic Peanut the horse, sensible Bizz the bumblebee, and grumpy Krabbit — he’d rather not be here, but what can you do?”

How Winston Delivered Christmas by Alex T. Smith
“This illustrated advent story tells of the adventures of an adorable mouse and how a good deed can lead to a very happy ending.”

There you have my Christmas 2022 book haul! I am so grateful for all the gifts I was given and the love that I have in my life. This holiday season went by so fast and I just cannot wait until next year. In the comments, let me know what books, if any, you were gifted. And, please give my little book blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Let It Snow // Book Tag

- Bunny 1 Comment

Hi Friends,
For Bookmas Day 21, I will be doing the ‘Let It Snow’ Book Tag created by Paperbacks and Planners. This seems like a quick winter tag, and let’s face it – by now you probably know that I enjoy doing tags. So, without further ado, let’s get to the questions.


I’ve read a few books with a snowy setting, but the first one that came to mind was ‘One Way Or Another‘ by Kara McDowell. This is a YA holiday contemporary where we follow a teenage girl through two alternative path. In one, she spends Christmas in New York with her mother. While the other path shows her spending the holiday in a snowy cabin with her best friend. The cozy snowy setting of this book was prefect for the holiday season. Also, Christmas in New York sounds pretty amazing.
Related Post: One Way Or Another // Book Review


I’m going with ‘How Not to Fall in Love‘ by Jacqueline Firkins, which I’ve probably talked about a million times already. Honestly, I don’t think this book gets noticed enough. It is a super cute, friends-to-lovers contemporary, that almost makes me like the friends-to-lovers trope. This book is so heartwarming, and will be one of my favorites forever.
Related Post: How Not To Fall In Love // Book Review


London! I have wanted to visit London for half my life. Also, New York City is at the top of my want to visit list too. As for fictional, Narnia stands out to me, but probably because it seems like the most wintery/Christmasy destination. I’ve never read the Narnia books, but I have seen the movies and the world is really cool.


I could not possibly list all of the book series that I’m in the middle of, since that would take a lot of time. The book series that I am closet to finishing would be ‘Caraval‘ by Stephanie Garber. I only have ‘Finale‘ left to read then I can start her ‘Once Upon A Broken Heart’ series, which I beleive is a spin-off book series.
Related Post: Caraval // Book Review


Probably, ‘The Cousins‘ by Karen M. McManus! I love all her books, but this one was a super fast read for me. The story was so good, and the ending was just wow. If you are looking for a gripping, fast-paced young adult mystery thriller this book will not disappoint you one bit.
Related Post: The Cosuins // Book Review


Truth be told, the first thing that came to mind was ‘Annabelle: Creation’, but since that’s a movie, and not a book, it doesn’t count. The only books that have kept me up all night are ones I can’t put down or can’t stop thinking about. That being the case I’m picking ‘The Project‘ by Courtney Summers. That book is just weird and I still find myself randomly thinking about it. I would say it was definitely one I stayed up thinking about.
Related Post: The Project // Book Review


‘The Holiday Swap‘ by Maggie Knox is an adorable Hallmark movie type of holiday read. Not only does this take place during the holidays, there’s also baking, romance, and it is all wrapped up into twin sister swap story. This might not be everyone’s cup of tea when it comes to holiday books, but I loved it.
Related Post: The Holiday Swap // Book Review

This was such a fun little tag, and I’d love to know all of your answers as well! Feel free to leave them in the comments below. I would appreciate it if you shared and liked this post with others. And, if you’re a fellow book lover, do follow the blog for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

House of Hollow | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
The dark, haunting tale of three sisters shrouded in more mystery than they can even imagine. Since their strange, unsolved disappearance as children a decade before, the Hollow sisters have been plagued by the unexplainable. Lyrical prose and atmospheric world-building complete this eerie novel that will leave readers unsettled in the best way possible.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3j6TKbS

My Rating

I had heard a lot of mixed things about this book, so I was nervous picking it up. But, the first chapter was creepy, and gripped me in a way that I instantly fell in love with the story. The book follows 3 sisters; Iris, Grey, and Vivi, but the main protagonist is Iris. She is the youngest of the sisters, but had to grow up quite fast. Her sisters left home in their teens to follow their dreams, but Iris stayed behind with their mother.

Each of the sisters have very different personalities, but are all likable. Iris is smart and shy, while Grey, the oldest, is strong willed and confident. Vivi is rebellious and outspoken, which I loved. The characters were actually not a big part of the story. We learned a little about them, but not a lot. However, I liked that it was less character focused but more plot driven.

In the book, the girls disappeared at a young age and returned out of the blue. They each handled the disappearance differently, which is very real. People deal with traumatic events in their own ways. Their is a small romance, but the main character didn’t necessarily have a love interest. It was nice to see that twist with the romance side plot.

“I’d realized there were scarier things in the world than the monsters that lived in my nightmares.”

For me, this book is magical realism at its finest! I would even compare the book to a Brothers Grimm type of story. It gave off such classic Grimm-esque vibes. Honestly, the writing was amazing. The author mixed fantasy, real world, and horror together perfectly. There was also a moment when the book reminded me of Stranger Things. I must admit I’ve never seen the show, but I definitely got ‘Upside Down’ vibes when reading certain parts.

There are so many good things about this story, one being that I didn’t want to put it down. There was an amazing twist, although I figured out part of it beforehand. The story also had some sad moments. Altogether, it combined a lot of elements that I love in a good horror story.

Overall, I loved this book, and the ending worked so well. It was left open ended, but that made sense with the story. And, the message that not all evil is truly evil was conveyed perfectly. Another great thing is all the LGBT+ and diversity in the book. However, one not so great thing is that the book has a lot of trigger warnings. I would probably say this book is a 16+ or maybe even 18+ read.

Before reading the book, visit Book Trigger Warnings for a list of all the topics the book touches on. Please support my blog by giving it a quick follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Eight Nights Of Flirting // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
There may be eight nights of Hanukkah, but 16-year-old Shira only wants one gift this year – a boyfriend. This sweet Hanukkah story full of the classic rom-com tropes we all know and love is a sparkling addition to holiday bookshelves.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3Pn7viR

My Rating

 

Adorable, cute romance with excellent anxiety representation, is how I would describe this book. Right from the start I knew that I was going to fall in love with this story.

One of my favorite things about this book was that it was a Hanukkah and Christmas story in one. Also, I am a sucker for a good exchange of services story. So, plots where the characters agree to help each other out in a way. And, the fact that it was enemies-to-lovers didn’t hurt either.

I’m typically not a fan of characters that are desperate for a relationship, like Shira was in this book. However, the author handled the topic of wanting a relationship well. Shira suffered from social anxiety, which I found to be portrayed wonderfully. She didn’t want just a relationship but a partner someone to get her and make her not feel so alone.

Honestly, her reasoning for wanting a boyfriend was so real and what we all hope to get out of a relationship. The main love interest, Tyler, was actually pretty charming. Also, his reasons for hiding himself were also very realistic.

“Inside, we’re all sixteen-year-old fools about love. We want it to be eternal. Unbending.”

Besides being a romantic tale, there are other topics touched on in the book. There was this cool mystery side plot that was woven well into the overall story. And there’s the subject of happiness, and what it truly means to be happy. These both played a part in the story as well.

Overall, I will be reading more from this author every soon. I adored this book! It was the perfect fluffy YA holiday contemporary. And, it was a very fast read. If you are anything like me, you could finish this book in one sitting.

My only con is that YA books always make it seem like the end of the world if you never been kissed at sixteen. Nevertheless, to a teenager, it probably is embarrassing, but really nobody cares about that stuff when you’re older.

In the comments, let me know the cutest holiday book you’ve read. Don’t forget to hit the follow button before you leave.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Did I Read My 2022 Anticipated Releases?

- Bunny Leave a comment

For Bookmas day 11, I’m going to be talking about if I read the books I talked about in my most anticipated book releases of 2022 post. Let me just say that I didn’t do so well.
Related Post: 2022 Anticipated Releases // January – June
Related Post: 2022 Anticipated Book Releases // July – December

In January, I was looking forward to reading ‘Echoes and Empires’ by Morgan Rhodes and ‘The Bone Spindle’ by Leslie Vedder, but these books haven’t crossed my mind all year. Actually, I don’t even remember what they’re about. The Sam goes for ‘League of Liars’ by Astrid Scholte, which was a February anticipated release. However, I did happen to read ‘Finding Her Edge’ by Jennifer Iacopelli.

In March, ‘Remember Me Gone’ by Stacy Stokes and ‘Live, Laugh, Kidnap’ by Gabby Noone came out. I’m not sure I’m still interested in these two books, anymore. I was anticipating the release of ‘Hotel Magnifique’ by Emily J. Taylor, as well as ‘With and Without You’ by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka in April. Although, I’m not surprised I didn’t get to ‘Hotel Magnifique’, I’m shocked that I still haven’t read ‘With and Without You’.

And, sadly I didn’t read my May or June anticipated releases. However, I am still looking forward to reading ‘The Noh Family’ by Grace Shim, ‘Beauty and the Besharam’ by Lillie Vale, ‘TJ Powar Has Something to Prove’ by Jesmeen Kaur Deo, and ‘A Secret Princess’ by Margaret Stohl and Melissa de la Cruz.

I also didn’t read my most anticipated books for July. Mainly because it was hard to get a hold of the audiobook for ‘Frightmares’ by Eva V. Gibson. And. I really forgot about ‘A Heavy Dose of Allison Tandy’ by Jeff Bishop.

However, I did however read all of my August anticipated book releases! Yay me! And, luckily, I really enjoyed ‘Long Live The Pumpkin Queen’ by Shea Ernshaw, ‘12 To 22: POV You Wake Up in the Future!’ by Jen Calonita, and ‘Nothing More to Tell’ by Karen M. McManus.
Related Post: Long Live The Pumpkin Queen // Book Review

Unfortunately, I did bad on reading my September anticipated releases ‘Wishtress’ by Nadine Brandes and ‘Mere Mortals’ by Erin Jade Lange, which is a bummer since they both sound so interesting. I did manage to read one of my October anticipated releases, ‘Pretty Dead Queens’ by Alexa Donne, but didn’t find the time to read the other October release want to ‘The Art of Insanity’ by Christine Webb.

My November anticipated releases were ‘Friends Like These’ by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez and ‘Whiteout’ by Various Authors. I haven’t read either of them, but I will be picking up ‘Whiteout’ soon seeing that it’s my December 2022 book club read.

As for December, one of my anticipated releases hasn’t come out yet. Still, it is safe to say that I won’t be reading ‘Come Out, Come Out, Whatever You Are’ by Kathryn Foxfield and ‘So, This Is Love’ by Tracy Andreen before 2022 comes to an end.

So, I only read 5 of the books off my most anticipated book releases lists. There is just not enough time to read backlist titles as well as new release in the year. Hopefully, I can get to some of these books in 2023.

In the comments, let me know if you’ve read any of these books. Which ones should I make a priority to read soon? If you want to support my book blog, please give this post a like and a follow!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny