bee

Did I read this because it was mentioned in The Bodyguard? Yes. Am I happy I took the leap and finally read it? Absolutely.

“It's still light out. Your inner troll must be sleeping.”

Enjoying a book can't happen unless you ugly laugh at it at least two to three times. I can report on the regret of everyone around me that The Unhoneymooners succeeded.

The fake relationship trope is probably my most favourite of all time and it will forever be a hill that I die on. I was so pleased to have that in this book.

The banter between Olive and Ethan was so fun to read and their interactions had me kicking my feet as well as wanting to pick up knitting and purchasing several cars since it was a reminder just how lonely I am.

This book felt very special to me. It's not often you read a book and you can immediately picture a movie adaption of it. With this book, I pictured it and then felt protective because I didn't want this to be ruined in anyway.

It's definitely a comfort read for me and I can't wait to read Christina Lauren's other works.

I have heard so many things about this book but I refused to look into the synopsis properly so I could go into it completely blind and I'm so glad that I did. I think I audibly yelled “oh my god is this a friends to lovers?” and immediately got excited. I'm a sucker for cliche rom-coms and I'm not afraid to admit it.

Alex and Poppy are the perfect example of best friends to lovers. Their banter and conversations were probably my favourite parts of the book. I loved how they bounced off one another.

“I love when you get weird.”“You make me weird. I'm not like this with anyone else.”

This was special to me and I had to highlight and include it for that reason. I think it's important to find someone you can be your weirdest self with.

“My point is, no one really knew me before you, Poppy. And even if . . . things change between us, you'll never be alone, okay? I'll always love you.”

The minute I read this line, I immediately highlighted it because this is so beautiful. There's something about the reassurance in these words that it makes my heart just shatter. This is such an unconditional love and it makes me buzz.

This book made me giddy and kick my feet like a love-sick teenager. This is a comfort read for me and something I would revisit in the future.

The story follows college sweethearts, Daisy and Derrick who believe that adding another person into their relationship could not only bring them more satisfaction but strengthen their relationship.

This is the first book that I have read from Willow Renee and the first book that I've read that had a polyamorous relationship so I was super excited.

The characters were the highlight of this book for me. They were all so refreshingly real and it was so easy to love them and want the best for them. I loved how the book portrayed polyamorous relationships. It felt very realistic and that it was the perfect way to showcase some of the struggles that comes with relationships like these.

My only issue is that I wish the other characters that featured in the book had been more developed. I would've loved to seen more in depth moments with them.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and I would most likely revisit it again in the future.

Thank you to BookSirens and Willow Renee for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Green House Haunting is the perfect level of mystery and eeriness that leaves you grasping the edge of your seat as you wait to see what happens next.

The story is set in the 1980s and follows Andy, a freelance writer who accepts a job from a woman named Lillian to stay in the abandoned house where her younger brother had vanished when she was a child. Andy views this as the opportunity of a lifetime but soon finds herself overwhelmed with the memories of her past and the darkness that surrounds the house.

I found myself hooked from the first chapter. The characters each brought something to the story and had edges to them that left me wanting more.

My only issue with the book (without mentioning any spoilers) is that halfway through I had started to piece together what had happened. I am a Nancy Drew when it comes to mysteries so it is of no fault of the authors though. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this book and I would love to revisit it in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lilac Ink Books LLC for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

The story follows and switches point of view between the two main protagonists, Gemma and Jack after they have a one-night-stand with one another. They continue to cross paths, Jack views it as fate and Gemma is adamant that it's not.

I enjoy everything that I have read from Jennifer so I was super excited going into this story.

As someone who is pansexual it was really refreshing to see a main character. It genuinely made me really happy to see because I don't see it very often.

What I think would've made this book better was for there to have been more deeper conversations between Gemma and Jack. I feel like that would've helped me feel more connected to the characters. I loved the time jumps but I would've loved if there was more details in between them, for the same reason of it would've helped me connect with the characters more.

Overall, this is the perfect read for anyone who is going through a reading slump or if you're looking for a short read to help with your reading goals. I'll definitely revisit this in the future.

Thank you to BookSirens and Jennifer Ann Shore for providing me this arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: sexual assault, depression, anxiety, loss of a loved one

The first thing I want to say before I even start writing my thoughts on the story is that as a sexual assault survivor I appreciate these trigger warnings so much because there's been so many times I've been blindsided by these triggering subjects. Another thing I wanted to say was that I am so proud of the author for using this story as an opportunity to tell their story. Elodie, you're amazing.

This was a classic best friends to strangers to lovers and I was instantly hooked from the first chapter. When I say every character was special and brought something individual to the story, I mean it.

The story was so perfectly paced which helped it give more of a realistic feel to it. I think that's really important, especially when it comes to a story like this that covers realistic issues.

”I'd be the fucking dumbest man on earth not to be completely crazy about you.”

I highlighted this particular quote because it genuinely made me scream into my pillow. Absolute swoon worthy.

Josh is such an important character to me. He is so reassuring and patient but assertive in all the right ways. I only hope one day to find my Josh.

I knew when I was half way through this book that it was going to be a comfort read for me. I laughed and I cried. I genuinely enjoyed this book from start to finish and I will definitely be revisiting this in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This story follows an author named Lucy who decides to move herself and her service dog to Los Angeles for a fresh start. On the brink of potential homelessness, a kind stranger she meets at the airport offers her a place to stay. Who's the stranger you ask? None other than her favourite composer.

I wasn't expecting to like this story as much as I truly did. It was the classic romantic comedy that I was looking for when I first began reading this story.

Henry and his friends (HAAAM) were so fun to read about. This book had such a strong found family vibe and I found myself smiling at the silly moments between the characters. I loved all their dynamics and the individuality that they all brought to the story.

Graham and Henry really stood out to me. Graham was such a good friend to not only Henry but to Lucy throughout the entire book, forever being someone that they could rely on. He's also a fellow Australian so that definitely puts him high on my list. I related to Henry a lot with his social anxiety and awkwardness. The need to rehearse what he needs to say before he says it is something that I do and I felt like it was really special to see it portrayed in a book.

“But you are special, Luce. You are my anomaly.”

This quote actually made me swoon. If anybody said this to me I would get down on one knee and ask for their hand in marriage.

I loved that this book covered real issues such as chronic illnesses and severe anxiety. It covered the guilt and the shame that come along with those real issues too which is why the only criticism would be that the dialogue sometimes felt unrealistic.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I would revisit it again in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Thrillers are one of my most favourite genres to read so I was truly excited for this one. I am happy that I wasn't left disappointed.

The story jumps between before and after the disappearance of Abbie's daughter Sarah and how having no answers after six years of her being missing without answers still haunts her.

“It's okay to be happy.”“I know.”“Do you?”

I had a miscarriage when I was seventeen years old and there were so many times when I would have to remind myself that it was okay to find happiness in moments in my life so this quote hit me really hard and I had to immediately highlight it.

It might be a silly thing to be happy about but the author is Australian and this story is set in Australia. It's not often I see things being set there so it made me really happy to be able to read this and support a fellow Australian.

I was so invested in this story from start to finish. It kept me on the edge of my seat and left me anxious to see what happened next which is exactly what you want when it comes to stories like these. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy thrillers!

Thank you to NetGalley and Text Publishing for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Mina and Griffin are childhood friends and Mina has had a crush on him since they were young. Their families are extremely close but they hadn't seen one another in years until their paths crossed due to their careers. The minute they reconnected you could almost see the sparks fly.

I loved all the characters but Rafferty really stood out to me. He was such a fun character for me and was such a good friend to Mina. He reminded me so much of my best friend with his blunt honesty. I'm excited to see where his story goes.

“I'd expect nothing less. I like that you're passionate. You don't have to dim your light for me.”

It's so important to be with someone who loves you for you, flaws and all. Don't ever let anyone try dim your light.

My one problem, without naming any spoilers directly is that one of the plot lines didn't feel very necessary for me and it didn't overall bring much to the story at all and could've been done without. I also didn't see the point in having the chapters that were in Rafferty's point of view. I loved his character but it also didn't give much to the story either. Overall, this was so much fun to read and I'm excited to see what comes next.

Thank you to BookSirens and Drea Baddock for providing me this arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was such a cute and easy read from start to finish. It was a story that many people can relate to and the main protagonist was someone that people could see themselves in with no problem.

I found myself rooting for Natalie's happy ending from the first chapter and that's exactly what you want when reading a book like this. Lucas was just an added bonus and I loved every chapter he was present in.

An important lesson I gained from this story is that everyone deserves to be loved, don't settle out of fear of getting hurt or fear of being alone.

What I think was missing for me was some more conversations between Natalia and Lucas. I wanted them to get to know one another more. I wanted the context behind Lucas's past.

Overall, this was a short story but a long lasting feeling of contentment after completing it. I would definitely revisit and recommend this to people who are in reading slumps.

Thank you to BookSirens and Jo Richardson for providing me this arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I've been meaning to get around to reading this for a long time now and I am so happy I finally got to it. I am an absolute sucker for fake relationship tropes (call it an unhealthy obsession) so you can already guess how excited and entertained I was reading this.

I can't enjoy a book unless I have laughed out loud and caused someone to look in my direction like I'm strange, thankfully and unthankfully, it happened with this book.

“Of course,” he said with his brows still furrowed. “I always have time for you.”

If someone said this to me I would kiss them on the spot. That's a promise.

Aaron is so special and he was probably my favourite character and what made this book for me. Lina believes she has a lot of baggage, she believes she's broken and he never failed to be reassuring and make her feel wanted and safe.

Also, Aaron loving Disney and Pixar movies gave me an absurd amount of serotonin that I wasn't expecting.

“And I know that even if something did break you—because that's life and no one is invincible—you'd still put the pieces back together and remain the brightest thing I'd ever seen.”

I'm not even going to sit here and pretend that this didn't make me get choked up. This is so beautiful and so special to me. This is by far my favourite quote from the entire book.

This has definitely become a comfort read for me.

If I reconnected with my nemesis in the way that Olivia did with Ben, you would never hear from me again.

I'm a sucker for witty female characters so the minute Olivia was introduced, I fell in love with her.

I don't know what it is about enemies to lovers that I can't seem to shake. There's just something about falling in love with someone that you used to want to put their hand into a blender.

As if she were the only thing standing between him and mental destruction.She was his asylum.”

If anyone ever said this about me I would marry them on the spot, I'm not even kidding.

The actions of the main protagonists of the story were heavily influenced by the past trauma of what happened all those years ago. I loved that both Olivia and Ben's main arc of their characters was their desire to break out of their old patterns or pasts.

I would've rated this story higher but I couldn't due to me wanting the resolve of the issues that had been the main part of the story to be dragged out a bit further. I love angst and I just would've enjoyed if it had carried on for a few more chapters than it was.

Overall, this story was enjoyable and I'm excited to see what comes next in the Shell Grove series.

Thank you to Melanie Munton for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I was super excited to receive this arc because Jennifer is quickly becoming an author I trust and I am so happy that I wasn't wrong with my instincts.

I haven't read many sports romance books but this has definitely convinced me to change that and start reading more.

I personally really love the way Jennifer writes high school students and their relationships with not only their peers but their families. The writing never fails to help me view the story in my head as it feels very relatable and realistic.

“I mean, I know he's your dad, but you don't have to feel obligated to talk to him.”

This was too important for me not to highlight or address. You are never obligated to give anyone, blood related or not anything if they don't treat you the way you deserve.

The minute Penn was introduced as a character I knew he was going to be a favourite for me and the more I read about him the more I knew I was correct in that assumption.

I fell in love with Violet and began to see myself in a lot of her characteristics and how she was feeling in certain parts of the book. Especially because I think we have all had a friend that we felt was taking advantage of us and our kindness or just didn't treat you right in general.

“There's no reason to downplay your emotions just because someone else might be going through something”

I wanted to include this quote because I think it's really important to remember. Everyone is facing their own problems, it doesn't matter how small it may seem to you in moments compared to others. You're allowed to feel however you want.

This is probably one of my favourite books by Jennifer so far and I would definitely revisit this in the future.

Thank you to BookSirens and Jennifer Ann Shore for this Arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This book made me feel nostalgic in the way it brought me back to my first crush on a girl. I loved how realistic and relatable it was. I could feel the secondhand embarrassment when it came to doing mortifyingly embarrassing things in front of your crush that made you want to disappear on the spot.

“Love... it's the scariest thing in the world. And loving someone, especially someone you think you shouldn't, is even scarier. But do you know what's worse? Taking away someone's privilege to know that they were loved. That in this messy world, they were cared about endlessly by a loving heart. It's a privilege, to get to love someone. It's an even bigger one to be loved.”

Having a crush on someone who you don't believe you have a chance with sucks. Having a crush on someone you believe you shouldn't have a crush on in the first place is even worse. This is something so many people can relate to.

My only real criticism is that I wanted it to be longer. This was such a cute story and I would definitely revisit it in the future.

Thank you to BookSirens and Isabel Hansen for this Arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I just realised I never posted a review for this but this was nothing like anything I had read before and I am excited to watch the series because it looks fantastic and twisted :)

Thank you to NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for providing me with this ARC. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when I received the arc of this book. I have been passionately searching for a book just like this and I am so happy to say that I was not disappointed. If you love Grey's Anatomy, you're going to love this story.

Sam and Grant's interactions left me giddy and had me wanting to kick my feet and squeal as if it was actually happening to me, that's how you know it's good writing.

Sam, Duke and Jehan have the cutest friendship and it really was the highlight of this story for me. I loved every moment between the three of them. There's something so special about found family tropes, especially in a doctor/hospital setting. This was everything I was searching for and wanted.

”If you want to kiss me, this is your moment.”

I am not proud of the sound that left my body when I read this line but I couldn't help myself.

The important lesson that this book explored is that it's okay to be selfish. It's okay to ask for help when you need. I think that's really important and I'm really happy that it was something that was addressed and shown in the story. I loved being able to see Sam learn how to set those boundaries and stand up for herself.

I really enjoyed this story and I can happily say that I would definitely revisit it in the future.

Thank you to the Publisher, Montlake for providing me this arc!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“Shawn, I want you to know that if I needed mouth to mouth, and you were the last paramedic on Earth, I prefer donations made to the ASPCA in lieu of flowers at my funeral.”

I'm not even going to sit here and try pretend that I didn't laugh out loud at this. Sassy and funny main characters are my bread and butter so the minute I read this in the second chapter I knew I was going to enjoy this book. The fact that there were firefighters included in this just made everything ten times better.

As someone who has suffered a miscarriage and recently realised that I have an infertility it actually meant a lot to me to actually see it portrayed in a story as I haven't seen it done yet. It's a topic that needs to be shown in so many more books so that people like me can see main protagonists going through the same things.

“Love is for better or worse. It's always and no matter what. The no-matter-what just happened first for us.”

This book made me cry, it made me laugh. I became so attached to the characters and what happened to them. It explores heavy issues that I don't read in other books very often. This holds a very special place in my heart.

“Besides, what's more fun than a story that starts with a fake relationship?”

The audible evil laugh that left my body when I read this line....

This has been in my ‘to be read' pile for a while now and I am so happy I decided to finally pick it up and read it.

It is so cliche in the best way. The type of way that makes you want to scream and kick your feet like a teenager and I am not embarrassed to admit that I love those types of stories.

I think we have all had that crush on someone who has felt so attainable yet unattainable at the same time. This really brought me back to those feelings before I discovered what love actually felt like and it made me feel giddy in a nostalgic way.

“You look best when you're you.”

If someone ever said this to me I swear that I would just melt. This is the sweetest sentence that could ever be said to someone.

I am a sucker for male protagonists who are just complete himbos in the best ways and I am so happy I got that in Wes. He instantly became a favourite for me, definitely a comfort character. I can't get over how beautifully written he was, he definitely made this story ten times better for me.

Is it silly that I fell more in love with this book purely because they mentioned another one of my favourites (Gone Girl)? The minute Liz and Wes brought it up I started beaming.

“Please don't ever become a strangerWhose laugh I could recognize anywhere—”

These lyrics always make me want to crawl into a ball and sob so to have them featured in this book ruined my life in the best way possible (and worst way).

“Nah—I didn't like you until recently.”“Enemies-to-lovers—it's our trope, Buxbaum.”

This book actually had me laughing out loud and that's why it gets such a high rating from me. You know I really enjoyed a book when my review is just me making no sense but this book just made me feel something and that's why it got 5 stars which is rare as hell for me.

I will definitely be rereading this in the future.

“And the thing is, when you lose someone, you realize you'll eventually lose everyone.”

I highlighted this quote because as someone with bpd it really stuck out to me and it's something that I have had breakdowns about.

“I'm sorry.”“You say that a lot.”“I feel it a lot.”

I've heard a lot of mixed reviews when it came to this book and I was so pleasantly surprised when I first began reading and realised how much of a cute and beautiful story it really is.

John Green has always had the ability to write characters that I can't help but root for and fall in love with.

“But you give your thoughts too much power, Aza. Thoughts are only thoughts. They are not you. You do belong to yourself, even when your thoughts don't.”

This is such great advice and it's something my own therapist has said to me. I needed to highlight it because it's a good reminder. I appreciate seeing a character who has the same thoughts and anxieties that a lot of people do in society. It makes me feel seen.

The characters were everything I wanted them to be and I can't express how happy that makes me. All of them quickly became special to me. I'm starting to see that John Green is the common denominator when it comes to that.

I could say so much more about this book but I would be here forever so what I'm going to say is that I am so happy I finally took the time to read this book and I will definitely be revisiting it in the future.

“Because, despite everything, I loved her.I didn't like her, but I loved her.And he'd underestimated me, as well. Because it's so much harder to love someone who's difficult than to love someone who's easy.”

This quote hit me so hard and I absolutely needed to include it here. Loving someone who in your heart you don't really want to love at all is so exhausting and emotionally taxing.

“I feel like I've been lost all my life until now—and somehow with you I'm just ... found.”

When I read this quote my first thought was ‘I want somebody to love me like this'. I can't express how beautiful the writing of this book is.

The Bodyguard was a book that has been in my ‘to be read' pile and a book that I have been excited to read for a long time and I can happily say that it didn't disappoint!

From the first few chapters I knew immediately that this book was special and was going to become a comfort read. It's not often you read a book that makes you angry because you didn't read it sooner. This book genuinely had me laughing out loud.

Hannah and Jack are probably one of my favourite fictional characters that I've come across and have quickly become comfort characters. They're so funny, relatable and interesting to read. Robby? I have never wanted to hurt a character more. You know an author has done an awesome job if it makes you want to protect a character and ruin another's life.

Something important that I gained from this book was that you don't owe anyone anything, you don't have to accept anybody's apology if you don't want to.

“But you don't have to be perfect to be lovable.”

I had to give this book five stars which is so rare for me and this is probably the longest review that I have done but this is genuinely such a comfort read for me. I loved it so much. I will most definitely be rereading this.

“Life's just a series of trade-offs, Kate.”

The Fake Dating Trope was everything I was wanting and expecting when I started reading. Fake relationship trope is probably one of my favourites when it comes to books so I was genuinely excited to receive this arc and couldn't wait to get started.

Lucas quickly became one of my favourite characters from the first chapter and I found myself loving him even more as I continued reading. Kate's character was very relatable and there were many times where I had seen myself in her throughout the story. Also, finally, a main character with a sapphic best friend, as someone who is apart of the community it was a detail that made me really happy.

I loved the almost breaking of fourth wall how Kate and Lucas discussed tropes and how it bothers them when authors use drama after drama to take over the plot. Their main issues being focused on family conflict made the book feel more real to me.

Reading this book made me feel so giddy and it truly did have everything that I was looking for when I decided to read this story.

Thank you to BookSirens and Jennifer Ann Shore for this Arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“I don't want to be anyone's puppet. The moment I let someone make my choices for me, that's when I know I've lost.”

“I kind of think regret and guilt aren't such terrible things. Not if they make us into better people.”

Good Girls Die First followed ten teenagers who had been lured to an abandoned carnival. All ten characters are different and unique in their own ways but all are keeping a secret.

This book had me on the edge of my seat waiting anxiously for what was going to happen next, which is exactly what you want when it comes to books like this.

Usually when it comes to books like these I can find the characters don't have much individuality but I was so happy to see that it wasn't the case with this book.

I found myself not being able to trust any of these characters or find any of them reliable. I believe that's also something you want when it comes to books like these.

I would definitely revisit this book again in the future.

editing this review and rating after finding out that this author is heavily pro israel.

Thank you to BookSirens and Michelle Mars for this Arc!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

“What are you afraid is going to happen if someone is sad?”They could leave, I thought. They could fold in on themselves and just disappear. They could not come out of the bedroom, ever.

Montgomery was quite relatable and I saw myself in her many moments in the book. The anger with religion and the anger towards the people who were homophobic and harmful towards her loved ones. It was refreshing to read a book where the main character had two mums that were in a healthy relationship and the author didn't try use harmful stereotypes like I have witnessed in the past with series and books.

It addressed religious trauma which I think is a huge problem that a lot of lgbtq+ people and the people who have watched their loved ones being affected by it deal with. Montgomery had witnessed her parents being affected by the way her grandparents weaponised their religion to be hateful towards the family, Montgomery became almost fearful of religion as a result.

I'll be honest and say that it took me a while to get into this book but once I did, I began to enjoy it. I would've enjoyed this story more if it was longer and we were able to witness more character growth. Overall, I liked the story and would probably revisit it.

“You can't change what's happened. The only thing you can control is how you deal with it.”

This is actually a quote that my therapist has said to me numerous times. It's so easy to allow yourself to be a victim and feel sorry for yourself, it's taken me years to stop that pattern and do what I can to use what I have gone through to benefit me and potentially others.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this book. I went into it thinking I had the plot figured out in first couple chapters but I was so happy to see that I was wrong and that the author delivered such a perfectly written plot twist.

I enjoyed the characters and the different dynamics they brought to the story. There were many parts that I had started to question everyone's motives. I loved that this book emphasised that neither Quincy or Lisa needed a man in their lives to feel fulfilled in their lives.

It was a book that got better the more I read and I would definitely revisit this.