Tag: #readbooks

Mar 24

#crashintome

Okay, y’all — I wasn’t quite sure what to expect going into Crash Into Me. After The Idea of You I thought I had a feel for Robinne’s world. I was so wonderfully wrong.

This book is something else. Yes, it’s a slow-burn, emotionally charged story about Cecilia — a photographer of Jamaican descent living in LA with her French film director husband, whose carefully constructed life starts to crack open in the most beautiful way. But it’s also so much more than that. It asks real questions about where women — especially women of color — fit in spaces that weren’t built for them, and it does it without ever feeling preachy or heavy-handed.

As a long-time fan of Robinne’s, so much of this felt deeply personal. Those of us who have followed her for years, who know pieces of her life and her story, will feel her all over these pages — and that intimacy makes it hit even harder. I’ve had the privilege of meeting her, and she is genuinely one of the loveliest humans, which honestly makes loving her work that much easier.

The writing is gorgeous, the themes around race and identity and belonging are handled with such care, and the emotional gut-punches sneak up on you when you least expect them.

Robinne narrating her own work is going to be everything. I cannot wait for the audiobook to consume me.

This one is going to stay with me for a long time. Highly, highly recommend.

Mar 10

#thornbird

Thornbird by Elle Kennedy is a twisty YA thriller packed with secrets. 🖤🔍

Ryan Shipley returns to Starling carrying the darkest truth imaginable… she’s the daughter of a notorious serial killer. As the past begins clawing its way back, cryptic texts, buried clues, and shocking discoveries start piling up. And let me tell you… everyone is hiding something.

Ryan, Everett, and Chase are all tangled in a web of lies, and just when I thought I had the mystery figured out, another twist dropped. 😳

If you love thrillers full of secrets, small-town tension, and jaw-dropping reveals, Thornbird will keep you guessing until the very end. 📚🖤

Feb 23

#ifyoukeepme

If you love a reformed hockey playboy who falls slowly, deeply, and with his whole heart, Flip Madden will absolutely ruin you in the best way. 🏒🥹💖 This man is a full blown swoon machine.

Tally and Flip have been in each other’s orbit for years, and that history makes every moment between them feel electric. The tension, the restraint, the stolen glances… you can feel how much he wants her even when he’s trying to convince himself he shouldn’t. The forbidden element of being his coach’s daughter only raises the stakes, and watching him struggle between doing the right thing and following his heart was everything. 😮‍💨🔥

One of the most powerful moments was when Flip reflects, “Every new first with her replaces a painful memory. It’s like we’re rewinding time…” That single thought reveals just how deeply Tally heals parts of him that were broken. She isn’t just his future. She’s his second chance. And knowing this is what’s living in his head while he’s trying to keep his distance? My heart didn’t stand a chance. 💔➡️💞

Flip is protective without being controlling, sweet without losing his edge, and when he finally lets himself love her openly… the emotional payoff is perfection. The slow burn, the longing, the quiet devotion, and yes… the spice when it finally hits it’s so worth every second of the wait. 🌶️🥵

Their story is tender, emotional, and deeply romantic. It’s about healing, trust, and the kind of love that doesn’t just happen overnight but grows stronger with every moment. Flip Madden is officially elite book boyfriend material, and I will be thinking about him for a very long time. 🏒👑💖✨

Feb 21

#acrossthevanishingsky

Across the Vanishing Sky pulled me straight into the heart of Starlight Grove and never loosened its grip. Dex Archer is the ultimate broody protector, a man carved from shadows and silence, and watching him slowly open himself to Brae and her son was everything. Brae’s determination to uncover the truth about her missing friend added this constant undercurrent of tension that kept me glued to my headphones. And the twists… WOW. Just when I thought I knew who to trust, the story flipped everything upside down. It’s always the nice ones, and that realization hit like a lightning strike. Dex and Brae’s HEA felt hard-won and completely satisfying, and I am already emotionally invested in every single Archer brother.

The narration elevated this story to another level entirely. Samantha Brentmoor gave Brae so much heart and vulnerability, while Jason Clarke, Connor Crais, Sebastian York, Teddy Hamilton, and Adam Gold brought the Archer brothers to life with distinct depth and intensity. Every voice fit perfectly, making the emotional moments hit harder and the suspense feel razor sharp. This audiobook wasn’t just a listen, it was an experience. I’m officially obsessed with this series, and based on what we’ve seen so far, I have a feeling Orion’s story is going to absolutely destroy me…hopefully in the best way. 🥺🎧✨

Feb 07

#sweetpoison

Sweet Poison by Rachel Van Dyken is the perfect dark, decadent finale to Rise of the De Langes. 🖤 This book feels like stepping back into a world of tailored suits, whispered threats, and loyalty written in blood.

Louis and Tempest are explosive together. She thinks she’s choosing the game, the rules, and the weapon. Louis walks in like a man who already survived the fire and decided he’s done burning for everyone else. Their chemistry is sharp, dangerous, and completely addictive. 🔥

Seeing all our favorites from the Five Families make appearances felt like a reunion of legends, and longtime readers will love every nod to the past. We do say goodbye to a couple of OGs, which hurts, but it felt meaningful rather than cruel. I’m just grateful my main man made it through. 😅

The ending gives closure while still hinting that this world isn’t finished with us yet. Sweet, brutal, emotional, and perfectly mafia. A fitting send-off that tastes like honey… with a blade hidden underneath. 🗝️💀

Feb 01

#justforthecameras

Even though I’ve just finished reading Just for the Cameras and absolutely LOVED it, I am counting down the days to the audiobook like it’s a holiday on my personal calendar 🦩🎧

This book was just too fun, too flirty, and too chaotic in the best way not to experience again in audio form. Graydon’s broody energy and Maple’s sunshine chaos are living rent-free in my head, so hearing them actually come to life is going to be next-level magic.

And listen… I know what’s coming and I’m STILL hyped for the text convos and the muffin scene like they’re brand new 💀🧁💬

Meghan Quinn’s humor is already laugh-out-loud on the page, but in audio it turns into a full cinematic rom-com for your ears.

This is one of those rare books where rereading won’t feel like a repeat, it feels like unlocking a deluxe bonus level. Same flamingos, same banter, same swoon… just with voices, timing, and extra sparkle ✨💖

Jan 10

#chasingthering

I had the BEST time with this book. 🏈🌴
Iris is the kind of person you immediately want to be friends with, and Roman is absolute book-boyfriend perfection—confident, swoony, and way more heart than helmet.

What starts as a “just for fun” Hawaiian fling turns into laughs, heat, real feelings, and so many grin-worthy moments.

Lauren Rowe nailed the banter, the chemistry is off the charts🥵, and the HEA made my football & family-loving heart so happy.

I enjoyed Iris & Roman’s story almost as much as they enjoyed each other… maybe more 😂❤️

Jan 02

#justbreakingtherules

Lauren Blakely delivers swoon after swoon in Just Breaking the Rules! 🏒💖 Mabel and Corbin’s story is exactly the kind of sweet, slow-burn romance that makes you melt.

Corbin is the ultimate mix of hockey-star heat and devoted single dad—bossy, possessive, and impossible to resist—while Mabel’s drive to prove herself makes her endlessly relatable. Their chemistry is electric, from braiding hair in the kitchen to testing recipes that feel like foreplay, every moment had me rooting for them. And let’s be honest—Afternoon Delight has never tasted sweeter than when these two are mixing business with pleasure! 🍰💘

The audiobook narration by THE Teddy Hamilton and Ms. Samantha Brentmoor is pitch-perfect. Teddy’s Corbin is playful, protective, and swoony, and Samantha’s Mabel is warm, spunky, and full of heart. Together, they bring the story to life in a way that makes you feel like you’re right there in the bakery with them.

If you love brother’s-best-friend, single dad, workplace, and hockey romance tropes—plus the tension of “don’t mix business with pleasure”—this one will hit every sweet spot. Full of heart, humor, and heat, Just Breaking the Rules is a delicious escape you won’t want to put down.

Dec 20

#notsosimplelyrics

This was such a unique listen, and honestly, a huge part of why I loved it was the music. I loved this time in music so much, and I could absolutely sing along with every song that made Roderick and Kit’s late-night top fives. The mixtapes, the lyrics, the shared memories—it all made the story feel deeply personal.

(Not So) Simple Lyrics unfolds quietly and intimately, almost like reading someone’s private journal or being a voyeur to Roderick and Kit falling in love through their most honest, vulnerable thoughts. It isn’t flashy or rushed—this is a super slow burn, and that pacing makes every emotion feel earned.

Roderick Wilder was Kit’s first love and first heartbreak—the boy who made the one mistake she could never forgive. Twelve years later, Roderick returns not as the rising star he once dreamed of becoming, but as a broken, scarred man desperate for redemption. The epistolary elements—late-night messages, anonymous confessions, and shared lyrics—are where this story truly shines. Music becomes the bridge between who they were and who they’re trying to be.

There’s something especially poignant about a love story that understands timing. As the book so beautifully says, “we weren’t broken, just interrupted.” And it leaves you wondering—what if love isn’t something that ends, but something that waits?

Like the best songs from the 80s and 90s, this audiobook lingers long after it’s over—familiar, emotional, and still knowing exactly how to reach you. 🎶💙

Dec 06

#FallenGods

Fallen Gods feels like what would happen if Frozen, Marvel, and old-school mafia romance all had a beautifully unhinged baby—and I mean that in the best way. Rachel Van Dyken takes Norse mythology, modern power plays, dark family secrets, and slow-burn enemies-to-lovers tension and blends them into a story that feels epic, cinematic, and addictive.

We follow Rey, raised to be her father’s weapon—trained, sharpened, and sent into the lion’s den of Endir University on a mission that could rewrite the fate of the world. Her job? Steal Mjolnir. No pressure right 🥴. If she fails, the people she loves pay the price.😳

Aric Erikson is THE ice-cold heir to the enemy line, the last guy she should even look at twice. He’s all frost and distance, until cracks start to form…and suddenly the girl who’s been taught to follow orders finds herself questioning everything.
Their chemistry is sharp and absolutely magnetic.
Their stakes are literally world-ending.

The tension builds like a fuse burning toward a powder keg, with ancient gods stirring, secrets collapsing, and loyalties getting tested from every angle. It’s dark academia meets mythic chaos, with a dash of mafia-style manipulation and a romance that hits with the intensity of a storm.

These Fallen Gods will grab you from page one and refuse to let go.