stephsbooktalk's reviews
772 reviews

Mini Audiobook Review -  Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster for the gifted copy of the book! 

I have never read wife duo Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick before but I knew they were beloved in the sapphic YA space plus they are Pennsylvanians so I had to read them! 

There was another book that came out that had some similarities to this one and I honestly think this one did it better. I am a sucker for a celebrity and normie relationship and this one was too cute! Them being childhood into teenage friends adds an extra element to their relationship. Caroline had the right to be upset with Arden after all these years of not contacting her after leaving for Hollywood. 

This is dual POV which gave extra insight on what both of them was thinking. Caroline especially since her world is upended with Arden returning to her hometown and back into her life. I like seeing them reconnect again and of course Arden's grandma was a fun side character! 

Since this is dual POV, we are lucky enough to have two narrators Krystal Hammond & Natalie Naudus. Krystal was a new narrator to me but Natalie is a pro and between the two of them I thought they did a fabulous job with the narration.  

This book was a quick and breezy listen that I was able to complete during my workday. 

If you are looking for a sapphic, cozy, friends to lover set in December around the holidays - give this one a try! 

Mini Audiobook Review:  Thank you so much to Gallery books for the free copy of the book! 

Somehow I made it to 2024 without having read a Ruth Ware book?! I have been wanting to read one for awhile now and after meeting her back in 2023 I really was itching to read one. And finally the opportunity came!

I really loved the premise of this book and thought majority of the book was pretty good. I was engaged in the story and love the idea of a reality show being filmed and them being stuck on this island.

But what fell flat for me was leading up to the ending and then the end itself. I did this one via audio but I felt myself having to revert to the physical book (which I kept at my side). I even looked at some reviews to see what I was missing or if others were left confused as well (some were).

I did love the idea of all the females banding together and them working together to survive. There was one death of a character that was kind of brushed over which I was surprised by only because they were featured so heavily and then it was just a sentence and that was it? I thought maybe we get into some of the grief

The narrator Imogen Church took on the role of all the contestants and then some. I thought her narration was great! I sometimes struggle with British narrators but I was good following along with her.

This book had a lot of themes that I loved: remote island/locked door, reality tv, couples, survival. 

Thank you SO much to St Martin's Press & St Martins Romance for the advance copy of this!
Thank you so much to Spotify Audiobooks for the complimentary audio!

This book will be out on Dec 10th.

I have been a fan of Jenny's works since her debut and my love of her work has only increased as each book comes out. This one is now my new favorite!

Haleigh was such a fun character to read throughout the book. I love the relationship between Haleigh and Jack. It was very evident from the beginning how close their and we learn through their friendship rules that something had occurred years ago that changed their relationship. Haleigh just felt so relatable being an adult but not feeling quite like an adult. And by that meaning feeling like she doesn't have things together compared to others. She is feeling the pressure to have a date to her sister's engagement party and one of the rules with Jack is they can't be each other's plus ones.

"You're amazing."
"I'm merely skilled with bath products."
"You're so much more than that, and you know it."

I love Haleigh's idea of having those closest to her pick her dates! It makes me wonder for myself who would my family and friends pick for me if I would be single. As much as I love Jack for Haleigh, I also really enjoyed seeing her interaction with Brian. He just seemed like such a great guy!! But it was just so hard to imagine Haleigh with anyone other than Jack. The way that Jack went about this was both cute and also annoying (not for readers but for Haleigh). "I hope it would help you see me. As an actual option, I mean."

I paired my reading with the audiobook and I thought Billie Bryant did a great job with the characters! She is a new narrator to me and I would listen to more from her.

Was this a little predictable? Of course but that is a romance book for you!
I still love the ride that romance puts us through to get to the happily ever after.

I cannot wait for her young adult book coming out in 2025 and of course her next adult book!

If you love a second chance, friends to lover, plus size romance - give this one a chance!

PS - We need a book about Brian! I feel like I need to see him get his happily ever after - please!

Mini Book Review: Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for the free copy of the book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary copy of the audio!

This book will be released on December 31st, 2024.

This was so cute! I don't normally read synopsis when I read book but I did read this one and I thought it sounded like a fun YA read. And it was!

Gemma was raised by a single mother with no connection to any of her family members. But Gemma learns that her grandfather died and left her a treasure to find. She is hoping to find inheritance at the end.

I love seeing Gemma explore Taiwan and learn about her culture! Her grandfather led her on such maze through the country! So many family secrets are unlocked and I felt bad because her mom kept him from her all her life. Gemma paired up with her middle school boyfriend Xander on the trip to help since his family was also involved in the hunt.

I know this is a young adult book but I was hoping for a wee bit more swooniness between Xander and Gemma. I did like that they talked about what cause their breakup 4 years prior and how it all pretty much ended over miscommunication. I like how they reconnected though over this treasure hunt.

I read half of this book in tandem with the text and then the last half with audio only. I thought the narrator Yu-Li Alice Shen did a good job portraying Gemma and all the characters. Her tone and inflection came across as a teenage girl.

If you are looking for an adventure YA through Taiwan filled with riddles and reconnections!

**I do not rate NF books**

I do not read many memoirs so I cannot compare this to others but this was excellent! 

Cher is such a force to be reckoned with! And it's amazing how much she was able to remember from her early childhood. I love that it also sounded as if she interviewed her mother to learn about her upbringing. I felt that it was important to Cher's story as it impacted her childhood. 

I felt like I knew a lot of about Cher from her 90s Behind the Music and other shows like it but that only skimmed the surface. Cher did a great job with details of her family life and the dreams of her mother. Hearing her mom's struggles and strength, makes so much sense for why Cher is the way she is. 

One thing I always loved about Cher is how much she will stick to her guns. She knows when things don't feel right and will fight for what is right. She just has led this most amazing life and I am so glad to be living in a world where we have her. And if you think you know the story, I can guarantee you haven't. I love learning about her relationships with those that cross her path including some well known celebs. And the way she does it, doesn't feel name dropy. She herself cannot believe her life especially in her early 20s. 

I really appreciated her openness talking about her miscarriages. I had not realize she had 3 miscarriages before having her child Chasity/Chaz. 

Cher did do some of the narration but she tagged team with her friend, Broadway actress Stephanie J. Block (who also played Cher in the The Cher Show musical). Their voices were so close that sometimes I wouldn't even realize that the narration switch (which it will do mid chapter). 

This is only part one and this ends what I consider still pretty early in her career! The book covered a lot but there is still a whole lot more ahead. This one ended at the tail end of the 70s and we are gearing up to head into a big decade for her in the 80s.  

Highly recommend the audio! 

Mini Book Review: Thank you so much to Wattpad for the gifted copy of this book!

This book is totally not something I would have picked up on my own. But I am <i>trying</i> to incorporate more graphic novels into my reading. I am thankful that this was gifted to me as I do not think I would have picked this up on my own. 

The book read so quickly! I know it shows I took a while to read it due to just making time but I have read this in two chunks between the dates. 

This was a really cute book about a witch who does not have the best control of her powers. It has been fun to see how she navigates trying to turn a vampire Oz from a cat back into human form. The family dynamic have also been fun (and is it weird to say how cute the dad is?! He seems so young in the illustrations) and the whole witches vs vampires war played out on page. 

If you are interested in dabbling into the graphic novel world but unsure, this would be a great starting point! It is fun, easy, beautiful illustrations and the next volume will be out in March 2025! 

Mini Audiobook Review: 4.5 -This was my first Rainbow Rowell book and I will say I really enjoyed it!!! At first I wasn't sure what to expect from the book but I was genuinely surprised. I will say I was getting nervous as to where the book was heading but to my surprise it didn't go the way I thought it was. 

The title of this book is very accurate. If you are a fan of slow burns, this could be a good one for you. But if you are not a fan of miscommunication, you may want to sit this one out as I feel like this book was a whole bunch of miscommunications. Shiloh and Cary have been playing this flirtatious dance from high school until their adult lives. Never figuring out the best timing that worked for them and if they even wanted to be with one another. 

I was very frustrated with Shiloh throughout most of it because Cary was so certain of his feelings (perhaps he did not communicate clear enough) but she insists that he wasn't telling the truth. I think this was partially her not thinking she was good enough for him in their younger days and then thinking her children & baggage was just too much for him. 

This book is told from two timelines - the past and current. We got to see them as they interacted in high school as well as in college. You can't help but root for them the entire time. I thought Rowell was able to showcase how complicated relationships can be. This was also my first book that had one of the love interest in the military. 

I took off half a point because as Shiloh alluded, they didn't really date before jumping ahead. I would have loved to have seen what dating would have been like between the two of them. 

I felt like that audiobook was well done and quick listen even though it is over 11 hours. Rebecca Lowman did a great job portraying all the characters but especially to Shiloh. 

I read this one for a book club and I'm anxious to hear what the others think about this one. 

Thank you so much to the author Kelly Reynolds for the complimentary copy!

This book is out now!

"You're good at it."
"Being Santa?"
"Making people happy."

This is the third and last of the Holidays in LA novellas and I think this is my favorite one! I can really tell the growth in Kelly's writing from the first novella to this one. I really feel her Rose City series has assisted in her growth.

I love how all the characters from the prior two books make appearances through the book. They are truly side characters in it.

There was just something about the main characters in this one that was different than the others. I felt like I knew who they were from start to finish. Nellie this attorney who moved to LA and Austin who is this photography with a heart of a gold both wind up living next to one another. Nellie had previously asked Austin out but he felt like she was too good for him and regretted instantly. Than as fate would have it during a 5k, their worlds would collide - literally. And from there out it seemed that they could not escape one another.

"The best things in life were usually the scariest too. Big jobs, big adventures, big love. I should know. They all terrified the shit out of me."

One thing I love with Kelly's writing is how she writes her spicy scenes. And boy does this it deliver in this! Even with it being a novella, when the romance hits there is no holding back! Also who knew that being on a Ferris wheel would be so hot.

This was just such an enjoyable read! You don't necessarily need to read the other two books in order to read this one. If you decide you may want to know more about the other couples Leighton and Killian and Bowie & Nora each have their own stand alone novellas.

PS - I didn't think there was going to be any more novellas in the series but my interest was peaked with Austin's assistant photographer Sloane and turns out she is kicking off a new series in 2025!! 

**I do not rate NF books**

Thank you so much to Gallery Books for a free copy of the book!
Thank you so much to Libro.FM & S&S Audio for the complimentary audio!

This book is out now!

If you ever wanted to know how the rich and famous eat while in Europe - you may want to give this book a read/listen! The way Stanley talks about food, you could tell he has such a passion for food - eating and preparing it.

Did I know what exactly it was that he ate? Not quite but it didn't matter because the way he describe the food made me want it. I currently cannot have pasta and this made me crave it so much! If you are looking for recipes, Tucci did include some scattered throughout.

I love that he wasn't afraid to talk about the bad food he would eat. He didn't do it in a rude way because let's face it. We all have had times when we were let down by a meal and sometimes when we think we are going to have a good meal and it ends up being not great.

"Home-cooked food strengthens our bonds when we are together, keep us connected when we are apart, and sustains the memory of us when we have passed away."

As someone who loves pop culture & Hollywood, this provided me with that glimpse behind the curtain as to what it's like to follow a working actor for a year. We got to see the privilege as well as the human side of him especially when he talked about his children and his parents. And don't worry he definitely named drop some of his famous friends.

I chose to read this via audio and Stanley's voice is just so relaxing to listen to. And it only would make sense for him to share his entries with us. He has such a great tone to listen to. The audio is not very long at all. I started this at a weird time so it took me longer than normal but this easily could be consumed in a day (under 8 hrs).

Bonus: There were two mentions of my favorite human being Harry Styles - that was a surprise mention that I was so happy to see!

Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the advance copy of this book!
Thank you so much to the author Jessica James for having me on her traveling arc tour!

This book will be out Jan 7th, 2025.

"If the media sees me as a thunderstorm, he was always the sunshine streaming through the clouds after the rain, light shining on everyone around him.

This book had everything I could ever want in a contemporary romance. I had heard this book months ago after fellow author Alicia Thompson raved about it. Even though I never had the "look" of a scene kid, I was very into emo/pop punk music of the mid 2000s. So this scratch that itch as I don't believe there has every been a book about an indie pop punk band.

The book is told from two point of views - one from Valerie our fearless lead singer and the other from Caleb our strong and quiet bass player. Valerie is our FMC who is going through a lot. Her tv show is on the brink of cancellation, her reputation isn't the best and she feels in order to get in the good graces of the media she wants to reunite her old band The Glitterbats (sound familiar Justin Timberlake *cough*).

The tension between the group members is felt through the book. Some have stayed in touch more than others. We do learn why the group disbanded seemingly out of nowhere 6 years prior.

Valerie. Oh Valerie. She meant so well but just went about things wrongly. She was under so much pressure being a female entertainer and having everything she does scrutinize by everyone. She needed this reunion to work. She felt like she was out of options to rehab her career. I really loved Valerie as a character. She was complex but also wasn't afraid to let loose. I thought the way Jessica wrote the relationship between the female characters was so well done.

I loved the other band members! Even though we did not get their point of view specifically, we got to know more about them in each of the views. Keely was such a firecracker and told it as it is. I would like to say she was the unofficial spokesperson for the band. She was not afraid of stand up to Valerie. Riker like Caleb was quiet but together they complimented one another. Lastly Jane who was the mediator of the group. She always was the voice of reason whenever disagreements would happen. She had a beautiful soul.

"Every time she smiles it hits me, how lucky I am to be in her orbit. But it's never just been an orbit. We collide, again and again, like two stars in an explosion of light and color.

Caleb and Valerie. These two lovebirds. Caleb and Valerie were childhood friends turn bandmates turn lovers into strangers and then lovers again. They had quite a ride throughout the book. But one thing that rang true is the love and respect they had for each other. They would absolutely do anything for one another. So when Valerie shows up at his door and asks him to be apart of the reunion, even if he had hesitation, he knew he could not say no to her. I love the two of them together and knowing their history it just makes you want them to work things out.

I just wanted to squeeze Caleb. He just came off as the sweetest man. He wanted to leave this world behind him and was content with teaching but being back in the scene brought all these complicated feelings back to him. I loved his relationship with the other band members and the glimpses we got to see of him with his family.

One minor trait that Jessica gave Caleb is that he is a short king! I absolutely love that! Most male characters/love interests are tall and muscular but he is short but his confidence makes him appear taller.

"I could live a hundred lifetimes and never deserve Caleb Sloane."

There is some mixed media between the chapters. I normally am not a big fan of them but in this I didn't mind it. I would also have been okay if it wasn't in the book either. I do want to check out the audio of this to see how some of it translate as there are moments where the lyrics are shown.

I just ate this book up and didn't want to stop reading. The book gave me elements from Julie & the Phantoms (which i was so happy the author mentions them in the acknowledgements), Daisy Jones, Tessa Bailey's Wreck My Plans, Laura Hankin's The Daydreams and the style of the 80s Barbie and the Rockers. Other reviews also mentioned Jem (I did not watch this growing up). So if those are your jam - give this one a try! Plus who doesn't love a second chance romance!