Contemporary

They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I picked up this book on a whim because of how popular it was on social media. I really loved the general storyline of knowing that a character was going to die at some point in the day (didn’t know when or how), and then following them through their last day. I found myself always trying to find clues on how each one would pass, but every time I thought I might have the answer, it didn’t happen! I also really loved the dynamic between our two main characters and their slow budding romance. It was cute and adorable, and I really wished they had more time together.

View all my reviews

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I picked up Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall on the spur of the moment. Let me tell you, I’ve never been so happy. This wonderful novel is incredibly charming. Featuring many witty banter between characters, I’ve breezed through the pages so fast. There is very little that I disliked from the storyline. I loved the variety of characters and all the inner monologue from our main character. The author took the time to give each main character enough of a backstory to keep me satisfied. The storyline felt quite authentic and real to me to the point that I felt so deeply for the characters and their issues. Everyone is dealing with something, and just trying to get through each day. Seriously, if you haven’t picked up this book yet, you really should.

View all my reviews

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I bought this book on a whim because I was seeing it all over social media. I can proudly say that this book really deserves all the hype it’s been getting. Seriously, it’s damn good and I sped through the pages like crazy! There was just so much to love! The main character, Olive, was socially awkward and quirky, which was so lovely to see. Adam, the main lead was handsome, seductive, and yet the biggest teddy bear when it came to Olive. I loved their chemistry and seeing how it only grew throughout the book. There were moments I wanted to yell and slap Olive silly for how dense she was, but I think it was all part of her natural charm! I was also surprised with how spicy it was since I wasn’t expecting it, but secretly loved all of it. It was also lovely to see the LGBTQ+ representation in the side character, which was natural and not filled with the normal angst that comes with the themes in order books. Seriously, try this book out if you haven’t.

View all my reviews

Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If you loved The Love Hypothesis, you will most likely enjoy Love on the Brain. Carrying the same kind of scientific themes and whitty but quirky banter, this will easily become a crowd favorite. I loved everything about this book from the character dynamic, to the banter between the two, to the complex scientific explanations thrown throughout the book. Honestly would recommend this to everyone.

View all my reviews

Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood is one of her Steminist Novellas. Being the third book I’ve ever read from this author, I loved how it still carried all the charm, quirky banter, and adorable coupling from this author’s other books and writing style. There’s something with how this author writes that makes each one of her characters relatable and charming. Though this was a short read, I still loved it. Even the really awkward spice scene. Can’t wait to read the others.

View all my reviews

Coming Up for Air by Amanda Meuwissen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I honestly thought this short standalone story was really cute. I picked it up on whim from amazon, and I’m pleased to say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The dynamic between the main couple is lovely and I liked how I got a sneak peak into the side characters relationships as well. Though I wish there was more information at times because they were just so adorable.

View all my reviews

The Locker Room by Amy Lane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m going to be honest here. When I picked up this book last night to read, I didn’t expect to be thrown into such a heartwarming tale of two young boys meeting and slowly finding the meaning of love with each other as they grow up. The author really takes us through so many heart-crushing moments that Chris and Xander go through, and yet they always come out stronger and more in love with each other. Seriously, I cried like a babe a few times (mostly the last 50 pages or so) while reading because I was hit with how strong-willed and determined both the characters were to be with each other, despite all the shit they were forced to go through.

Personally, I thought this was really well written, with the author balancing enough time between Chris and Xander’s POV’s. I also thought that this story was really relatable and something that people in this day and age are still dealing with, just like the characters.

Seriously, if you want to know the meaning of love and sacrifice, I highly suggest picking up this book and giving it a whirl. This story was better than more than half of the heterosexual romance novels I’ve read to this day and really truly made me believe in true love.

View all my reviews

Die for Me by Amy Plum
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t normally read anything related to zombies and the like. But this series was one I thoroughly enjoyed reading many, many, MANY times. Beautiful cover art and interesting characters. I’m also in love with Vincent… 😀

View all my reviews

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was utterly adorable. It’s the first time I’m reading something from this author, but I’m happy with the result. Who wouldn’t love a quirky contemporary romance with romance and plenty of geeky conversations? I think Danica and Titus are wonderful together, and I fell in love with the storyline from the first chapter! Such a lovely quick read.

View all my reviews

A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have to say, I quite enjoyed this book. The beginning felt a bit slow for my tastes but once you get about halfway, everything starts to happen in a good way. I thoroughly enjoyed the idea of taking well-known, Sherlock Holmes stories and crafting them to match the modern-day. Even the choice of characters (Charlotte Holmes and James Watson) are descendants of the famous Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. The storyline was interesting since these particular characters are from London, but are doing a university degree out in the Americas. At times the writing felt a bit silly and I didn’t connect much with Charlotte, but I did overall enjoy this read. I look forward to how the story progresses in the next book.

View all my reviews

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I can not explain how much I loved this book! Seriously, there’s so much to enjoy in the writing and the characters are just so loveable and cute. I really enjoyed the commentary between characters but also their inner thoughts. It felt more raw and connectable to me. I can clearly see why this book blew up the internet and continues to be a crowd favouite!

View all my reviews

Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Girl, Unstrung by Claire Handscombe is the perfect coming of age story featuring an adorable 14-year old viola player. This contemporary YA novel was refreshing for all the right reasons and steered away from the normal ‘high school’ drama in many other books. I thought each of the characters was well developed and I enjoyed that I was finally reading a book that showcases music! (I’m also a music major, so I was quite excited). I really enjoyed how our main character, Clara, was sometimes awkward and not as confident when conversing with others. It gave the book a bit of human touch, in which made me love it even more.

I received an arc for this novel from the lovely author for an honest review. My thoughts are my own, and I’m definitely recommending this to others!

View all my reviews

It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Holy crap, this was, amazing. Heartbreaking. Emotional. Dark. Romantic and yet funny. Literally all of these and so much more. I haven’t read a book so heavy and heartfelt in a really long time, so this book kind of blew my mind. There’s something so addicting about the candid, raw writing style, that really gets to you and digs down into your soul as you follow along with the story. I wasn’t ready for all the feels it was going to give me. (Honestly, I went in not knowing a single thing about this novel and thinking it was a cute rom-com. Oh man, I was horribly wrong but in the best of ways). I don’t think I could ever really explain how powerful this was and now I could easily see why It Ends With Us blew up on social media with 4 or 5-star reviews. Truly amazing! *Warning, this is not for young adults or people that have issues reading about abuse and suffering. Read at your own risk.*

View all my reviews

My [Not So] Slutty Professor by D.K. Sutton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Despite the title of the book, I found this novel so utterly charming. Though there was instant attraction for one of the characters, I loved how they took their time and built up chemistry. Reid is such a cinnamon roll that you just want to protect with your soul and Maddie is your gentle protector. Love the book and can’t wait to read the next one!

View all my reviews

Claw by Ellen Mint
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Now, I’ve had the pleasure of reading some of Ellen Mint’s other books and this one didn’t disappoint me. I personally thought the general story was fun and cute (with a sex demon and all). Plus, there was enough drama to keep me quite engaged. (The book literally starts to a very ‘spicy’ scene between the protagonist and incubus demon). I also thought that the world-building was well done and there was enough character growth to satisfy me.

I would recommend this series but only to older young adult – adults!

View all my reviews

Fang by Ellen Mint
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fang, the second book in the Coven of Desire by Ellen Mint, was just a bundle of chaos…. but in the best way. With Cal heading to Santa Fe and suffering through personal issues, Layla follows him in hopes to support him. It’s so lovely to see their relationship grow and Ink is really an intriguing character. This series is perfect for getting you out of any reading slump, as long as you enjoy spice! Can’t wait for the next book in the series and seeing where the characters take us next!

View all my reviews

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was honestly really cute. I don’t normally care for contemporaries, but this novel was definitely one that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed. There’s plenty of witty/ quick humor, plenty of drama, and a really cute couple shipping! Plus, I was really surprised with how casually LGBTQ+ themes slide into the overall story arch, which I absolutely LOVED. Honestly, such an adorable read!

View all my reviews

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Ex Hex was such a delight to read. I’ve kept seeing this book all over social media and so I finally bought it on a whim. I wasn’t expecting the incredibly attractive witty banter, handsome yet adorable ex, or the actually good storyline. This was funny, cute, and creative all at once. Not only that but there was a lot of really spicy buildup of sexual tension, that had me on my toes the whole time grinning. Such a great book!

View all my reviews

One Little Word by Finn Manning
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

One Little Word is the first book from One More Thing series by Finn Manning. I thought it was incredibly charming. Featuring a MM romance and sports, I thought the storyline was interesting. Though you can clearly tell this was a young. adult novel (the characters didn’t have the maturity or wiseness that comes from adult-related books), it was nice to read an LGTB+/Queer novel with sports themes. It’s not usually something I’ve seen, which might have been why I was so excited to pick this up. Overall, it’s cute, deals with real problems, and was interesting.

View all my reviews

A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m a sucker for anything witchy-related, plus I really enjoyed Hester Fox’s previous book: “The Witch of Willow Hall”. I thought the transitions between past situations and present reality were written smoothly and easy to follow. The more backstory was presented to us, the more the reality got complex and built. Though I do wish for a bit more character development, I was still quite pleased by the overall story and characters. I’ll definitely be re-reading this novel in the future.

View all my reviews

Her Keepers by Laura Camby McCaskill
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m rating this a 3.7 out of 5 Stars.
If you like thrillers with a supernatural twist, this might just be a book for you. The story follows around a 14-year-old, Tess, an orphan, and her guardian, Angela, as they arrive at a dark and creepy house. But the house isn’t just creepy appearing. When Tess is in danger, the house moans, and creaks. When it suddenly becomes cold, one of Tess’ dead brothers appears to protect her. As secrets slowly reveal themselves and Tess learns not only who she is, but who these ‘ghosts are’, she becomes close with Angela.

To be honest, the beginning wasn’t that eye-catching to me. It wasn’t until halfway through the book that I was suddenly invested in the storyline. The writing style is simpler than I’m used to, but as you get more comfortable with it, you actually feel like the simplicity makes the story raw and full of emotion. It’s quite direct in terms of writing style and Laura doesn’t bother painting a whole magical landscape for you all at once, which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed seeing Tess’ character develop as she continues to live in her new house and learn who these ghosts are through a series of flashbacks. Be prepared to go on a rollercoaster of emotions as by the end of the book I was in tears!


View all my reviews

Echoes by Laura Tisdall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’ve originally picked up this book because I love her musical compositions (seriously, go listen to them on her website. All of the songs from “The In-Between” are fantastic in my humble opinion). Truly, this book was quite different than any other YA I’ve picked up over the years in a great way. I. loved the characters and storyline. Highly recommend if you can get your hands on a copy of this book!

View all my reviews

The Time Traveler’s Guide to Modern Romance by Madeline J. Reynolds
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I could describe this book in one word, it would probably be ‘adorable’. I don’t usually read novels with a time-traveling theme, but this one was so perfectly chessy and cute, I couldn’t pass it up. The dynamic between the couple is lovely and there was just enough drama to move the plotline forward. I think this novel just became one of my comfort reads!

View all my reviews

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I want to start off by saying that I chose this book completely on a whim because I kept seeing EVERYONE talking about it. I don’t normally do contemporary (just not a favorite of mine). But this was AMAZING. Truly! I love the dynamic between the characters and their small jabs at each other daily. It was also really cute to see how much they unconsciously cared for each other in their own way. I felt like a proud mother when confessions were finally spoken and they became an item! Beware, there is a lot of sexual tension build-up, so please make sure you are of age to read!

View all my reviews

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson was the first book I’ve read from this author and I loved it! It’s adorable novella since it’s under 100 pages, so quite a short read. Featuring witchy/warlock themes, marriage issues, spirits/ energy; this was the perfect quick read to get me out of a reading slump. Even though it’s short, there was plenty of drama to keep me satisfied and I loved the Bi representation in the story as well!

View all my reviews

Dear Evan Hansen by Val Emmich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

If you love the musical, you should really read this novel. Not only does it go further in dept of the overall storyline, but we really get to witness some character sides of the story that was otherwise not shown in the musical. Truly a great read!

View all my reviews

Stolen Fate by V.T. Do
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of contemporary romance with plenty of spice and a strong feminine, Stolen Fate by V.T. Do is definitely a book for you. This amazing stand-alone novel threw me on a whirlwind of emotions with some of the scenes. Things got really real, really fast and I was all here for it. Though I found the writing a bit slow-paced than something I would normally read, I did enjoy the flow of the overall writing and found that the pacing didn’t bother me much. By the end of the novel, my heart went out to Jace and Evelyn and their happily ever after. Wonderful book.

Arc was generously provided for an honest review!

View all my reviews