Tag Archives: 1 fire emoji

ARC — Sea Change — Gina Chung

“(…) Then the image of Eriko snapping at her trainers and slamming into the other dolphins, all while continuing to circle her tank in tight, anxious spirals, comes to mind. I realize that the main difference between Eriko’s situation and mine is that she never had a choice in her entrapment, but I do. I don’t have to be stuck anymore.”

Genre: General Fiction
Actual Rating: 4.5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Describes the disappearance or death of a parent, dysfunctional families, and racism. Discusses sexual content, but isn’t explicit.

“Sea Change” follows Aurora (Ro), a zookeeper at a mall aquarium, as she tries to find new meaning in life after a very special animal is set to be sold to a private investor. The aquarium Ro works at is aiming to financial ruin, so when some rich family asks to buy their giant Pacific octopus for a great sum of money, the aquarium declare said octopus sold. But this isn’t just any octopus—this is Dolores. Dolores was caught by Ro’s father in one of his expeditions before his research boat is lost at sea and him and his crew are presumed dead. Dolores is practically all Ro has left from her father, how can the aquarium sell her just like that? -queue tears-

I am going to be honest upfront: I’m completely biased when it comes to reviewing this book. I am a marine zoologist, how on Earth would I not love this? But now, hear me out, regular fiction usually bores (I need me some romance and spice, don’t judge me) so my hopes weren’t too high but oh wow, did I binged “Sea Change” in a span of 24 hours.

The concept of a vortex that’s so polluted and inhabitable that organisms started to adapt to it? Terrifying but not so far from what could actually happen. In the end, nature will always find a way, with or without us. Gina Chung’s debut novel was an ode to marine life but also a mystery exploring difficult family dynamics and a very unique character—Ro.

If you like general fiction reads and marine animals, and you’re looking for a book that’s a bit futuristic but in a possibly-realistic way, then don’t hesitate to grab “Sea Change.”

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Vintage in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: March 28, 2023

ARC — Too Soon For Adiós — Annette Chavez Macias

“My grandma used to say that the universe worked in mysterious ways. It was the only explanation I could come up with for how I’d ended up becoming a chef just like the biological father I never knew. Or how I ended up eating tacos in his restaurant almost thirty years after I was born.”

Genre: General Fiction, Romance
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses parental and child death. Describes a sexual assault and physical abuse. Contains some sexual innuendos, but it’s closed doors.

“Too Soon For Adiós” follows Gabby Medina, an ex-sous-chef, as she learns to live after her mother’s death. She was left without her adopted father at a young age and now loses her mother at 29—she is all alone. That is, until a stranger introduces himself as her biological dad at her mother’s funeral. She wants nothing to do with him, for obvious reasons. But when things take a turn for the even-worse, she wants to leave the only place she’s called home and is driven to Sonrisa, New Mexico, her bio-father’s small hometown, where she’ll meet new people and grow into new places.

Do not be bamboozled by the cute cover: this book follows a heartbreaking story, and it touches on very difficult topics like terminal illness, serious debt brought on by someone else, sexual assault, domestic violence, and so much multigenerational trauma.

The romance portion of this book is closed doors, but gosh, the sexual tension between them is so palpable that although their love was slow to burn, it was 100% worth the 65% wait.

I think these are my favorite types of books—both general fiction and romance sprinkled together. It’s as close to real life as fiction gets. I loved the small town setting, I loved almost every character, I loved watching Gabby grow and learn that being soft doesn’t have to mean being weak.

I cannot recommend this novel enough. Immerse yourself in this story if you’ve enjoyed books like “Georgie, All Along” by Kate Clayborn or “Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett, where life is woven as the complicated thing it can be.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Montlake in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: March 21, 2023

“Mijita, that’s what love is, (…) losing yourself in someone else.”

ARC — Not That Kind of Ever After — Luci Adams

“It’s our own classy ending to our own classic story, and I now know with absolute certainty that it’s better than any fairytale out there.”

Author: Luci Adams
Narrator: Josie Charles

Genre: Romance, Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discusses cheating and contains some self deprecation and slightly unhealthy relationships. Contains sexual content, but isn’t too explicit.

“Not That Kind of Ever After” follows Bella Marble, an aspiring author and current receptionist at a publishing house, as she struggles through her changing life and, after a fit of writer’s block, decides to start writing autobiographical-ish fairytale one-night stands. Little did she expect that she’d go absolutely viral as @B.Enchanted, now she must look for more fairytales (and one-night stands) to rewrite. But this isn’t like her. And most people around her can see it, Bella just isn’t willing to hear it.

This audiobook caught me off guard to begin with. I was not expecting Josie Charles’ British accent but I must say I ended up being pleasantly surprised. Josie’s accent was soft and whimsical and I could surprisingly listen to it at 2.5x speed and still understand what she was saying perfectly (I usually can’t do more than 1.5x speed with a British accent, my ears just aren’t trained for it, I’m sorryyyyy).

This is the weirdest 5-star read. I found Bella annoying but at the same time I loved it? I was down for watching her fail and then redeem herself (multiple times), but I always knew she’d have her Happily Ever After.

This isn’t a closed door romance per se, we know Bella gets down to business a few times but we don’t see much of the details on it, if you know what I mean. It was still a super cute story and I totally see why it’s classified both under romance and under general fiction—it’s a little bit of both.

I would highly recommend this book if you’re looking for a fun read about dating in this day and age—with a cute lil’ trope at the end, but not giving that one spoiler away. All you need to know if Bella gets her Ever After with quite a guy.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: March 14, 2023

ARC — The Friendship Breakup — Annie Cathryn

“I am grateful for the experience of our friendship. Rather than continuing to force the friendship at the cost of losing myself, it’s okay to recognize the friendship has run its course and served its purpose, and to let it go. (…) When I think back to the term BFF, I realize the promise of forever isn’t always guaranteed. It’s more like forever for now.”

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 5 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Discussed unhealthy relationships, infertility, divorce, and friendship breakups (duh).

“The Friendship Breakup” follows Fallon Monroe, a mom-of-one and aspiring chocolatier, as she travels through life after her best mom friends ghost her, and refuse to tell her why.

It took me a while to finish this book but that’s only a reflection on how busy I have been—because once I grabbed it with a bit of free time, I couldn’t put it down. How is this Annie Cathryn’s debut? It’s astounding.

The climax was so cathartic, reminding us that sometimes its okay if things get messy. The premise in general was captivating and beautifully executed. I literally would not change a thing about this book.

This book is heartbreaking in a way that, I feel, most of us will understand. In early adulthood and I can only assume that beyond, we lose friends. Only a lucky few have had the same friends since childhood. Even if you have a few old friends, new ones tend to come and go—and sometimes we don’t even know why, and sometimes the reasons don’t even have much to do with us. That’s why I related so much to Fallon, even if I am not more than just a dog mom and engaged to be married.

I looked at “The Friendship Breakup” and I pondered about where me and my friends and my significant other will be 10 or 20 years from now. How much would change, how much would stay the same. I’ll be carrying this book with me for a while.

I would highly recommend this to any young or new adult, no matter what stage of your life you’re in. It’s described as a mom-com, but really it’s so much more. “The Friendship Breakup” will bring you lessons of friendship, relationships, parenthood, and following your dreams. Seriously, I cannot recommend it enough.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Alcove Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 7, 2023

ARC — The Wrong Kind of Weird — James Ramos

Genre: Young Adult
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Content Warnings: Has some bullying and miscommunication.

“The Wrong Kind of Weird” follows Cameron Carson, a self-proclaimed geek, as he travels through the ins and outs of love in high school. Cameron is secretly hooking up with Karla Ortega, who’s by all definitions popular, but she isn’t the best at showing him appreciation when they’re around people. So it’s really weird for Cameron when Mackenzie Briggs, a nice and funny girl, becomes his friend and isn’t afraid of other people knowing.

I think my enjoyment—or lack thereof—when it came to this book was completely my fault. I just never really connected with the main character. I don’t think it’s because he’s male, because I’ve loved narrators of all genders, but there was definitely something that was keeping me from connecting. Maybe I’m not as ‘Young Adult’ as I think I am.

One thing I did like, though, was how, slowly, Cameron began understanding his worth—and Mackenzie’s worth as well. “The Wrong Kind of Weird” is definitely a coming-of-age story and, although I expected more romance sprinkled in it, I truly loved all the characters as a concept. What I didn’t enjoy as much were the dialogues and the way Cameron narrated. I’m not sure how to explain it, it’s like I was rooting for the characters but just didn’t want to listen to them speak or think.

Anyways, I would definitely recommend this book to a younger audience. This would be a phenomenal gift for any young reader that’s just now learning how to fit into their crowd by being themselves. I’m just not sure if I would recommend it to anyone 25+.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: January 3, 2023

Enjoy the View — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #3

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (pretty closed-doors, I wasn’t made for these kinds of books, I’m exhausted)
Content Warnings: Describes animal cruelty and death, violence, and bullying. Mentions car accidents. Contains some sexual content.

“Enjoy the View ” follows River Lane, a Hollywood actress who’s now trying to make it as a director, as she films her first documentary—funded by the Alaskan government and aimed at the small town of Moose Springs. Little did she know that Moose Springs most definitely did not want to be filmed or showcased as a destination. With none of the permits she thought she’d have, she seta out to climb one of the mountains that surround the quaint town. This is where Easton Lockett comes in. As a mountaineer and search-and-rescue specialist, Easton is tasked with guiding them up the mountain. But one thing he did not expect was to fall for the director on the climb up.

Elise Arsenault comes back in to save the day. The only reason this book has a 4-star rating instead of a 3- or 3.5-star rating was because of Elise. I have loved how her voice seems different for every book, yet she keeps me paying attention. I wouldn’t change a thing about this narration.

Well, there’s definitely a theme here: a scruffy, local man falls in love with, unintentionally, with a beautiful outsider—betraying their locals-only rules that are being upheld by the townspeople in Moose Springs. Does anyone care if they date outsiders? No. But do they act like the world will absolutely fall apart if they do? Indeed.

“Enjoy the View”, as compared to the second book in this series, brings us back into the beautiful Alaskan wild. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs.

This series as a whole reminds me of a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series (I was really holing it’d get spicier with every book, but it didn’t). So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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Mistletoe and Mr. Right — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #2

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 3.5 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (this one was also pretty closed-doors, if you ask me)
Content Warnings: Mentions car accidents and death of parents. Discusses sexual harassment. Contains some sexual content.

“Mistletoe and Mr. Right” follows Lana Montgomery, a socialite that comes from a working multimillionaire family, as she tries to win over the town of Moose Springs, Alaska. She’s been coming to this quaint, little town for ages, but now that she has some pull in her family’s company, she’s looking to change things for the better for Moose Springs—the only downfall is that Moose Springs doesn’t want change; it doesn’t even want tourists, really. So when some angry men attack Lana after she announces a new condo development, and Rick Harding, the owner of a local pool hall, steps in to her aid, he immediately catches her eye anew.

Elise Arsenault is an amazing audiobook narrator. I think I partially enjoyed this book as much as I did because of her narration.

I have mixed feelings about this book, because the Lana we see in “Mistletoe and Mr. Right” is definitely not the same Lana we met in “The Tourist Attraction”. And I loved this new Lana, but really disliked the inconsistency. She wasn’t as selfish or shallow this time around—she did not seem like the type of person that would leave their best friend alone, in a bar, in an Alaskan town her friend has never been to. You know, just saying.

I’ll leave a similar endorsement as I did for the first book in this series: If you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs. And if you’re a sucker for mutual pining, then you’ll adore Lana’s and Rick’s love story.

This book kind if reminded me to a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series. So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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The Tourist Attraction — Sarah Morgenthaler — Moose Springs, Alaska #1

Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Narrator: Elise Arsenault

Genre: Romance
Actual Rating: 4 stars
Narration: 5 mikes
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis (pretty closed-doors, if you ask me)
Content Warnings: Describes animal cruelty and death, violence, and bullying. Mentions car accidents. Contains some sexual content.

“The Tourist Attraction” follows Zoey Caldwell, a middle-class hard worker who’s best friends with a multimillionaire who lowkey owns a small town in Alaska called Moose Springs. This leads to Zoey taking a vacation in said town and meeting Graham Barnett, the owner of the unintentionally touristy diner called The Tourist Trap—they immediately hit it off. But it makes no sense. Graham hates tourists, and although he is friends with Zoey’s bestie, Zoey is definitely a tourist… So why does he keep wanting to hang out with her?

This is the first book I’ve listened to that’s been narrated by Elise Arsenault, but it won’t be the last—first, because the other books in this series are also narrated by her, and second, because I absolutely loved her voice.

This is your classical Grump-Meets-Sunshine trope love story, but now in an Alaskan setting. I don’t know who I loved the most, if Graham or Zoey, but what I do know is that they were destined to meet (and I would date them both).

If you’re a fan of outdoorsy activities, wildlife, and remote locations, then you’ll adore Moose Springs. And if you’re a sucker for grumpy guys who’ll take care of you when you’re drunk or defend you when assholes are around, then you’ll adore Graham Barnett.

This book kind if reminded me to a milder, PG-13 version of the Wild series. So, in other words, I loved it. I would highly recommend the Moose Springs, Alaska series.

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One Italian Summer — Rebecca Serle

“When you’re just a reflection, what happens when the image vanishes?”

Author: Rebecca Serle
Narrated By: Lauren Graham (!!! Yes!!! Lorelai from Gilmore Girls)

Genre: Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 2 stars (and I’m being generous)
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emoji
Narration: 5 mikes
Content Warnings: Death of parent, unhealthy grief coping mechanisms, cancer, cheating, and some sexual content.

“One Italian Summer” follows Katy, as she travels to Italy in hopes to reconnect with her mother, who’s just passed away. Leaving her husband behind, Katy sets off to the small town her mother loved—little did she know she would indeed reconnect with her mother, as she literally runs into her, in the flesh, and 30 years younger.

Rebecca Serle is one of my biggest hits or miss. And this one was definitely a miss for me. I came in blindly because I will read anything Rebecca publishes, period, but I lowkey regret doing that.

The only reason this has 2 stars is because of Lauren Graham, THE Lorelai Gilmore, who narrated the audiobook I listened to. Her voice was absolutely perfect. Disliked the story, but loved the experience. So lets get on with the actual review.

The relationship between Katy and her mother is absolutely, insanely, unequivocally unhealthy. Like no, honey, your mother is not your soulmate. And hey, I am all for magical realism, but this book was insane. You’re telling me you run into your dead mother, 30 years younger, and you wait 200 pages to ask someone what year you’re in? This was just ridiculous.

Also, there was some cheating here. Which, as you know if you’ve been following my reviews for a while, is the BIGGEST no-no for me. This novel had literally nothing going for it in my opinion (except for the narrator, 10/10).

I would only recommend “One Italian Summer” if time-travel cheating and dysfunctional, codependent mother-daughter relationships are your jam. If not, please just steer clear.

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“(…) Memory is by definition fiction. Once an event is no longer present, but remembered, it is narrative. And we can choose the narratives we tell—about our own lives, our own stories, our own relationships. We can choose the chapters we give meaning.”

ARC — The Happiness Project — Kirstie Pelling

“It seems the secret to happiness was there all along, a smiling face, winking at me from the froth.”

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction
Actual Rating: 3 stars
Spicy Meter: 1 fire emojis
Content Warnings: Discusses parent death and mental illness. Deep dive into cancel culture. I was honestly struggling so much to read this that I can’t recall anything else.

“The Happiness Project” follows Daisy Blane, a self-proclaimed Happiness Expert while she hasn’t even found happiness herself. That’s all you have to know about this book, really. She gets “canceled” and critiqued for just that a few times. She looks for happiness and love where there is none. But she gets her happily ever after, so at least there’s that.

There are two very unique things about this book: 1) there are no proper quotations just these ‘ ’ little guys and 2) the amount of times the narrator thinks/says “I” will drive you insane. ‘I did this and then I did that.’ It got repetitive and annoying after a while. It almost made me think about DNFing at one point, but I am sort of glad I stuck through.

This is a cute, lighthearted read that is trying to be quirky to a fault. I know we’re supposed to empathize with Daisy, but I just could not connect with her. One would think a panda-looking, adorable dog could save the day, but Doodle really wasn’t enough to save this one for me. This didn’t feel like the Romance books I love, it was much more Women’s Fiction with just a tiny sprinkle of Romance.

I’m not sure I will be recommending this book—unless you’re a big fan of first-person narration, then perhaps this book would be for you.

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ARC provided by NetGalley and Embla Books in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: December 1, 2022