REVIEW: Sweet Spot by Staci Hart

 

OUR REVIEW:

When Staci Hart publishes, I read it. Period. She has never let me down. Not ever. Sweet Spot continues that streak. In this newest addition to the Roseville Ramblers series, we get to learn more about why Grey is so grumpy and how, exactly, Molly breaks through. 

This was fun, y'all. Molly is just so sweet and Grey is so broody and it shouldn't work but it does. It really, really does. These two cannot get enough of each other, even though Grey tries really hard to deny it, and so what we get is a novel full of these two exploring all of the things Molly wants Grey to teach her-from softball, to house stuff, to anything Molly's heart desires. And y'all, Molly has some desires. Hooooboy, this one is a steamfest. So steamy. So spicy. And yet, so sweet and cute and so very easy to read and adore these two, and really, all of the extended cast of characters.

Looking for a sweet and spicy spring break read? This one is the exact one you need.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4tkAxT0

SYNOPSIS:

I should absolutely, under no circumstance develop a crush on my co-worker--the grumpy, wolf-daddy, much older high school baseball coach.

First problem? He's twenty years older than me. Second? I've never even been kissed. Third? When I ask him to teach me, he said yes.

In my defense, Grey Brooks is a great coach. As an elementary school librarian, I know more about books than swinging hammers or baseball bats. I thought I was a lost cause, but from showing me how to throw a baseball to fixing up my rickety old house, all he does is teach me. And somewhere between the lessons and the laughter, we become friends. So asking him to teach me to kiss...etc, just makes sense. Right? Right?

He makes rules. Keep it casual. Keep it secret. Keep the feels in check.

But in a small town where everyone's watching, nothing stays secret for long. Every rule we break blurs the line between lessons and love, the rumors are getting louder, and Grey thinks he's going to ruin me.

He might be right. But not for the reasons he thinks.

Because there's more than gossip hiding in Roseville. And by the time I see the danger coming, the only person who can save me is the one everyone says I should stay away from.

REVIEW: The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff

 

OUR REVIEW:

If I were a sobber, I'd have sobbed by the end of this book. I'd heard that this book, The Bright Years, would do that to you, but since I'm not typically one to cry, I didn't think I'd cry. There were tears, y'all. Good tears. Sad tears. Tears because of the truth this novel revealed. Gah. So good. For a novel that spends so much time examining grief and the complexity of love and relationships and being human, you'd think that I wouldn't feel so warm and fuzzy about it, but I do. I needed this. I needed to be reminded of how fleeting and precious our time on this earth is, even when it feels so arduous and dull and monotonous and excessively difficult or challenging, it ends way sooner than maybe we want it to. It reminded me that yes we make mistakes but we also create opportunities. We aren't binary, we contain multitudes and as complicated as that may be to acknowledge, if we can, it may ease some of the complicated things we carry with us. How many times can I write complicated?  All of that to say, that when I put this novel down, I felt sad for these characters and the time they lost to hard to process feelings and it made me want to just try to live life a little better with, and for, those who are walking on this ground around me. 

The Bright Years surprised me. I read it in one day. I absolutely could not put it down. With its spare diction and raw emotion, quick pacing, complex characters, and unflinching stare into the pain that comes with living and dying, I could not stop reading it until it was over. 

I love that this is Sarah Damoff's debut because it means that I'll have years of upcoming releases to look forward to. I also hate that it's her debut because I don't have a backlist to read. Also...it's so good, how is it her debut?! Kudos to her! 

If you're a mood reader like I am and need an emotional read, read this. You won't regret it. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4c19bvN

SYNOPSIS:

One family. Four generations. A secret son. A devastating addiction. A Texas family is met with losses and surprises of inheritance, but they’re unable to shake the pull back toward each other in this big-hearted family saga perfect for readers of Mary Beth Keane and Claire Lombardo.

Ryan and Lillian Bright are deeply in love, recently married, and now parents to a baby girl, Georgette. But Lillian has a son she hasn’t told Ryan about, and Ryan has an alcohol addiction he hasn’t told Lillian about, so Georgette comes of age watching their marriage rise and fall.

When a shocking blow scatters their fragile trio, Georgette tries to distance herself from reminders of her parents. Years later, Lillian’s son comes searching for his birth family, so Georgette must return to her roots, unearth her family’s history, and decide whether she can open up to love for them—or herself—while there’s still time.

Told from three intimate points of view, The Bright Years is a tender, true-to-life novel that explores the impact of each generation in a family torn apart by tragedy but, over time, restored by the power of grace and love.

REVIEW: Rose Hill Series by Elsie Silver

OUR REVIEW:

On the advice of a book blogger I gave this series a try and it was the perfect way to start my new reading challenge. As soon as I finished one book, I was downloading the next. This series reminded me of some of my favorite comfort read authors in that nothing about these novels was earthshatteringly new but they entertained me, made me care about the characters, and fall in love with the small town of Rose Hill. 

In each of these novels, there was a character searching for a partner who could really see them, to see past the armor put up and see the soft inner vulnerable part of them. Each of our male characters were used to pushing their own needs and wants aside and while they each wanted a relationship with a good, kind, caring person, they never felt that they deserved it. So naturally, when a woman comes into their lives and seems like the perfect fit, it takes time for them to accept that it'll work. Each of our female main characters also has to overcome some things-but mainly they each have to relearn how to trust and believe in the potential for greatness with these men. Clearly they all figured it out, with a few bumps and bruises along the way, but I truly appreciate that Elsie Silver didn't torture us too much before she gave each couple their HEA.

If you're looking for a good, quick, easy to love series to consume, definitely give the Rose Hill Series a shot.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3Zyar1X

SYNOPSIS: click on the link above to get to know each book.

 

REVIEW: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

 

OUR REVIEW:

I think I overhyped this book and so the high expectations I had going in, which weren't fair, that I felt a little let down when I finished. I liked the idea of it and I liked the execution, for the most part, but I predicted much of the ending or the *gasp-y* parts and so it ended up being a solid four star read, rather than the five star I was hoping for. 

For me, I enjoyed the excerpts from Lorelei and the ideas she was pondering. I liked thinking about the morality and ethics of AI because of all of the unanswered questions. The annoyances of Noah and his kids felt realistic and based on the keen observation of teaching and working with young adults that the author's experience has given him. (Ugh, that was an awkward sentence that I am too lazy to fix). The fears and worries that the accident heightened or created was also interesting. 

I think if I'd been able to get into the head of all of the characters, I would've felt a little more engaged than I felt, but all in all a good read that asked me to consider, or reconsider, some of the big ideas that are coming our way. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/4qxH8rH

SYNOPSIS:

Set at a summer rental on the Chesapeake Bay, a riveting family drama about moral responsibility in the age of artificial intelligence, from the bestselling author of the “wise and addictive” (New York Times) The Gifted School.

When the Cassidy-Shaws’ autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret that implicates them in the accident.

During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident—suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI.

Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.

REVIEW: 107 Days by Kamala Harris

 

OUR REVIEW:

Honestly, it feels a little weird to review this but I read it and want to record my quick thoughts. In some ways I feel like this felt satisfactory when I finished--it gave me a sense of how all of it went down--from Harris being the Vice Presidential candidate to Presidential candidate and many of the days of her campaign. She gave some insight into her thoughts and emotions in a way that was diplomatic (which in my mind, is a signal that she is leaving the door open for future campaigning). I definitely got a sense of what she felt strongly about, what she cares about, and just how thoroughly prepared she was for what she hoped was coming next. I think the thing I wanted more of was the dirty details, the more emotive response about things, which is why it's weird for me to review this, because who am I to say how she should feel and express it?

Ultimately, very informative and I'm glad I read it.

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/3LvTBNM

SYNOPSIS:

For the first time, and with surprising and revealing insights, Kamala Harris tells the story of one of the wildest and most consequential presidential campaigns in American history.

Your Secret Service code name is Pioneer.
You are the first woman in history to be elected vice president of the United States.
On July 21, 2024, your running mate, Joe Biden, announces that he will not be seeking reelection.
The presidential election will occur on November 5, 2024.
You have 107 days.

Written with candor, a unique perspective, and the pace of a page-turning novel, 107 Days takes you inside the race for the presidency as no one has ever done before.

REVIEW: Avenging Angels: Bad Medicine by Kristen Ashley

 

OUR REVIEW:

Bad Medicine is the latest Kristen Ashley novel and you know we had to read it as soon as it went live. This series, Avenging Angels, has been a great companion to the Rock Chicks series and the more I get into it, the more I've enjoyed these characters. They have the zaniness of our favorites from the previous series, but they also have their own thing too. They're interconnected through work and their less than easy upbringings, which I like as a contrast to the Rock Chicks. In this book we get Willow and Gabe's (STARK...yes, related to THAT Stark) romance. And apparently Gabe's not one to deviate from his uncle's tradition of locking in early with his woman...much to Willow's chagrin (and eventual delight). These two are sweet and romantic and hilarious...all things that keep me coming back for more. Once a KA reader, always a KA reader. 

BUY IT: https://amzn.to/49bP6zG

SYNOPSIS:

Willow Knightley has just been through it with her ex-mooch of a boyfriend. But sadly, he’s just the latest in a long string of men (starting at birth) who didn’t treat her right.

She decides her only recourse is to give up on men forever.

The problem is, her friend/acquaintance/one-time bodyguard, member of the Nightingale Investigations & Security team, Gabriel Stark, has targeted her as His One.

Gabe’s been through it at the hands of women too, so he knows exactly what he wants.

And he wants Willow.

Willow states her case against them being an us, but she doesn’t count on the fact that not only does Gabe love a challenge, he lives for them.

Up against an onslaught from a man who rinses his own whiskers out of the sink, Willow might not stand a chance.

But then, while the Angels are trying to figure out what’s got one of their informants very jittery, she gets a hint that there are demons in Gabe’s history, and she has to know.

The bets are on…

And luck favors a Stark.