Audiobook Review – What You Wish For


After enjoying Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard, and on a romance kick, I wanted to try some of her earlier books. The premise here is a Sam is a librarian at a quirky little school that gets a tough new principal who wants to change everything and take away the school’s unique color. Sam has worked with him in the past when he was fun, so she tries to change his mind.

I enjoyed Sam’s character, the light, breezy writing style, and the fun, quirky town the story is set in, but ultimately the chemistry between Sam and Duncan wasn’t quite there for me. Would recommend to fans of Katherine Center or someone looking for a light, sweet romance.

⭐⭐⭐½

Not quite for me, but could be for you!

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – Nothing More to Tell


I’ve read quite a few of Karen McManus’s books now, and I think fans will definitely enjoy this latest one. The plot is pretty simple – three kids witness a murder, and there’s a lot of doubt as to if they told the truth. Brynn, determined to prove herself on her true crime internship, investigates.

As always, I really appreciated the quick writing style and the unexpected twists throughout the story. But, I wasn’t quite as drawn to these characters as I have been in past McManus books, and the relationship chemistry wasn’t quite there for me.

Would recommend for McManus fans and those looking for a fast-paced, plot-driven YA murder mystery.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

I’m always down for a fast-paced McManus mystery.

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – None Shall Sleep


This book follows serial killer survivor Emma Lewis and US Marshal candidate Travis Bell as they’re recruited by the FBI to interview convicted juvenile killers, and then get tangled up with an active case of a serial killer who targets teenagers.

Enter Simon, a teenage serial killer with a history with Travis, and an interest in Emma. This basically felt like Silence of the Lambs meets YA. Weirdly, Simon was my favorite character, and thought the audiobook narrator did an amazing job with him.

While I liked Emma and Travis’s backstories, I honestly thought their young ages were a little hard to believe. I feel like they should’ve been 21 or 22, but since the New Adult genre still isn’t a thing they were aged down. I wish we could’ve gotten a little more depth into their characters, and developed their buddy-cop relationship a little more. Their original assignment was sidelined super quickly, and I feel like Travis didn’t get as much air time as he should have.

All that said, the writing was wonderful, I enjoyed the pacing and the story, and the audiobook narration was awesome. This book feels like it’s setting up Emma and Travis’s (and Simon’s) partnership up for more adventures and I would totally read them! Definitely recommend to anyone interested in a fun YA crime story.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ¼

Twisted, creepy villain? I’m here for it

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – The Lost Husband


After loving Katherine Center’s The Bodyguard, I went back an picked up some of her earlier work. After rising tension with her mother, the Libby and her two young children move to the Texas country to live with an estranged aunt. The story follows them as they struggle to adapt to their new surroundings and finally heal… and of course there’s a handsome farm manager with his own baggage.

While I enjoyed this sweet romance, it was a little heavier than I like my romances, and the chemistry between O’Connor and Libby wasn’t quite there for me. The writing is lovely and well-paced but O’Connor’s backstory felt a little off. I did like the side characters though, and the ending is satisfying. Recommend for fans of sweet romance that’s a little heavier. You can also check out the movie with Josh Duhamel, which I feel was very faithful to the book… and thus I would give it the same rating.

⭐⭐⭐ ½

If it’s romance, for me, it’s gotta be light and fun!

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – Part of Your World


This is my third Jimenez book, and I think it ranks as my second favorite. Daniel is so easy to love, and I love how the town of Wakan has its own personality too. Though Alexis’s and Daniel’s love story is definitely cute (omg, the baby goat!) and the voice is fun – there were some elements I felt like weren’t fully explored (in general, I thought Daniel’s storyline could’ve used a little more development) and I found Alexis to be frustrating at times. The end is adorable and satisfying though, and it was definitely one of those books I couldn’t put down. Definitely recommended for romance fans and can’t wait to read more Jimenez books!

⭐⭐⭐⭐ ½

Elsa and I are officially Jimenez fans!
(Though seriously ready to exit our romance binge and read a different genre.)

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – You Deserve Each Other


Had this recommended to me by a coworker, and I definitely thought it was a fun premise. An engaged couple that wants to call off their wedding, but doesn’t want to be the one to actually do it – so instead they’re trying to goad the other into it. In the first 10% I definitely wasn’t liking Naomi or the couple’s dynamic, and didn’t think this one would be for me. But I was surprised with the amount of growth she went through in the novel, and definitely ended up cheering for them in the end. Although I do think it was resolved a little easily, would totally watch this movie.

⭐⭐⭐⭐¼

Elsa judges this one to a solid, enjoyable romance. (Although, we might be getting burned out on romances.)

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – The Heart Principle


So I really liked the Kiss Quotient and I enjoyed the Bride Test, so I was looking forward to Quan’s book. But even though this was dual-POV, I thought he was kind of an after-thought here, and I felt like he didn’t really get the story he deserved. Although the moments the main characters got together were sweet, their chemistry wasn’t quite there for me. Anna’s personal story (outside of the romance) is very heavy and seems to take over the book, and I felt like the resolution wasn’t quite as satisfying as I hoped it would be. Not really for me, but it could be for you! (3.5/5)

⭐⭐⭐½

I think this one’s a pass for Elsa.

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – The Bodyguard


This sweet romance is just super cute. What else is there to say? The voice pops, the characters are lovable, the premise is way friggen fun, and the cozy vibes are off the charts. Though bodyguard + celebrity really isn’t new ground, it still feels fresh here, and although I wish there’d been a little more action, I totally inhaled it. This is my first Katherine Center novel, but it definitely won’t be the last. Totally recommend to anyone looking for a sweet but fun romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Elsa wants more!

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – Love on the Brain


So, I really enjoyed the Love Hypothesis, and this book got a TON of hype so I was definitely looking forward to it but… I don’t think this one really delivered. I thought I was going into an enemies-to-lovers type of story, but… it’s more of just one big misunderstanding, the MC was leaning a little too hard into denial for me, and the reveal of the villain in the end seemed a bit moustache-twirley. The writing style was light and fun, but the characters and some scenes read *very* similarly to the ones in Love Hypothesis. So, I guess this one wasn’t really for me, but it might be for you! (3.5/5)

⭐⭐⭐½

Ehhh not really for me.

Thanks for reading!

Audiobook Review – In a Holidaze


So, this is obviously a Christmas romance, and if you’re picking it up, I assume you’re in the mood for a cute Christmas romance. If so, good news, this is a really cute groundhog-day Christmas romance! Mae makes a huge mistake and wishes the universe would show her what would make happy, and she gets stuck in her very own groundhog-day-style time loop. The voice is fun, the characters are cute, I think the childhood friends-to-lovers is done really well here, and I liked the message of finally going after what you really want. Would totally watch the movie. I didn’t think there was anything mind-blowing here, but if you’re looking for a cute Christmas romance with a cozy vibe, this one totally fits the bill.

⭐⭐⭐⭐½

A super cute Christmas romance. Netflix, I’m ready for the movie!

Thanks for reading!