Okay, so there are lot of the same tropes in all three of the Knockemout books. We’re basically talking rich, alpha male in the rough-around-the-edges-with-a-heart-of-gold town. It’s a spicy, foul-mouthed Hallmark movie, but I was intrigued by Lucian and Sloan’s childhood friends gone bad past, and I was not disappointed here. Though I didn’t really like book 2, I think you have to read it to know what’s going on in book 3, and I did enjoy seeing the gang with all of their happily ever afters. Not quite as good as book one, but a solid 4.5/5 for me.
Hmmm… I don’t really know how to rate this one. Nash and Lina just didn’t work for me like Naomi & Knox did from book one. It seemed like Nash & Lina’s relationship was based very much on the physical “well if it feels this good, it can’t be wrong” and “the body doesn’t lie” which I just didn’t buy. And honestly… I wasn’t feeling the chemistry, and individually, I didn’t like them as much as Naomi & Knox either.
That said, I still love the town and the side characters and I still want to read book 3, because my interest in the whole Lucian/Sloan situation is piqued, but if book 3 turns out not great, then I’d definitely recommend just reading book 1 as a stand-alone. (no rating)
I’m still kind of salty about this one. I really don’t trust sequels.
So this book was a great surprise. It is a foul-mouthed, spicy, unapologetic Hallmark movie. Is there anything particularly surprising here? No. But does it execute it with near perfection? Yes. So if you’re looking for:
– Quirky, rough-around-the-edges small town with heart of gold – Lovable side characters – Quick, witty dialogue – Laugh-out-loud moments – Found Family – Dual POV – Strong, broody, hurting, rich, & fist-fighty MMC – Lovable, recovering people-pleaser FMC – Complicated family issues
This totally saved my road trip, the narration was excellent, and I downloaded Knockemout 2 immediately after finishing. What can I say? I am but a simple person who loves me anything resembling a K-drama, and this hit it on all marks. Warning: the bonus epilogue shows them like 10 years down the road, contains intentional spoilers for book 2, and is skippable (though I enjoyed it.)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I mean, I loved it. I don’t know what else to tell you.
Aww this was such a strong YA romance. The YA voice feels authentic here, and I was totally able to connect with Sadie’s struggle with image, perfectionism, & people-pleasing. She was easy to like, and I enjoyed her development throughout the book. The story does a wonderful job of balancing sincerity & humor, and I thought the relationship between the leads seemed to grow naturally over time. Though I had mixed feelings about Julius at the beginning, he won me over with the little ways that his feelings for Sadie would pop through, and his genuine-feeling exchanges with her.
Definitely recommend for anyone looking for a sweet academic rivals to lovers that reads authentically YA.
I love Abby Jimenez’s writing style, but this one didn’t work for me. I felt like Xavier was doing all the work and making all the sacrifices for their relationship, and some of their choices as a couple & family, I felt like weren’t very smart. I was a huge fan of the early Jimenez books that felt more rom-commy, but these are also a little heavy for me. Jimenez books used to be an auto-read for me, but I think I’ve got to take a break for now. Life’s Too Short remains my favorite of hers! (no star rating)
My friend loved this one, but sometimes a book just isn’t for me.
I stopped everything so I could inhale this series, so that makes this a series review!
Book One:
So this was a complete surprise! I stumbled on this book when I was on a road trip searching Libby for an audiobook to read and picked this one up at random without knowing anything about it. Based on the cover, I honestly thought it would be too spicy for me, but it was so fun! It basically felt like Dexter except with more romance and if Dexter was a girl out for vengeance and also falling for the FBI agent that’s on her case.
Super fast paced with spice and some darkness, I’ll totally be looking for book 2!
Book Two:
I loved the first book but then explicably forgot to download the second. I’m SO glad I remembered because this series is legit addicting and the audio narration I amazing. Reminds me of Dexter during the best seasons and I had to download book 3 immediately and took the dog for a walk so I could listen. 🤣 Definitely recommend!
Book Three:
The series continues to be amazing. I really need to read the other audiobook loans I have from the library that are about to expire, but I want to binge the rest of the books so badly.
Book Four:
Literally could not stop reading. The amazing binge continues as I immediately pick up book 5.
Book Five:
I loved very second of this series, and literally COULD NOT put it down. I have never been so glad that a series was complete and binged the crap out of this. Dexter + The Count of Monte Cristo + A Splash of Spicy. If that sounds like your thing, you’re going to LOVE this. Definitely going to go on my top reads of the year list, and one of the best series I’ve read in a while. Kept me hooked from start to finish. SIX STARS and recommended so hard.
This isn’t my favorite Emily Henry book, but I think this is the one that’s cemented me as a fan. I would describe it as Beach Read meets the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and I would describe the romance as sweet (though with moderate spice) and almost cozy in nature. Though there is some mystery to it, I wouldn’t say it’s a page-turner even though it certainly kept my interest throughout. At the end of the day, it was the lovable characters, the lovely, accessible writing, and the Georgia coast scenery that sold it for me. And I’ll definitely be picking up whatever Emily Henry writes next.
Which leads to my personal ranking of Emily Henry books: 1. Book Lovers (Adored) 2. Beach Read (Loved) 3. Great Big Beautiful Life (Enjoyed) 4. Funny Story (Liked) 5. People We Meet on Vacation (Did not Like) 6. Happy Place (Really didn’t like)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
What can I say? Emily Henry is popular for a reason!
So, this was an interesting find! The narration and writing were both lovely, and this was an interesting, unique take on a portal fantasy. The (very) slowburn romance was well executed with solid chemistry & tension, but fair warning, this book doesn’t really stand alone. While this world and magic system was obviously lovingly crafted with fantastic imagery, I personally had some trouble appreciating the concept of Ruhaven’s mechanics, Roe’s ups and downs were a little frustrating to me, I was a little disappointed by the lack of satisfaction in the ending, and I found the pacing tested my patience (though take that with a grain of salt, because, as a rule, I like short, fast-paced reads and I’m definitely not a fan of cliffhangers.) That said, if you’re interested in an atmospheric fantasy that takes its time as it bridges worlds with solid side of slowburn romance, then I’d give this one a try. Thanks to the author for the audible code!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Even if this one was a little long for me, I *always* love getting audible codes.
So I usually try to include my writing updates in my bi-annual author newsletter (which you can sign up for here), but it’s been a while since I dropped one in the blog, and I’ve got a lot of irons in the fire, I figured I’d post a little recap.
As of this writing, I currently have ten books published.
The 5-book Odriel’s Heirs series is complete. Reading order: Odriel’s Heirs, Burning Shadows, Idriel’s Children, Night of Ash, Time’s Orphan. And honestly, I’m actively trying to step away from further investment in this series in the way of time or promotion. (It’s hard because I do love them so much, but I’m trying to look forward.) They’re all free to read somewhere, and Odriel’s Heirs pretty consistently lives in the top twenty of Amazon’s Free Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy ebooks and Teen & Young Adult Epic Fantasy ebooks. It’s downloaded regularly and has over Amazon 200 ratings with a 4.5 star average, so I’m pretty happy with that.
The Gatekeeper of Pericael remains as my only upper-middle-grade adventure, and again, I’m trying to actively step away from further investment. Also permafree, it still gets downloads on a weekly basis, and some reviews trickle in. An agent once told me, “You’ve written a beautiful book, but I have no idea how to market it,” and I completely agree with her. I love the creepy little monsterific book, but its target audience is strong middle grade readers who are looking for a good scare in their fantasy… which is a hard group to reach. As someone who was a horror-loving middle-schooler myself, I do absolutely love it though when it finds its way into the hands of the right reader. *So satisfying.* Strangely this “middle-school boy fantasy” is the only one I’ve sold out of at book signings, so that’s pretty cool too.
The 5-book Into the Churn series is also on the verge of completion. Reading order: Into the Churn, Into the Fire, A Churn in the Dark, Into the Abyss, A Churn in the (Virtual) Society. That last one now available for preorder and will release on September 16th. Since this is still a very new completed series, it’s currently the one I’m marketing most, and with Amazon ratings creeping up (184 now) I finally feel like it’s finding its audience. Overall, I’m super proud of this series, I can’t wait to hold that 5th book in my hands, and see what readers think of our last adventure in the Casolla system.
So where are we going here? Well, this year, my coauthor (E.P. Stavs) and signed a 2-book deal with Charlesbridge Publishing for Midnight Falls, our YA Paranormal Mystery (think of it as Gilmore Gils + Spirited Away + Addams Family.) But that won’t be coming out until Fall of 2027. Erin and I have two more Paranormal Adventures in that same universe—Borrowed Magic & Other Catastrophes (complete and with our agent) and A Witch’s Guide to Mischief and Moonlight (hoping to complete the first draft in June)—that we’re hoping to package together into a magical tourism series, but we’ll see how it goes.
But what about a 2026 release?! Well… I may have a little secret up my sleeve. It’s a little too early to say for sure, but I’m thinking my other Paranormal Mystery (think Veronica Mars + Bride + The Office) maybe be launching into the world in September 2026. The first draft is complete, but I’m still working on the first revision before I send it off to the powers that be. If all goes well, the official announcement will go out in October, and that will be part of a trilogy slated for 2026, 2027, & 2028 release. Fingers crossed!
But what about all of these other books you talk about? Indeed, dear reader, indeed. The traditional publishing pipeline is a long one with many ups and downs. My contemporary YA romcom, Inky & Heater IRL (think You Got Mail + Falling Into Your Smile), is technically on sub, along with my creepy YA Paranormal, The Ninth Circle (Stranger Things + Supernatural + Buffy), but we’ll be pivoting our energies to focus on my other WIPs ready to launch into the sub trenches.
Most notably, Codename: CNDRLA (Ever After + Mission Impossible) is the newest penguin to jump off the iceberg into the unpredictable waters of submission, and my agent (Kristen Terrette) and I are super excited for it!
Exit Seats (When Harry Met Sally + Fangirl) is next in line. And then I also have a *dark* NA Fantasy, House of the Chosen, (Gideon the Ninth + Phantasma) that I’m hoping to send my agent at the end of the summer.
And that’s basically the long and short of it. To sum up: 10 books published 1 book scheduled for September 2025 release 1 book planned for a September 2026 release 2 books planned for 2027 release 2 books planned for a 2028 release 3 books on sub 1 book with agent 2 books on route to my agent this summer
So where is my energy concentrated right now? – Promoting the Into the Churn series – Bagging that September 2026 contract – Crossing my fingers SUPER hard for Codename: CNDRLA (like SUPER hard. It’s seriously one of my favorite book children)
Anyways, thanks for coming on the journey with me! And if you want to make sure you hear about my releases, remember to sign up for my newsletter or follow me on Amazon for notifications when I have another book published!
If you’re looking for ways to support me and enjoyed my books, ratings & reviews help a ton.
Picked this up on impulse at the recommendation of a friend who was also reading it.
What I liked: – A fun, paranormal flavor
What I didn’t like: – I just felt like there wasn’t a whole lot else that stood out for me here. I don’t even feel like I disliked anything in particular, but more like that it just didn’t stand out for me, and to me, a few of the plot points felt contrived.
Recommended for those looking for a light paranormal with friendly enemies-to-lovers and some spice.
⭐⭐⭐½
Eh, not really for me, but my friend liked it enough to recommend it, so it might be for you!
Hayley Reese Chow 