It always feels a bit trite to say, “This was my first book by [author], but it won’t be my Thank you Dreamscape Media for the audiobook!
3.75/5 stars
It always feels a bit trite to say, “This was my first book by [author], but it won’t be my last!”—but that really sums up how I feel here. This is a good book: the writing is solid, the story is entertaining, and it strikes the right balance of sweet and sexy without veering into full-on steamy.
That said, I didn’t connect with it on a deeper level. The market is saturated with romcoms, holiday romcoms, and hockey romances, so it takes something really special to stand out. While this one was enjoyable, it didn’t quite have that extra spark. It’s very trope-heavy—fake dating, brother’s best friend, hockey romance, enemies to lovers, second chance. All great tropes, but they felt more like a checklist here than carefully selected elements woven together to create something unique.
Overall, Holiday Hostilities entertained me, and I’m glad I read it. If you’re a hockey romance fan looking for a seasonal read to celebrate Christmas, this is a great option. As for me, I’m looking forward to reading more of Katie Bailey’s backlist!
Audio: This dual POV story features two narrators—a huge plus in my book. Both delivered solid performances, though I didn’t love either. There wasn’t anything “wrong” with their performances — just personal preference and the kind of voice I wanted to hear for these characters....more
Thank you Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook.
tl;dr: Snow Going Back has all the ingredients for a great book, but it focuses so much on tellingThank you Dreamscape Media for the gifted audiobook.
tl;dr: Snow Going Back has all the ingredients for a great book, but it focuses so much on telling rather than showing that I struggled to connect with the story and characters. Overall, 3 stars
There’s a lot to like: the characters are engaging and the plot has serious potential. I even laughed out loud a few times. But it’s missing that extra spark — the depth that pulls a reader into the story and makes them care about it.
For example, the main character describes the town she’s visiting as enchanting and unlike anything she’s ever experienced… but as the reader, we don’t see any of this from her actions or written description — we’re simply told. This pattern of telling over showing runs throughout the book, leaving the story feeling flat where it could have been vibrant.
I’d love to see this book re-worked with more focus on character and setting development, because the bones are there and it could be a real winner. As is though, it’s not for me.
Audio: I didn’t love the narrator either, unfortunately! The MC is British but the narrator’s British accent doesn’t sound authentic. The intonation feels off and the subtle nuances that native speakers use are missing....more
This is the book for anyone who’s ever pinned their hopes on that one thing—the belief that once I aThank you to Harlequin Audio for the gifted copy.
This is the book for anyone who’s ever pinned their hopes on that one thing—the belief that once I achieve [insert goal here], everything will finally make sense. For Emma, that milestone is the one-year anniversary of her sobriety. But when the day comes and goes, she’s left grappling with the realization that life doesn’t magically transform, and she’s not the flawless human she imagined she’d become.
This is a deeply relatable, somewhat dark, yet ultimately hopeful novel about the journeys we take and how they often end up being more meaningful than any specific destination. I read this at the exact right moment in time, and I just loved it.
Narration Notes: Karissa Vacker is one of the most prolific narrators out there, and for good reason. She’s phenomenal, bringing Emma’s journey to life in the way that only KV can. If this book sounds up your alley, the audiobook is a must-listen.
Know Your Newlywed is a full-cast audiobook rom com from Simon & Schuster Audio. It’s a unique listening experience that’s quite different from traditKnow Your Newlywed is a full-cast audiobook rom com from Simon & Schuster Audio. It’s a unique listening experience that’s quite different from traditional audiobooks, but one I’d recommend! Thanks to Simon Audio for the gifted copy.
The story follows Cleo and Javi who meet on a dating app and quickly bond over their mutual love of the old game show Know Your Newlywed. When they hear the show is getting a reboot, they decide being on the show is worth faking a marriage for a 30-minute episode. Unsurprisingly, their chemistry lands them a spot on the show, but there’s twist! The reboot is a season-long competition where couples will complete for a life-changing cash prize (I can’t remember the amount! Maybe half a million? It’s big). Despite barely knowing each other (and never having met IRL), they decide to take a page out of Taylor Swift’s book and “fake it ’til they make it” (and they do!).
The production takes some getting used to. For example, the opening scenes are set in an airport and feature a lot of background noise — by design, but distracting at first. Stick with it, though — after this scene, the full-cast production is really fun and immersive. I typically listen to audiobooks at 2.0-2.5x speed, but I found 1.5x was the sweet spot here. It’s an engaging pace without distorting the sound effects.
As a full-cast audiobook production, there’s no traditional narration or stage direction. With dialogue and sound effects carrying the entire story, strong writing is essential — and the writers deliver. That said, I didn’t love the kissing scenes. I would have preferred a fade-to-black moment where a character jokingly says, “I’m going to kiss you now,” rather than listening to kissy noises.
Overall, I’m really impressed with this S&S audio original. It’s a cute story and the format is fun and fresh. I’d recommend it to romcom fans looking for a quick read to help meet their 2025 reading challenges!...more
Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC.
What It’s Like In Words reminded me a bit of The Book of George, but from the girlfriend’Thank you Henry Holt and Macmillan Audio for the ARC and ALC.
What It’s Like In Words reminded me a bit of The Book of George, but from the girlfriend’s perspective. The author did an amazing job portraying what it’s like to be in love with the wrong person. I wanted to just shake some sense into Ebola, but at the same time, I related deeply to her experience and the constant making of excuses for the one she loves. It’s a bit triggering and sometimes difficult to read, but it’s also brilliantly executed and so relatable that I found myself absolutely captivated. It’s got a strong voice, uses evocative language, and portrays multi-dimensional, well-developed characters. I did get a little confused with the timeline, unsure of whether I was in present day or past, but it usually became apparently fairly quickly.
I’d definitely recommend it to lit-fic readers or upmarket fiction readers in the mood for a character-driven story.
Audio: Victoria Blunt performs the audiobook brilliantly. She’s easy to understand (sometimes an issue for me with British narrators) and brings authentic emotion to her performance that made Enola seem so real to me. A+ audio!
Overall ratings Exact star rating: 3.94 5-pt star rating: 4
3.63 stars rounded up. Thanks to PRH Audio for the ALC.
I read the first book in this series two years ago, so it took me a while to reorient myself to3.63 stars rounded up. Thanks to PRH Audio for the ALC.
I read the first book in this series two years ago, so it took me a while to reorient myself to the story. I’d recommend refreshing your memory or re-reading the first book to fully enjoy this one.
Overall, I liked the book. The twists completely caught me off guard, andafter that ending, I'm definitely in for book three. That said, the pacing felt uneven — the middle dragged quite a bit before picking up in the final 20%.
I enjoyed the mystery and appreciated the callbacks to classic detective and spy novels, but the main character annoyed me at times. She’s gullible and falls for anyone who’s nice to her. I’m hoping to see her do more critical thinking and develop an actual backbone in book three.
Audio: The narrator is fantastic. She draws you into the story with a traditional audiobook voice that makes you feel like part of the narrative. She’s performed several of Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books and has more upcoming projects I’m excited about — definitely one to keep on your radar!...more
"How dare him! How dare all the men!" - Nora Dahlia, Pick Up (best line in any book, ever?)
Thank you Gallery Books for sending me this absolute gem of"How dare him! How dare all the men!" - Nora Dahlia, Pick Up (best line in any book, ever?)
Thank you Gallery Books for sending me this absolute gem of a romcom. I adored Pick Up and already want more Nora Dahlia in my life—IMMEDIATELY! This book is sharp and funny with well-developed characters as flawed as they are relatable. The romance is perfection, and the banter? Absolutely something to write home about.
That said, I think the marketing for this book does it a bit of a disservice, leading to lower reviews based on mismatched expectations. It’s compared to Christina Lauren and Kate Clayborn, but to me, it felt more akin to Annabel Monaghan (for the characters) and Amy Poeppel (for the setting). If you enjoy these authors and know to expect this type of story, I truly think you’ll love it.
My only small critique is with the steamy scenes. As someone who often skips them, I found they felt particularly out of place here and not organic to the flow of the story. This is one romance where the connection between the characters would have been just as compelling, if not more so, without the added steam.
Anyways, if that sounds remotely up your alley, read it. I know you’ll love it!
PS I Hate You is a beautiful debut that puts a Hating Game twisThank you Berkley for the gifted early copy.
4.5 stars, I already want to read it again.
PS I Hate You is a beautiful debut that puts a Hating Game twist on the classic PS I Love You storyline. At her brother’s funeral, Maddie receives a letter from him asking her and Dom, his best friend, to spread his ashes across the eight states he never got to visit. He leaves them coordinates for each location and a letter to be opened when they arrive. This is a HUGE problem for Maddie because she hates Dom but wants to read the final eight letters from her brother. Reluctantly, Maddie agrees to the plan and finds that maybe her strong feelings for Dom aren’t so hateful after all.
I cried multiple times on multiple days while reading this book, especially towards the beginning. Maddie’s feelings of hopelessness and helplessness leapt straight off the page and into my heart, and I felt so devastated for her. I loved watching her adventures and seeing her grow. Found family is a huge theme of the story, how you CAN choose your family, and what it means to love unconditionally. Maddie wouldn’t have made it to the other side of her grief without the help of her chosen family.
I also LOVED LOVED LOVED the romance between Maddie and Dom. He’s down bad for her and I’m a goner for that trope. There’s great banter when Dom comes out of his shell, but I even enjoyed the scenes where it’s just Maddie teasing him and him brooding, because her internal monologue about those conversations is hilarious.
This book had me going from crying to laughing with a the turn of a page, and I mean that literally: I started laughing OUT LOUD with tears still fresh on my cheeks from sad crying. This beautiful story is filled with themes of sibling love and chosen family, second chances and sweet romances, and it’s an absolute, 100%, must-read for romance readers everywhere.
Elizabeth • LizziePageReads
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Books:
2024-12
(9)
