Hi there! I’m here to review another nonfiction that focuses on asexuality! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

Ace Notes: Tips and Tricks on Existing in an Allo World will be the third nonfiction book I’ve reviewed in the past year focusing on the topic of asexuality. Unlike Ace Voices by Eris Young and Sounds Fake But Okay by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca, Ace Notes markets itself as more of an advice-driven book with a focus towards individuals who identify somewhere on the asexual spectrum. I always find it interesting comparing the nonfiction books I read to see where each book shines and highlights what readers can gain from reading each book in particular. I’m glad to share my opinions about Ace Notes today.

From the synopsis: “What is the ace lens? Is my relationship queerplatonic? Am I sex-favorable, sex-averse or sex-repulsed? As an ace or questioning person in an oh-so-allo world, you’re probably in desperate need of a cheat sheet. Allow us to introduce your new asexual best friend, an essential resource serving up the life hacks you need to fully embrace the ace. Expect interviews with remarkable aces across the spectrum, advice on navigating different communities , and low-key ways to flaunt your ace identity. Covering everything from coming out, explaining asexuality and understanding different types of attraction, to marriage, relationships, sex, consent, gatekeeping, religion, ace culture and more, this is the ultimate arsenal for whatever the allo world throws at you.” Throughout the seven individual parts of the book, author Michele Kirichanskaya covers everything from offering definitions of common terms to resources and organizations to find more information to interviews with key players in the movement to understand what it means to be asexual. It truly does, as the subtitle suggests, offer tips to asexuals on how to exist in a society that normally caters to a more sexual being – from ways to identify other aces in public or in LGBTQ+ spaces to how to deal with instances of aphobia from strangers and/or family members to recommendations for asexual representations in different types of media. I think Michele does a great job of finding the balance between offering an informative lens about asexuality as a topic to be discussed and delving into the more personal aspects of this sexuality, and what it means for her to be an ace individual, that other readers can relate to. There were a few highlights in particular that I wanted to cover in my review. The first was the discussion surrounding fanfiction. I loved the conversation around fanfiction being an outlet for people to explore their fantasies, sexual or otherwise, in a relatively safe space. For aces in particular, it gives some the ability to find their comfort level of exposure to sexual media, because not all aces are sex-repulsed (and even those who are aren’t necessarily turned-off by sex in media, just the act itself in reality). Fanfiction is often looked down-upon in many aspects of society, but honestly it can be such an incredible space to explore. Second, and this may be minor, but I loved the inclusion at the beginning of small ways to show ace pride. A lot of people still struggle with embracing their sexuality, myself included, so seeing small ways of highlighting an important part of myself, sometimes for just me to see, was really cool. Lastly, I loved Michele’s discussion around how her asexuality intersects with her religion, Judaism. As someone who’s grown up Catholic their entire life, and still questions where my feelings towards religion land to this day, it was incredibly powerful and informative to read Michele discuss where being a practicing Jew can sometimes be at odd with her sexuality, but in other instances give her the ability to see the more queer-affirming aspects of the religion and offer a further sense of belonging.

While I did have an overall positive experience with this read, I just want to mention some things that felt a bit off so others can go into reading with the right expectations. First, I felt that the structure of the book seemed to be a bit all over the place. Sure section one starts with the basics, but sometimes there were sections much later that were still defining simple terms that could have been done earlier so as to not lead to any confusion. And this leads into the fact that while I loved the interviews included – I sometimes find that simple quotes can exclude context, and the full interviews really gave the chance to understand the individual and their answers – they felt misplaced in certain sections. Personally, it maybe would have made more sense to include an interview at the end of every section, and to also include the paragraph description of who was being interviewed at the beginning instead of after it had concluded. I didn’t take this negatively, as the writing style mirrors a lot of my own in these reviews, but the author uses a lot of parentheses throughout the book (to add context to the sentence or make an aside), which could become tedious after a while for some readers. And lastly, at times it felt like some sections were solidly built, and you could tell the author was incredibly passionate about the topic(s) being discussed, others felt lacking and referential. Though I do think that Michele did a good job at referring to other resources in places where she would not have been able to offer enough information or personal anecdotes to explore the topic at hand.

In conclusion, I found this to be a very insightful book perfect for individuals beginning their journey to understand asexuality and what it means to them. I am very interested to see the thoughts of ace readers and non-aces alike when the book is finally out in the world. Ace Notes is set to be released on March 21st, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy if you’re interested. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Ace Notes:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Michele Kirichanskaya’s site

Hi there! I’m here to talk about one of my favorite authors releasing one of my most anticipated books of 2023! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

Ever since 2019/2020, I have followed Ashley Schumacher and her YA publishing journey. She took my heart away with Amelia Unabridged, which I reviewed here, and then broke me completely with her 2022 release Full Flight, which I reviewed here. Her character work is truly incredible and these books are some of my favorite YA contemporaries that I’ve read in a while. So when I saw she had a release for 2023, The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway, I knew I had to request it on NetGalley. I picked it up when I needed something light yet heartfelt, and honestly I’m thanking Wednesday Books every time for allowing me to read some of their titles early because this was exactly the book I was looking for at the time.

It’s been almost a year since Madeline “Gwen” Hathaway lost her mom. Since then, she’s determined that nothing in her life will change ever again. She keeps extensive lists in her journals, goes to therapy once a week, and looks forward to working the monotonous year-long ren faire circuit selling wares with her dad. But when summer hits and they arrive at her mother’s favorite end-of-tour stop, Madeline realizes the faire is under new management and nothing is the same. Her plans of skirting by the faire unnoticed as always takes a turn when she meets Arthur, the lute-playing bard son of the new owners, who insists on being her friend and bringing her out of her shell as the Princess of the Faire. Hesitant at first, with the help of her mother’s family coin Maddie embraces her role and change in routine, and has fun doing it. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is a tale full of a potion-selling magician, camel-riding gallant knights, a crocodile-floatie filled castle moat, and a plus-sized heroine with a wide-open heart… if only she can admit it to herself.

This story was absolutely delightful. Ashley Schumacher has noted that of her three novels, this one is the lightest in tone, and I’d have to agree – I’ll also say that the lightness in tone does not take away from exploring deeper topics, like grief, death of a parent, dealing with body issues as a plus-sized teen girl, and making friends as someone who does online schooling. Madeline lost her mom almost a year before the story begins, and there are some days where she and her father are still struggling with grief. It can be especially difficult as the year-anniversary approaches, and Maddie has to create the jewelry pieces to be sold at their ren faire booth, which was previously a big part of her mom’s contribution. When they arrive at the end-of-tour stop, Maddie is terrified to find that the environment is completely new due to new management, which, as someone who strives for as little change as possible, is difficult for her to accept. And then she meets Arthur, a skinny bard who plays the lute and saves her from security after she’s around after-hours because his dad’s are the new owners. At first she’s confused as to why he wants to be her friend so badly, but he can tell that Maddie, or Gwen as he fondly calls her, is in need of some adventure this summer. Their banter and friendship was truly lovely to watch grow throughout the story, and the respect that Arthur has for Maddie’s boundaries while also encouraging her to go out of her comfort zone one step at a time. At first it looked as though the two had completely different philosophical ideologies – Maddie does not believe in fate, while Arthur seems to embrace it – but as a team they work so well as being both a grounding force and a sense of encouragement. I loved how present Arthur’s dads were, as both owners, and kings, of the faire but also as a representation that allowing yourself to love, and be loved, can be scary sometimes but it is worth it. Maddie’s dad is less present in the story, but he grants her the space to go out on her own and try new things, especially make new friends. I appreciated how Maddie attends a weekly teletherapy session, as it gives her a way to talk through some of her feelings when she doesn’t understand them, but also encourages her to allow herself to be a kid and live in the moment. As someone who can also feel scared of change, I found Maddie’s “noticing” journal extremely relatable – it gave the illusion of being present but all the noticing can take away of just enjoying whatever the moment brings. I also wanted to say that I appreciated the lack of girl-on-girl hate – sometimes in YA books we can find several female characters pitted against each other, for reasons that include both vying for a love interests attention, power dynamic struggles, or simply teen insecurities that cause jealously. While there was a moment where it could’ve gone in that direction, when a former crush of Arthur’s also begins volunteering at the faire, when we’re introduced to that character it’s clear that a misunderstanding has occurred, and the two actually strike up a really sweet friendship – which I loved because as a teen who’s done online schooling almost her entire life, Maddie wasn’t always in the position to make many friends her age. Though I will say that when Arthur’s classmates begin working at the faire, there are several moments where we see Arthur feel a bit of jealously, and that made for some interesting scenes that brought a smile to my face.

All in all, I was smiling a lot while reading this book. I love the way Ashley Schumacher writes her characters for teens and lets them be kids that may have had some serious things happen to them, but work through their feelings and emotions with friends and family. She’s said that her next novel may just be the most devastating yet, and I honestly can’t wait to see just how much it tears my heart apart. The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway is set to be released on March 14th, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find The Renaissance of Gwen Hathaway:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
Ashley Schumacher’s site

Hello! I’m here to talk about the conclusion of a romance companion series I’ve been following since the first book released in 2021. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

When I first picked up Float Plan, a romance book by Trish Doller, I had no idea I would become so connected to these characters and would get the chance to spend three books with them as a part of The Beck Sisters series. We follow Anna Beck in Float Plan as she embarks on a sailing journey after her husband’s death by suicide and finds herself again while gaining the assistance of professional sailor, Keane Sullivan. We follow Rachel Beck in The Suite Spot (which I reviewed here) as she takes her daughter across the country to help open a brewery hotel, which is owned by a moody man named Mason. And now here in the final book, Off the Map, we follow Anna’s best friend and maid of honor, Carla Black, as she makes her way to Ireland for Anna’s wedding, only to take a few necessary details with Keane’s older brother and best man, Eamon Sullivan. While some aspects are certainly different from the prior two installments, Off the Map still feels like a nice mix of banter and cute romance with hard life topics (and sometimes just the struggle of being an adult). I’m glad I get the chance to share my thoughts.

Carla Black has been travelling the world in her vintage Jeep Wrangler for nearly a decade – she sees the sites and doesn’t stay anywhere for too long, as her life motto (as learned from her father, Biggie, is “here for a good time, not for a long time”). It’s possible she keeps moving to distract herself from going home, back to where her she’s slowly becoming a forgotten memory in her father’s eyes. Eamon Sullivan works to create digital maps of places other people get the chance to travel to, while he stays at his computer, helping others find their way while feeling directionless in life himself. Unhappy at work and recently dumped, it feels like his dreams are a bit… stalled out. The two meet in person for the first time when Carla travels to Ireland as the maid of honor for her best friend’s wedding (a best friend that happens to be marrying Eamon’s brother) and Eamon is tasked with picking her up from the airport. Unexpected sparks fly the second the two lock eyes, and while Carla is only in Ireland a short time, and they should be making their way across the country, it doesn’t stop them from embarking on plenty of chemistry-laden detours, which may lead to unexpected feelings and a opportunity for love… if only they decide to take a chance.

*I would like to add a content warning as there is discussion of a parent with dementia and death of a parent*

I found Carla and Eamon’s story to be incredibly touching. It was an interesting book to get into, because I had been so used to the style of the first two novels, and Carla is very different from Beck sisters so reading from her perspective definitely took some getting used to at first. Both Carla and Eamon are at a place in their life where they are letting other people dictate their life trajectory – Carla’s father pushed her away from home at the beginning of his dementia diagnosis, and she feels it’s only right to use Biggie’s life motto to travel and see what the world has to offer, while Eamon feels stuck and unable to follow some of his dreams because he’s tethered to other people’s ideas of how he should life his life. It was really great seeing how they both help each other – Carla shows Eamon that’s it’s ok to stick up for yourself, take the time away from work and just live the life that he wants to, and be free from other people’s expectations, and Eamon shows Carla that sometimes it’s worth it to be vulnerable, to show your true feelings to the people you care about and allow them to extend a helping hand or comfort because you don’t need to go through difficult times alone. Honestly, I would’ve been fine with the detour section of the book being longer, and giving Carla and Eamon more time to sit with their feelings, but I understand that it definitely could have become repetitive if they had to keep calling Keane and Anna to explain why they needed just one more day before finally arriving for the weddings festivities. I appreciate how Eamon and Keane did have the time to discuss how hard it was for Eamon to bear the brunt of the blame from their mother when they were younger – I wish we could’ve seen that conversation on-page, but since we only get the book from Carla’s perspective we get Eamon’s explanation of it later, after it had happened. Something else I wish we could’ve seen was more details about the wedding – I know this is Carla and Eamon’s story, but the wedding, and the day or two leading up to it, is really the only time we get to see a lot of additional characters interacting with our main two, including Eamon’s sister, Cathleen, who ensures the kitten Carla saved from a hawk is alright, another sister, Ciara, who owns the pub and offers Carla a ride to the hotel, and his mother, who, after hearing from Carla just how much she needs to listen to her son instead of lecture him, has a much needed, albeit a little late, conversation with Eamon. I will say that the events towards the end of the book did make me cry, as did some of the conversations about the unpredictability of life and to make the most of every moment with the ones you love because you don’t know when they’ll be gone. Families aren’t perfect, but you can grow to appreciate every complexity and make the time your loved ones have left special.

One major difference between this book and the two prior installments of the series is that Float Plan and The Suite Spot were more of slow burn romances, where as Off the Map does have more on-page intimate scenes and the first encounter occurs pretty early on. I mean, when Eamon walks into the bar he designates as the meeting point, Carla jumps up and kisses him – it is sort of a ploy to get another patron to leave her alone, but still. It’s clear that the two share sexual attraction that the couples couples didn’t, at least towards the beginning of their interactions. And while I am not usually someone who prefers books with more on-page scenes (and did sometimes skim those passages), I appreciated how this different type of relationship was portrayed. Because sometimes couples do have sex the first time they meet. And, if they do develop a romantic relationship further on, that initial interaction doesn’t make their relationship any less valid. Sex can also mean different things to different people, and as long as boundaries are established consent is given from all parties involved, no one else should judge. In the book, Carla initially doesn’t let herself become more emotionally attached, because she knows that she’ll be leaving soon, but she knows she feels attraction to Eamon, and knows Eamon feels the same, so they do have sex to fulfill those urges. Later on, the two do form a more emotional connection, after sharing more personal parts of themselves with each other. All in all, I just think it’s important to highlight the difference in these relationships, as readers who have read the first two books in the series may be caught off guard by it when they pick up this installment.

In conclusion, I think this was an excellent send-off to The Beck Sisters series. It has been an absolute joy seeing Anna, Rachel, and Carla find their happily-ever-afters with partners who love and adore them just as much as they do. I can’t wait to see what other stories Trish Doller has in store for the future. Off the Map is set to be released on March 7th, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday, and consider picking up a copy for yourself if you’re interested. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Off the Map:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
Trish Doller’s site

Hi there! I’m here with my second post in my 2023 Buzzword Reading Challenge series! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

This is the second installment of my Buzzword Reading Challenge series of posts for 2023. In case you’re new here, the Buzzword Reading Challenge (also called Buzzword-a-thon or the Buzzword Readathon) was originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This is the third year where all 12 prompts were selected in advance and it’s being loosely hosted once a month on sites like Goodreads and Storygraph. Each month we search our shelves for books with either specific words in the title, or title words that fit a specific theme. Previous years I’ve done recommendations, or multiple books for each month, but in 2023, I think I’m just going to stick to one book per prompt, as to [hopefully] prevent burn-out later on in the year. This is a reading challenge after all, and it’s supposed to be fun. In February, we settled on a theme instead, and had to find a book with a verb in the title. I originally wanted to pick up As You Walk On By, the newest YA release from Julian Winters, but couldn’t quite get around to it as I was in a bit of a slump in the middle of the month, but I was still able to tick this prompt off my list.

“verb” – A Guide to Just Being Friends by Sophie Sullivan

A Guide to Being Just Friends is the third and final book in the “Jansen Brothers” romance series and follows the eldest brother, Wes, and his love interest, Hailey. The books can be read as standalones, but the other brothers, Chris and Noah, and their respective love interests from the previous books, do appear in this book. I personally have not read the first two books, as I received a copy of this book with notes and annotations from the author as a fundraising incentive from SteamyLit Con, but now I may go back and read them to get the full story of Chris and Noah’s romances. In A Guide to Being Just Friends, Hailey is the sole owner of By the Cup, a new salad shop she opened in a new city to have a fresh start after a disastrous breakup, and Wes has recently moved across the country to join his brothers in business. The two do not get off on the right foot, introduced at a meeting that wasn’t intended for them. But when Wes reaches out to Hailey to apologize, the two strike up a friendship. Others can see that sparks fly between the two, but both have been burned by love before – Hailey’s ex was emotionally manipulative and left her questioning her self worth, and Wes isn’t a fan of the whole “love” thing, having a front row seat to his parents divorce due to his father’s abuse. So friends is all they can be. What could possibly go wrong? I thought this was a perfectly fine romance. It’s clear the connection between Wes and Hailey, and even the side characters and their significant others, are genuine. There is a heavy focus on found family, which matters a lot when parents aren’t supportive or are manipulative in some way – everyone needs someone in their corner to fight for them. I think where this started to falter for me was that when a relationship does begin to form between Wes and Hailey, they’ll have arguments, discuss why they are upset, make up, and then keep having arguments for those same issues. It became repetitive when characters are fighting for the same reasons, even if it can occasionally be reflective of real-life relationships. I think a lot of the time, Wes and Hailey just come from very different lives, so when Wes wants to show affection by providing for Hailey, she believes it’s because he thinks she can’t take care of herself, even when they have discussions about how that isn’t, and never will be, his intention. I will say the third-act conflict was different, so I did appreciate that. Overall, this was a cute romance that I enjoyed in the moment, and I will recommend if you’re into more of a friends-to-lovers story, but this doesn’t make my list of new favorites.

In conclusion, that’s two months down. I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year has in store.

Where to find A Guide to Being Just Friends:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Sophie Sullivan’s site

Hi there! I’m here to talk about a new non-fiction surrounding the topic of asexuality and aromanticism. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

Sounds Fake But Okay is another book that I found while scrolling through the Read Now section on NetGalley. As someone who identifies on both the aro and ace spectrums, I’m always open to reading books that feature those topics, especially those written by individuals who also identify in that way. When picking this up I didn’t realize the authors are also hosts of a podcast with the same name, which aired its first episode in 2017. From the podcast’s website, “Sounds Fake But Okay is a weekly podcast where an aromantic asexual girl and a biromantic demisexual girl talk about love, relationships, sexuality, & pretty much anything else they just don’t understand.” Sarah (aro ace) and Kayla (demisexual) roomed together their freshman year of college at the University of Michigan, and became best friends through all the thick and thin of college and life that comes after. So it was really interesting to see how the stylistic choices from these podcast hosts played out while writing a book.

From the book description, in Sounds Fake But Okay, “Sarah and Kayla invite you to put on your purple aspec glasses – and rethink everything you thought you knew about society, friendship, sex, romance and more. Drawing on their personal stories, and those of aspec friends all over the world, prepare to explore your microlabels, investigate different models of partnership, delve into the intersection of gender norms and compulsory sexuality and reconsider the meaning of sex – when allosexual attraction is out of the equation.” What I’ve noticed when reading non-fiction that deals with the aspec community is that each book will have a really strong topic that I love the conversation around, but a lot else will fall flat. So let me focus on the positives first. I think this is one of the only books I’ve read so far that touches on aplatonic individuals – people who feel little to no platonic attraction. While certainly not as common as asexual or aromantic individuals, aplatonic people do exist and have their own ways of feeling and expressing love, and they should be respected and appreciated like anyone else. I always like how books like these will include quotes from other people who identify differently from the authors, to get their unique perspectives on certain topics. I also did appreciate their inclusion of quotes from an interviewee who, at the time, identified on the asexual spectrum but, as she transitioned, realized that label no longer fit. The discussion around labels is always a fascinating, and I liked how this highlighted the fluidity of labels and how you know yourself best, so if the label doesn’t quite fit anymore there’s no reason to still squeeze yourself into it – allow yourself to learn what words and language fit how you’re feeling in that moment.

While I did have some positive things to say about this book, I have some very serious flaws I would like to point out. First, parts of the writing style did not work well for me. This could be due to it being more conversational, which makes sense as the authors are podcast hosts, but sometimes the voice would switch from third to first person, and several phrases were used so often that it took me out of the book (the terms “aspec lens” and “purple-colored glasses” were repeated so much I started to physically react every time I read those words). The authors do make a note of stating clearing and evidently their biases – both are cisgender white women with a Western view on things – but a lot of the discussions, when not including quotes from other people with different lived experiences, felt very basic and over-arching that it felt like it was addressing the entire community as a whole, instead of the pockets it should be highlighting. I had a hard time deciphering who the intended audience of this book was. Some of the marketing material stated that it is a “guide to help aspec people become more confident in their identities and understand their relationships,” but if this was set up as a guide for people on the aro and ace spectrums, why, as a reader, are we told so often to put on our “purple colored glasses?” Shouldn’t we, as aspec people, already be looking at the world, or at least different aspects of it, with that lens already in mind? And even still, there isn’t one prescription of these glasses, because even as aspec individuals we can still view the world in ways different from other aspecs depending on other factors and lived experiences. One last thing I will mention is that in the final chapter of the book, there is a paragraph that mentions J.K. Rowling, and Harry Potter in a positive light. Considering all the harm Rowling has caused directly to the trans community, I felt like inclusion of this paragraph was not needed and harms the talking points of the chapter, if not the book. I will point out that this was written in my advanced reader’s copy, and am not sure if it is still included in the final edited version. I personally hope for its removal.

In conclusion, I feel like this book is best fit either for individuals looking to learn a little bit more about the asepc community as an outsider, or for people who maybe are beginning to question their sexual and romantic identity and will feel validated by the new aspec lens this book offers them. Otherwise, as an aro ace who has been firm in her identity for several years now, I wasn’t the biggest fan of the writing style, repetitive nature, or single-minded language occasionally used throughout. The aromantic and asexual communities are not a monolith, and no two experiences will ever be exactly the same, so picking this up may help you in your learning or identity-searching journey, but, in my opinion, it did not assist in mine. Sounds Fake But Okay is set to be released on February 21st, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and pick up a copy if you’re still interested. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Sounds Fake But Okay:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Jessica Kingsley Publishers
Podcast Site

Hi there! I’m here to talk about a really exciting queer YA debut that was recently released! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

I’m not sure how / when I came across coverage for the debut YA contemporary Always the Almost, but almost immediately I had it on my want to read shelf. I think Wednesday books was offering some titles as “Read Now,” so that’s how it ended up on my NetGalley shelf, but nevertheless I’m so happy I got the chance to read it. You’ll see on the cover Phil Stamper, author of several books (including one I’ve reviewed here on my blog), calls the book “a virtuosic masterpiece,” and I’d have to agree that the individual elements coming together to form one cohesive does indeed make this story a sight to behold. I can’t wait for more people to read it, but first let me share my thoughts.

When the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson vows to fulfill two resolutions: 1.) win back his ex-boyfriend, Shane McIntyre who broke up with him soon after he came out, and 2.) finally beat his piano-playing arch-nemesis, Cameron Hart, at the Midwest’s biggest classical competition, where he’s always come in second place. There may be some problems with his plan, considering Shane is avoiding him at all costs, and Miles’ slightly intimidating piano instructor tells him he’s playing like he doesn’t really know who he is. When a new boy starts at school, Eric Mendez, a queer cartoonist who asks Miles’ pronouns, wears rainbow socks, and makes his stomach flutter, his first resolution might have to be adjusted. As sparks fly, Miles starts to question why Eric likes him so much – after all, he’s always been only almost good enough. But as things progress and the competition inches closer, Miles wonders why when he’s with Eric, the only person he’s ever really not been enough for is himself.

*At the beginning the author does note that while this is a book that focuses on joy, there are moments of heaviness, so a full list of content warnings can be found on his website, here*

I think having this book strictly through Miles’ point of view was the way to go. He is such an interesting an dynamic character, even if he himself can’t understand why someone would like him as more than a friend. From the start, Miles is very newly out as transgender, and fresh off a breakup from his boyfriend, Shane. So when January rolls around, and resolutions are made, he vows to win back Shane by showing him he’s still ultimately the same person, just living as a boy now, and enter in the same classical piano competition he always has but win against his rival, Cameron. Things don’t exactly go to plan when new kid Eric Mendez arrives in town and Miles starts to wonder exactly why he feels some type of way around him, and why he never felt this way with Shane. I really loved how Miles’ piano instructor, Stefania, seemed to have a rough exterior, but knew from the moment Miles started playing that he was lost and needed to really figure out what he wanted from the music, and let him discover that on his own. She is tough and relentless, but understands how competitions can view people who don’t adhere to the norm, and wants to makes sure Miles is strong and ready to take on anything. I appreciated how when Miles encounters hate toward him on the forum, other competitors who, in some way, have received this type of unwarranted vitriol report it and make sure that Miles does not need to read anything like that about himself, or at least have to handle it alone. Paige and Rachel also offer an extremely supportive friend group for Miles, and while it is mostly positive there are also moments when they try to speak over Miles, believing they know what is best for him even when he is voicing his needs directly. There can be such a thing as “too supportive” when you start to talk over the person whose voice should be heard the most. I loved Eric as a character as well – while he is firm in his queerness, there are also aspects of his identity that he’s still questioning, and is ok with being unsure about. He uses his art as an expression of his thoughts and feelings, and at the beginning when him and Miles meet in the school auditorium they both sort of mirror each other in their feelings of uncertainty, which presents as Eric being unable to continue with his comic and Miles playing the same chords of his piece. There was also some really great discussion of boundaries during intimacy – nothing further than kissing occurs, on-page or off, but it is clear that Miles can still feel uncomfortable with his body, especially as he wear a binder. There were some conversations that, to Miles, were very awkward to have, but both boys worked to openly communicate what they were comfortable with, which does wonders to help prevent harmful, even if unintentional, actions when things do progress further. And one last thing I wanted to touch on specifically was Miles’ father. It’s clear that there was some tension after Miles came out as trans to his parents. While not being unsupportive, his father is incredibly distant and interacts differently than before. I really appreciated how this was addressed as not being Miles fault, and that he had personal issues to work out off page so that he could best support his son. The scene towards the end where an olive branch was extended really made me smile, as it is clear that he is trying, and may have simply just needed more time to adjust to a change in his life.

When I read YA now, I have to keep in mind that I am not the intended audience of these books – as someone who has been out of college for almost 5 years now, there are certain aspects that I can still relate to in these books, but they’re written specifically for teens in mind as they should be. So I did roll my eyes a bit when there’s drama introduced in the latter half of this book, as there is with most YA. But after having finished the book, and sitting with it for a while, I actually thought the introduction of certain dramatic aspects was incredibly relatable for high schoolers, especially queer teens. Sometimes when figuring out your identity, you’re prone to do some experimenting even when you know you shouldn’t. And while sometimes it gives you the answers you’re looking for, those actions can affect other people in a negative way (I’m trying not to delve into spoilers, so I’m keeping this vague). What is important is to sit with those consequences, figure out what really is worth fighting for, and going to fight for it. You also have to acknowledge that just because you’re sorry, doesn’t mean the other person has to accept your apology. It can take a long time to gain back their trust, if they even want to extend that hand at all. And you need to be ok with that. So yeah, looking back, I thought this aspect of being a teenager, making mistakes, and learning to come back from those mistakes was really well done.

The title itself, Always the Almost, really highlights how sometimes, we don’t think of ourselves as good enough to achieve our goals, always falling short, always only achieving the “almost.” We see Miles struggle with the mindset and break down his mental barriers so he can see himself as he truly is – always enough. I thought this book was a really great YA debut, and I can’t wait to see what Edward Underhill has in store for us next. Always the Almost was released on February 14th, 2023, so please pick up a copy if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Wednesday Books, for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Always the Almost:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
Edward Underhill’s site

Hello there! I’m back with the first post in my Buzzword Reading Challenge series for 2023! **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

This will be my third year taking part in the Buzzword Reading Challenge, and every year I’m just as excited to find these titles on my shelves to fit the prompt words / categories, and get some suggestions from the community as well. In case you’re new here, the Buzzword Reading Challenge (also called Buzzword-a-thon or the Buzzword Readathon) was originally created by Kayla at the YouTube channel booksandlala. It centers around readers choosing books that include specific words or ‘types’ of words. This is the third year where all 12 prompts were selected in advance and it’s being loosely hosted once a month on sites like Goodreads and Storygraph. Each month we search our shelves for books with either specific words in the title, or title words that fit a specific theme. Previous years I’ve done recommendations, or multiple books for each month, but in 2023, I think I’m just going to stick to one book per prompt, as to [hopefully] prevent burn-out later on in the year. This is a reading challenge after all, and it’s supposed to be fun. In January, the prompt was word specific – “life” and “death,” so I finally got to read a book that’s been sitting on my TBR for years.

“life” and “death” – The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

I remember people talking about this book because the title was changed from “The 7 Deaths…” to “The 7 1/2 Deaths…” in America due to possible confusion with the book “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The two are not related or similar in their synopses in any way, but the publishers wanted to further differentiate the two. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle opens at Blackheath Manor, where guests are invited to The Masquerade. One particular guest finds himself in a rather precarious situation – every time he goes to sleep, he wakes up in the body of another partygoer. Eventually he is told why – he has eight hosts and eight chances to solve the murder of a woman named Evelyn Hardcastle. Each of his hosts has different strengths and provides him with access to different rooms / people / conversations he needs in order to solve this heinous crime, but will he be able to pinpoint the perpetrator in time, or be destined to continue this search for loops to come? I bought an ebook on sale a few years ago and decided to listen to the audiobook alongside reading along, which definitely was the way to go for me. I honestly don’t know if I would have been able to finish it if I was just reading the ebook alone. It was interesting to see the different pieces of information unfold, and how his actions in one host on one day were affecting things he was able to do in another, and how he had to think ahead in order for that to work. There were some twists and turns I didn’t see coming – this could have been because I wasn’t paying enough attention or they were just cleverly placed. At times I felt some of the timing was off – we spent so much time exploring the first few hosts, and when things started to spiral I thought the last few flew by in a hurry in comparison. Other reviewers have pointed out the fatphobia and other harmful character descriptions our narrator uses, which also made me uncomfortable to read at times – I urge you to search out other reviews that offer specific examples of this language used if you would like to know more. And lastly, while I now I can appreciate the ending for what it was, at the time I felt it a little anti-climactic and I was left wanting a little more explanation. Overall I’m not upset I read it, and I’m glad I finally did so I could take it off my TBR, but I hesitate to widely recommend it.

And there you have it, the first Buzzword Reading Challenge post of 2023. I’ll be interested to see how the rest of the year plays out.

Where to find The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Stuart Turton’s Twitter

Hi there. I’m very late to the game, but I’m here to talk about another romance book that came out in September of 2022. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

I’ll be extremely honest. Sometimes tweets come up on my feed of readers absolutely gushing about the books they’re reading (either about specific scenes, tropes, anything at all really), and it won’t take much for me to click in and find out the book title if their description interests me. I really think this was the case for When in Rome, and I was surprised to see an email saying my NetGalley request was approved not too long after. It came out in September, and while I didn’t quite get around to reading it before release day (I was a little pre-occupied on my trip to Europe and didn’t actually get much time for reading) I did complete it shortly after. Unfortunately, the end of last year I was the lowest of lows in terms of motivation to do anything bookish, so this review has been pending in my blog’s draft folder for several months now (along with The Make-Up Test, which was just posted). I wanted to get it done before January, to start off the year with a clean slate, but got super sick. But I am here now, so here is my review, even if it is several months overdue.

From Goodreads: Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her “princess of pop” image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is. When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn’t have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He’s too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room–but only until her car is fixed–then she’s on her own. Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose–she’s Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can’t help but get close to her. Soon she’ll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she’s been missing, and she’ll help him open his heart to more. Amelia can’t resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.

It’s been a while since I read When in Rome, but I remember really enjoying my time with it. It’s pitched as grumpy-sunshine and opposites attract, and I really loved seeing grumpy small-town born-and-raised Noah falling for the sunshine pop-star city girl Amelia whose car breaks down in front of his house. What I love about books about small towns is that they really highlight just how fast news travels, so by the next morning almost everyone knows that Amelia spent the night and are very curious as to what went on. I also really loved how even though Amelia hasn’t been there very long, they protect her fiercely when paparazzi begin snooping around trying to catch shots of her. While Noah and Amelia seem very different on the surface, while they spend more time with each other they begin to find common ground, and acknowledge just how much they may have judged the other upon first glance. I didn’t feel as though this book had a main third act conflict, which is not necessarily a bad thing – from the beginning Noah was very adamant that nothing could happen between them, because when he went all in and left his home town to follow a girl to the big city, she betrayed his trust and that left him emotionally scarred. Never at any point does Amelia try to convince him otherwise – she understands how it’ll be hard for Noah to trust anybody after something like that, and she acknowledges that she has to leave to fulfill her tour obligations after a few weeks. Noah’s sisters and best friend were really such a good support system, and at the end really sat Noah down and explained how he didn’t have to go all in and leave for good if he truly cared for Amelia, that she understood just how much his family and his town meant to him, but he shouldn’t let someone as good as her leave his life for good just because he was scared of getting hurt again.

A few tiny last things to add: I really like when romance novels give us the dual perspective, so we really get to see what’s thoughts are going through the minds of both main characters. I found it really funny how Noah had no internet, no phone, not really any connection to the outside world in his house, and while at first Amelia didn’t understand it, she grew to appreciate it when she didn’t want to have to field calls from her manager. If there was one thing I wish was better explored it would be Amelia’s relationship with her mom. We come to know they’d been close, but after Amelia started her career it seemed that her mom was only interested in asking if she could borrow money, and their relationship strained. While we do get to learn why that all happened, I wish we could’ve maybe gotten some more closure. But who knows, maybe we will get more info, as another book from Sarah Adams, Practice Makes Perfect, comes out in 2023, featuring one of Noah’s sisters and Amelia’s bodyguard.

In conclusion, I really enjoyed When in Rome. It gave me all the fuzzy feelings a romance novel should, delve into some important topics, showcased all the small-town grumpy-sunshine opposites-attract vibes, and was just an all-around pleasant reading experience. I can’t wait to see what else Sarah Adams has in store for Rome, Kentucky and everyone who lives there. When in Rome was released on September 20th, 2022, so a little late to be wishing it a happy book birthday, but please pick up a copy for yourself if you’re interested! *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Ballantine / Dell Books for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find When in Rome:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Penguin Random House
Sarah Adam’s site

Hi there. I’m very late to the game, but I’m here to talk about a romance book that came out in September of 2022. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

Back in late summer of 2022, NetGalley (or more specifically the publishers who list books there) was offering some select titles that were coming out in the fall / winter as “Read Now,” which meant you didn’t have to request the books and be approved. I saw one of the titles was The Make-Up Test, a debut romance by Jenny L. Howe, and immediately hopped on to snag it. It came out in September, and while I didn’t quite get around to reading it before release day (I was a little pre-occupied on my trip to Europe and didn’t actually get much time for reading) I did complete it shortly after. Unfortunately, the end of last year I was the lowest of lows in terms of motivation to do anything bookish, so this review has been pending in my blog’s draft folder for several months now. I wanted to get it done before January, to start off the year with a clean slate, but got super sick. But I am here now, so here is my review, even if it is several months overdue.

From Goodreads: Allison Avery loves to win. After acing every academic challenge she’s come up against, she’s finally been accepted into her dream Ph.D. program at Claymore University, studying medieval literature under a professor she’s admired for years. Sure, grad school isn’t easy—the classes are intense, her best friend is drifting away, and her students would rather pull all-nighters than discuss The Knight’s Tale—but she’s got this. Until she discovers her ex-boyfriend has also been accepted. Colin Benjamin might be the only person who loves winning more than Allison does, and when they’re both assigned to TA for the same professor, the game is on. What starts as a personal battle of wits (and lit) turns into all-out war when their professor announces a career-changing research trip opportunity—with one spot to fill. Competing with Colin is as natural as breathing, and after he shattered her heart two years ago, Allison refuses to let him come out on top. But when a family emergency and a late night road trip—plus a very sexy game of Scrabble—throw them together for a weekend, she starts to wonder if they could be stronger on the same team. And if they fall for each other all over again, Allison will have to choose between a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and what could be a twice-in-a-lifetime love.

It’s been a while since I’ve finished my early copy, so let me break it down into things I loved and things I don’t think worked quite as well. What I loved part 1: plus-sized rep. Allison is fat, and she knows it. She embraces it. She doesn’t make it part of her personality, frankly because she doesn’t need to. No one does. But just because Allison is confident in her own skin, it doesn’t mean that insults, even passive aggressive comments from family members, who are supposed to be people who love you unconditionally, just roll off her back. They hurt. Even if they’re “not intentional.” Which brings me to part 2 of what I loved: discussions of cutting off toxic family members. Allison doesn’t have a good relationship with her dad. He left her and her mom and a young age, and she feels as if he’s never been proud of her accomplishments. He also makes digs at her weight. She decides to limit / cut off contact with him, because no one should have to continue a relationship with someone if they are feeling belittled in every conversation. Her mom tries to convince her otherwise, and when her dad ends up in the hospital, Allison grapples with her feelings internally – she should feel bad, her father is hurting, but she doesn’t. And lastly, what I loved part 3: Allison’s passion. Grad school is hard. Especially when you’re competing with your former love of your life for an amazing internship opportunity from a professor who inspired your passion in the first place. But Allison never backed down from defending herself from people who didn’t believe in her.

Now, for the things I thought didn’t work out quite as well. As a second-chance romance, I wasn’t completely solid on Allison and Colin’s history, or chemistry, either in the past or present. I understand why they broke up, and it explains why their battle for the internship plays out the way it does, their relationship just needed more development for me. There is a period of time where Allison and Collin both have to TA a recitation class, and Allison struggles, a lot. Teaching is hard, especially to college undergrad (I do not have fond memories of doing it myself in college). I wish her struggles were explored more, and that she was confronted for lying about her weekly classroom experiences. I think of the major issues I had with the book is that we get it solely from Allison’s perspective, and while, for the most part, I liked seeing her journey throughout the book, she has a tendency to close herself off to the people around her, like her family, roommate, classmates, and especially Colin, so therefore the reader is also cut off from exploring those characters. I don’t always need a romance book to be dual perspective, but I wish the narrative structure was a bit expanded here.

In conclusion, I thought The Make-Up Test was just a fine read. It explored some interested topics, and I appreciated the discussions that I found within the text, but overall didn’t find myself particularly interested in returning to the book when I put it down. I think other people, who prefer single perspective books with a focus on academics, specifically in a grad school setting, will have a better time with it than I did. The Make-Up Test was released on September 13th, 2022, so it’s way past time to wish it a happy book birthday, but please pick up a copy for yourself if it interests you! Jenny L. Howe has her second novel, another romance featuring a plus-size heroine, releasing later this year, On the Plus Side, if you’re interested in more from her. *Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, St. Martin’s Griffin for the early copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find The Make-Up Test:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Macmillan
Jenny L. Howe’s site

Hi there! I’m here to talk about my first advanced reader’s copy of 2023, and it’s an adorable YA rom-com. **And every day we are reminded that discrimination against marginalized communities is still a serious problem, so click here to find a compilation of resources where you can donate your time, money, or whatever you can to support these communities. I still encourage you to research these causes on your own to educate yourself and find the best way to lend your support.**

As someone who has gotten very much into the romance genre in the past few years, I have been very aware of the author Talia Hibbert. She’s popular for her traditionally published Brown Sisters trilogy, but also has a backlist of self-published work. Her banter is always on point and her intimate scenes are well-written and steamy. So I was very interested when she announced a YA title releasing in 2023 – Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute. It definitely turns down the steam factor (most on page are kisses shared between our two MCs, and very age-appropriate discussions about sex), but still the diversity and character work Talia Hibbert is know for. Plus the cover is absolutely adorable. I read this over a few days sick in bed right before New Year’s, and let me tell you it was exactly the cute and fluffy read I needed to get me through it.

Bradley Graeme is a laid-back popular teen on the football (American soccer) team, managing his OCD, and acing all his classes. Celine Bangura is a content creator sharing conspiracy theories on Tik Tok, toping Brad in all classes they share, and living her best life as her authentic self. Brad and Cel used to be friends, until a falling out years left them both thinking the other abandoned them. Now all that’s left between them are academic rivalries and petty insults that sometimes cut deeper than intended. When both are chosen to participate in an enrichment program which involves an outdoor survival course in the woods, and need to work together to win a full university scholarship, they’ll need to sift through their messy past as well as literal mud and dirt. But when they temporarily set their differences aside in order to work towards success, they start to remember all the good parts of their friendship, and it’s possible that a new spark can be ignited just as well as a campfire.

This was just absolutely delightful. From the dual perspective in first person, we get to see both Celine and Bradley’s opinions on each other and their prior friendship from the beginning, and we get to watch as they slowly start to develop deeper feelings of appreciation and love throughout the book. I appreciated how Celine is unapologetically herself, and even when she believes Bradley left because her personality was too outlandish for his new friends, she doesn’t shy away from what makes her unique. She leans into the conspiracy theories and doesn’t let anyone try to dissuade her, while also earning top marks in all of her classes to one day apply to Oxford or Cambridge to study law. While initially Bad only attends the Katherine Breakspeare Enrichment Program information session because he felt bad for *maybe* breaking Celine’s wrist and didn’t want her taking the bus alone, once Katherine herself starts speaking about how people treated her differently because of her dyslexia and how she had to work twice as hard to prove her worth, he connects with the sentiment and decides to apply as well (and if it proves to Celine that he can do anything she can do, well that’s just icing on the cake). I really loved how much development was given to the side characters – Brad’s parents and brother, even his sister who isn’t present because she’s studying in America, Celine’s mom and sister (and sometimes her father when he appears, but not often), Celine and Bradley’s best friends Minnie and Jordan, and the fellow Breakspeare candidates they befriend – Aurora, Sophie, and Raj. It was great to watch Celine and Brad’s banter, which everyone else just interprets as the flirting it truly is (and they’re just waiting for the two to realize it), and the frank discussions about relationships, sex, and not wanting to be left behind after secondary school, which are real fears of teens this age. I think one of my favorite parts of the book was when they throw a party for Aurora at camp, because Celine didn’t want her to feel unimportant when her 18th birthday was away from her family and friends, even though they barely knew each other a week. And when Bradley puts everything together, he doesn’t take all the credit because they know it was Celine’s idea. The two work well as a team, even when they’re butting heads, and it was really great letting them come together in the end.

I really want to highlight two specific aspects that were explored – Bradley’s OCD and intrusive thoughts, and Celine’s experience with parental abandonment. Early on, Bradley says that his OCD is managed (pretty well), but there will still be times when he needs balance, or can’t share a bathroom with anyone so he can keep it as clean as necessary, or will get up earlier than anyone to make sure he’s the only one in the camp bathroom / shower. At one point he does note that before he found medication and routine that worked for him, he thought it made his parents upset to see him and his life in disarray because of it. There are also moments in the book where we see Bradley’s mental exchange with his intrusive thoughts – the most prominent is when Celine throws mud on his shirt during their first survival camping expedition. He takes the time to acknowledge the thoughts are there, accept them for what they are, and breathe deeply while letting rational thinking supersede them. It’s been a while since I’ve seen intrusive thoughts mentioned and discussed in this way, and I really appreciated the depiction. Celine, her mom, and her sister were abandoned by her father years ago, when he came clean about having an affair and another family to tend to. While Celine doesn’t want to admit it for a large portion of the book, even when she declares she’s been fine without a father figure, she acknowledges that she got jealous seeing Bradley’s solid relationship with his dad, and shapes a large portion of her future to a path that will prove him wrong – she wants to become a corporate lawyer at the second largest firm behind his and watch him squirm as he watches her succeed. Throughout the book, Celine has to have in depth discussions with Bradley, her sister, and her mom to work out these feelings and realize that she should shape her future around something she wants, and what she thinks will bring out the best in her. I also appreciated how Celine talks to her mom about seeking counseling, so she can further work out these feelings with a professional.

In conclusion, this was a great book to start the new year off with. This just makes me want to delve more into Talia Hibbert’s backlist and hope she writes more of both adult and YA in the future. This also makes me more interested to see what the imprint, Joy Revolution Books, has in store for the future. Please pick this book up if you’re in need of some cute and fluff in your life, or have loved some of Talia Hibbert’s work in the past. Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute releases on January 3rd, 2023, which is the day this post goes live, so please join me in wishing it a happy book birthday and consider picking up a copy for yourself if you’re interested. *Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Joy Revolution Books, for the e-copy, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

Where to find Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute:
Bookshop
Amazon
Goodreads
Storygraph
Penguin Random House
Talia Hibbert’s site