Two weeks ago, I got the game Pokopia for my Switch 2, and I immediately started playing. Before that, I mostly played Animal Crossing, as it was my go-to cozy game. I’m not even lying when I say I’m addicted to Pokopia. I’m completely obsessed and enjoying every single minute of it. So, if you’re still not sure whether you should buy and play this game, I’ll give you a few reasons.

Reasons to Play Pokopia

1. It is super cozy
   I’m the kind of person who loves cozy games. I grew up playing The Sims for hours, and now the only games I play are Hello Kitty Island Adventure, Animal Crossing, and Pokopia. I love walking around and completing small tasks that require almost no effort. I can just take it slow. If you love cozy games too, this is the perfect game for you. You can even play mini-games with your Pokémon. You can jump rope with Bulbasaur or play hide-and-seek.
   
2. Pokémon
   If you love Pokémon, you’re going to love this game as well. I haven’t found all the Pokémon yet, but according to Google, there are over 300 Pokémon you can discover across different areas. Some of them are super cute, while others have special abilities that they can teach you or use to help you.
   
3. It is HUGE
   The moment I started playing Pokopia, I entered the first area and already thought it was big. It was much bigger than Animal Crossing. But then I started exploring, climbing mountains, and suddenly realized how massive it actually was, and that was only the beginning. Soon, you discover gates that lead to other areas, and those are just as big. I love how huge this world is.
   
4. There is so much to do
   I’ve only played for a couple of hours so far, and I’m already a bit overwhelmed, in a good way, by how much there is to do. Of course, you have daily tasks, but at the beginning, you also follow a storyline and complete bigger objectives. You need to raise your environment level, but you can also demolish things and rebuild them. The options are endless, which means you can easily play this game for hours or even weeks without getting bored.
   
5. You can build everything you want
   At the start, you can only do a few things, but the more you play and complete tasks, the more options unlock. You’ll discover more recipes for paths and bricks that you can use to build roads and houses. You can create a beautiful home for your Ditto, your Pokémon, or even build an entire town or city. The possibilities are basically endless.
   
   A lot more interaction than Animal Crossing
6. Sometimes I felt like Animal Crossing was a bit limited when it came to conversations with villagers. But Pokopia feels very different. There’s a lot more dialogue and interaction. Of course, I’m still at the beginning and haven’t completed the storyline yet, but my first impression is really positive.

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Title: Game changers
Author: Rachel Reid
Publisher: Carina Press
Genre: Romance
Pages: 400
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

Buy this book on Amazon

Game Changer

Scott Hunter is a famous ice hockey player, and he’s carrying a huge secret: he’s gay. He tries to hide it from everyone, but that becomes harder when he meets Kip, a juice bar barista. Scott likes him from the moment they meet, and eventually they start spending time together at Scott’s apartment. He can’t risk anyone finding out he’s gay. No one in the ice hockey world is openly gay, and he has to stay focused on his career.

But the more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to keep everything a secret, for both of them. Kip is openly gay, and he wants to spend time with his boyfriend in public. He wants to go to restaurants together. He wants to tell all his friends.

Kip is ready to go all in with Scott, but how much longer will he have to remain a secret?

Review

I had heard about Heated Rivalry, but for some reason, I decided to read the books first. Then I found out that the first book in the series isn’t Heated Rivalry, but Game Changer. And if I’m correct, the first season of the show is based on the second book. I want to read that one before watching it.

I have mixed feelings about this book, and like always, I like to start with the positives. It was extremely easy to read; you can fly right through it. I understand why it’s so popular. The characters are likable enough. I liked Scott the most. I felt sorry for him because he felt like he couldn’t truly be himself and had to hide his boyfriend.

I liked Kip a bit less because, after only two months, he was already pushing Scott to come out. While he understood Scott’s struggles, he didn’t want to be a secret anymore. I thought that felt a bit rushed; it had only been two months. Some straight couples don’t even tell their friends they’re dating at that point.

One thing I noticed is that the writing style felt almost like it was aimed at teenagers or young adults, while the content definitely isn’t for that audience. I read that this was Rachel Reid’s first book and that her later books are better written. I’m not blaming her or anything; it’s just something I picked up on.

Another thing I want to mention: there’s a lot of spice in this book, like, a lot. I’m not the biggest fan of that, especially when it feels like the plot takes a backseat to those scenes. I don’t mind a little bit of spice, but when there are more spicy scenes than actual plot, it’s just not for me. I read books for the story.

Overall, I gave it a 3 out of 5, which is decent. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t a favorite. I’m still planning to read the second book and then watch the show, I want to see what all the hype is about. People say it’s really that good, so I’m curious.

The post Game Changer- Rachel Reid | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Roommates
Actors: Sadie Sandler, Chloe East, Aidan Langford
Director: Chandler Levack
Writers: Jimmy Fowlie, Ceara O’Sullivan
Producers: Tim Herlihy, Adam Sandler
Genre: Comedy
Length: 1 hour and 47 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️🖤🖤🖤

Roommates

Devon has just graduated and is about to start college. She’s hopeful about this new chapter; maybe now she can finally make real friends. Devon has never felt like she truly belonged in a friend group, and she hopes that will change.

At an introduction event to meet other students, she tries really hard to make a new friend, but people think she’s a bit weird. Then she meets Celeste, and they have a good time together. They even decide to become roommates.

But the friendship Devon imagined turns out to be nothing as she expected; it slowly turns into a war of passive aggression.

Review

I’m not even sure how to start this review. I was just bored and wanted to watch a movie, so I picked this one. I had zero expectations, although the trailer looked decent. But I ended up having a lot to say about it.

Let’s start with the positives. I think Roommates definitely had potential. I didn’t hate it, and some of the actors were good. The actress who plays Celeste did a solid job. I mean, the character is terrible, but she portrayed that really well.

However, Celeste isn’t the only main character; there’s also Devon. She’s the shy, “weird” girl who has never really had friends, which was somewhat relatable. But I felt like Sadie Sandler (who plays Devon) was missing something. At first, her facial expressions felt a bit off, like she was in pain or something and for the rest of the movie, her performance was just… meh. I think what was missing was charisma.

And that brings me to my next point. I’m okay with a “nepo baby” if they can actually act, but right now, I’m not convinced Sadie Sandler is a strong actress. Especially when you realize that her father, Adam Sandler, produced this movie, it kind of feels like this project exists because she wants to act, and he’s helping her. That said, I hope she proves me wrong. I usually give actors (and authors) several chances before I completely give up on them. Maybe it was the wrong movie or she just needs a little bit more experience.

Devon also develops a romantic interest in her TA, Michael, but there’s basically zero chemistry between them. Honestly, it felt like she had more chemistry with her brother than with Michael.

Now, about the story. According to IMDb, this is supposed to be a comedy… but where? I didn’t laugh once. I would describe it more as a coming-of-age story. The delivery robots felt completely pointless, and overall, the execution could have been much better.

The movie also has a “story within a story” structure. It follows two roommates who are constantly fighting, while Dr. Schilling tells them a story about Devon and Celeste. In my opinion, it would have been stronger if they had removed that outer storyline entirely. It didn’t add much and just felt unnecessary.

So overall, I’m not the biggest fan of this movie. I’m giving it a 2.5 out of 5. I still think it had a lot of potential, but lately it feels like many movies have great ideas and very poor execution.

I would recommend skipping this one; it was pretty forgettable.

The post Roommates (2026) | Movie Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Everyone in the Group Chat Dies
Author: L.M. Chilton
Publisher: Gallery/Scout Press
Pages: 368
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

Buy this book on Amazon

Everyone in the Group Chat Dies

Kirby ran away from Crowhurst, and she isn’t the only one. A year ago, she was living in a terrible flat with her roommates. One day, a new flatmate named Esme moved in. She was obsessed with true crime and believed that the real killer from the ’90s was still out there, so she started digging into the case.

Then, one night, Esme disappeared. Kirby tried to find out what had happened to her, but a year later, something strange occurs. Kirby receives a message in their old group chat from Esme, warning that everyone in the group will die.

The only problem? Esme is dead.

Review

I found this book at the bookstore not too long ago, and it sounded really interesting. I had never heard of L.M. Chilton before, but then again, I don’t read a lot of thrillers. Most of the time, if I do, it’s usually something by Freida McFadden. So I went into this with zero expectations. Although with thrillers, I do always hope for that mind-blowing moment.

And I sort of got that mindblowing moment, but it was completely different from what I was expecting. There are two timelines: one set a year ago and one in the present. In the past storyline, Esme arrives in Crowhurst to find out who the real killer from the ’90s was. Then, suddenly, she disappears, and Kirby tries to figure out what happened to her. The present-day storyline follows Kirby returning to Crowhurst after receiving that message from Esme, even though she’s dead.

Esme’s storyline and what happened to her were interesting at first, and I was definitely invested. But honestly, when Kirby finally found out the truth, I felt a bit disappointed. I was expecting something different, maybe something more intense or gruesome. In the end, Esme just came across as a young woman who cared too much about likes and follower counts.

The most interesting part, for me, was definitely the present-day storyline. When I read a thriller or mystery, I want some shocking, bloody moments. I want the killer to be ruthless, I want dead bodies. Luckily, I did get some of that here.

But there is one thing that really bothered me, and it’s not even about the plot; it’s about Kirby. She was terrible at cooking and almost burned down the flat once… but she also burned her salad. Like, how do you even burn a salad? I’m still trying to figure that out. It would have been great if the author had explained that to me.

Overall, it was an okay thriller. Freida McFadden is still my favorite thriller author, that hasn’t changed. But this was also my first book by L.M. Chilton, so I’m not ruling them out yet. There were things I liked about this book, but also things I didn’t. It wasn’t amazing, but it definitely wasn’t the worst either.

The post Everyone in the Group Chat Dies – L.M. Chilton first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Destroy Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Dystopia, Fantasy
Pages: 111
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Buy this book on Amazon

Destroy Me

Juliette has just escaped from The Reestablishment by seducing and then shooting Warner. She managed to get away. Warner, however, wants her back. He has observed her for a very long time and read all of her dossiers. The more he learned about Juliette, the more he started to like her.

At the same time, he must keep everything very quiet. If others realize that someone has escaped, it could lead to rebellion—and that’s something he wants to avoid at all costs.

Review

Not too long ago, I read the first book, Shatter Me. And honestly, I think I’m lucky that I’m only reading this series now, because I can read everything in the correct order. This is novella 1.5 and takes place right after Juliette escapes.

In my review of Shatter Me, I mentioned that I wasn’t sure about Adam’s intentions or the role of the others. It felt like there was more going on beneath the surface. I wasn’t even sure if Adam and Juliette would end up together. But after reading Destroy Me, I’m even more confused. I actually think there’s a chance that Juliette and Warner might become a thing… maybe?

Reading Warner’s side of the story was really interesting. I hated him in Shatter Me, but it turns out there’s more to him than it first seemed. He’s actually much softer and more complex than I expected. He genuinely cares, which was surprising to see. He’s also in love with Juliette, and I think his feelings might be real. It feels like he has a bigger plan, and not everything has been revealed yet, which makes me even more excited to continue the series.

Warner has been through a lot, and he actually has quite a bit in common with Juliette. They both experienced abuse in their family situations, which adds another layer to their characters.

This novella is around 100 pages, so it’s very short, but it adds so much to the story. I really enjoyed seeing things from his perspective, and I can’t wait to read the next book.

The post Destroy me – Tahereh Mafi | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Training the Heart
Author: Paisley Hope
Publisher: Dell
Genre: Romance
Pages: 448
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Buy this book on Amazon

Training the Heart

Ivy Spencer is a young horse trainer who gets the chance to prove herself at Silver Pines Ranch. It’s exactly what she needs after everything she’s been through with her last relationship and her mother.

Wade is Ivy’s complete opposite and doesn’t let anyone in. He’s also coming out of a terrible relationship and is now fully focused on the ranch. Wade had to hire Ivy after his previous trainer became a mother, but that doesn’t mean he agrees with the way Ivy wants to train the horses.

Review

This is the second book in the Silver Pines Ranch series. I read the first book, Holding the Reins, at the beginning of the year, and I absolutely loved it. I’m a big fan of cowboy romances. I was already familiar with cowboy romances by Elsie Silver and Lyla Sage, and now I can add Paisley Hope as another instant-buy author.

Ivy and Wade have both been through similar experiences. They were each in toxic relationships with terrible ex-partners. At the same time, they are complete opposites. Ivy is the sunshine character in this story, while Wade is definitely the grumpy one. But slowly, he starts to open up and smile more often. At the beginning, they weren’t the biggest fans of each other. Ivy especially enjoyed getting under Wade’s skin, which was really fun to read.

Their relationship begins to develop into something more when Ivy gets hurt and Wade starts taking care of her. He does all these little things for her, and in my opinion, that was incredibly attractive. Honestly, to win my heart, you just have to be a gentleman and do those small, thoughtful things.

The story itself was interesting. It’s not just about their relationship or life on the ranch; it also explores their pasts and personal struggles. It touches on emotionally abusive relationships, the loss of a parent, and alcoholism. These are pretty heavy topics, but the rest of the story keeps it from feeling too overwhelming. Ivy’s ex, in particular, did some truly awful things to her.

That said, even though the story was good, there was also a lot of spice. Don’t get me wrong—I’m not against spice in books. When it’s well-written, it can be fun. And while it was well-written here, it was also quite a lot. I think the first 50% of the book had no spice, although there was definitely tension and anticipation. The second half, however, was full of it. In my opinion, it could have been toned down a bit. For me, the story is always the most important part of a book, not the spice; that’s not why I read romance. Still, I gave it a 5-star rating because it didn’t bother me too much.

The book was well-written, and I flew through it. The paperback has 448 pages, and I finished it in just one day. Paisley’s writing style is simple and engaging. It never felt boring, and it had the perfect balance between lighthearted moments and heavier themes.

If you’re into cowboy romances, you should definitely check out this series. I would recommend reading it in order, though, since characters from the first book make frequent appearances.

The post Training the Heart – Paisley Hope | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Reminders of Him
Actors: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers
Director: Vanessa Caswill
Writers: Colleen Hoover, Lauren Levine
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 1 hour 54 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Reminders of Him

Kenna has just been released from prison after being involved in a car crash with her boyfriend, Scotty, in which he died. She survived the accident. Now, she has returned to the small town where she fell in love with him. But the main reason she’s back is to see her daughter, the child she had with Scotty, who was taken away from her at birth while she was in prison.

Now, Kenna is determined to prove that she can be a good mother.

Review

I had very low expectations for this movie. I’ve watched two other movies based on books by Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us and Regretting You), and I wasn’t the biggest fan of those stories. Regretting You especially felt a bit boring to me. Still, I wanted to give this one a chance because the trailer looked promising.

And honestly, it wasn’t that bad. I actually think this might be the best story by Colleen Hoover so far. I know we’re also getting Verity this year, but I’ve read that book and wasn’t that impressed—it was just okay for me. Still, I’m curious to see how the movie adaptation will turn out.

Back to this movie called Reminders of Him: I thought it was a beautiful but sad story.

Kenna hasn’t been able to see her daughter because she was in prison after the accident where Scotty died. She left the scene, which is why she went to jail. But, of course, nothing is exactly as it seems—her side of the story is more complicated. She writes letters about what really happened that day and continues to write to Scotty, who was the love of her life.

Now that she’s back in town, people refuse to hire her because of her past. Ledger is one of the people keeping her away from her daughter, but they start spending more time together. He begins to see that she isn’t dangerous, and once he learns what really happened, he starts to help her.

Kenna was a likable character. She respects the boundaries set by others but still holds on to the hope that she’ll one day see her daughter again. The chemistry between Ledger and Kenna was really good, which made the story more engaging. It’s also quite emotional. Imagine losing the love of your life, spending years in prison, and then not being able to see your own child.

So yes, I would say this is my favorite Colleen Hoover story so far. It has romance, drama, and emotional depth. I actually had a pretty good time watching it. It definitely wasn’t as bad as I expected.

The post Reminders of Him (2026) | Movie Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Fight
Author: Sloane St. James
Publisher: Slowburn
Genre: Romance:
Pages: 384
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Buy this book on Amazon

Fight

Callahan is a firefighter, and he and his team fight wildfires, which can be extremely dangerous. The team is very close, which makes sense since they spend so much time away from home. He isn’t interested in a relationship, especially after the last woman he dated cheated on him.
Prescott has nothing except what she can fit in her car. She has run away from her past and is ready to start a new life. On her first night, she meets Callahan, and they immediately hit it off.
Later, Callahan discovers that Prescott isn’t just new in town, she also works as a nurse. One night, they find themselves stranded together in a dangerous situation, and their relationship begins to grow.

Review

This is the first book in the Sky Ridge Hotshots series, written by three different authors. I think it’s really cool that multiple authors collaborated on one series. The first book is written by Sloane St. James. The entire series focuses on firefighters, and I just realized that I’ve never read a book about firefighters before, at least not that I can remember.

I loved this book from the start. The chemistry between Prescott and Callahan was amazing. Neither of them is looking for a relationship, but as the saying goes, you find love when you least expect it, and that’s exactly what happens here. The romance was really well done, and I enjoyed the writing style a lot. This was my first time reading a book by Sloane St. James (I think), and I was pleasantly surprised. I’ll definitely consider reading more of her work in the future.

I also liked the suspense in the story. Prescott has a mysterious past, and Callahan tries to figure out what she’s hiding—and whether she might already be married. Since he has been cheated on before, he wants to avoid going through that again. The final part of the book was especially good. When something happens to Prescott, they end up in a dangerous situation together and are forced to hide. That moment pushes them to open up and finally talk about their feelings.

I’m not entirely sure why I didn’t give this a 5/5 rating, because I clearly loved it. But I usually reserve 5 stars for books that completely blow me away. So a 4/5 is still a very strong rating for me.

I’m definitely excited to read the next books in the series, written by Paisley Hope and Danielle Baker.

The post Fight – Sloane St. James | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: Hoppers
Voice Actors: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and more
Director: Daniel Chong
Writers: Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews, and more
Genre: Animation
Length: 1 hour and 44 minutes
My Rating:❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Hoppers

Mabel used to struggle with anger issues until her grandmother showed her a special place that brought her a lot of peace. But after her grandmother’s death, the place is no longer filled with animals.

With the help of technology, she transforms into a beaver and sets out to discover why the animals left. She also tries to bring them back before the mayor destroys the area to build a new highway.

Review

I saw the trailer for this movie and got really excited. It looked like a very cute film. I love animated movies, and I knew I wanted to watch this one as well.

If you love animated movies and cute animals, then you’re probably going to enjoy this one too. It’s a beautiful story about a girl trying to save a special place she used to share with her grandmother. Mabel struggles with anger issues, although personally I think it’s more that she deeply cares about animals and nature. When her grandmother shows her this place, it brings her peace. But when the animals start disappearing, she decides to take action and save this place.

Mabel’s biggest enemy is the mayor. I liked how she stands up for what she believes in, even though the mayor doesn’t care at all. He is only focused on building a new highway and expanding the city. He doesn’t care about the animals or nature, and he’s even partly responsible for driving them away.

There’s also a funny side to the movie. At one point, Mabel discovers that her professor has created a mechanical beaver, and with the help of a machine, it’s possible to transfer a human mind into it. Mabel decides to do this because she believes she can save everything by becoming a beaver and bringing the animals back. As a beaver, she can communicate with other animals, which leads to some really fun and cute moments.

Some of the animals were absolutely hilarious. I laughed a lot at Kinga, the Insect Queen’s son. He acts like a villain, but in a very funny way.

The movie also has some emotional moments. At the beginning, you see Mabel with her grandmother, who later passes away. And when Mabel turns into a beaver, she forms a bond with King George, but eventually she has to return to her human body.

Overall, it’s a beautiful movie with an important message. We should take better care of animals and nature. We are often so focused on building roads and cities that we forget how important nature really is. Without it, we wouldn’t even exist. I would definitely recommend this movie.

The post Hoppers (2026) | Movie Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: It seemed like a good idea
Author: Lauren Blakely
Publisher: Cosmo Reads
Genre: Romance
Pages: 432
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Buy this book on Amazon

It Seemed Like A Good Idea

Ripley and Hannah are twins. Ripley owns a lavender farm, while Hannah is an actress. Now, Hannah is going to film her new movie at Ripley’s farm. Because they are identical twins, Ripley also needs a bodyguard. That’s when she finds out who will be protecting her for the next few weeks—it’s Banks, the guy she met not too long ago, who suddenly ghosted her.

When Banks discovers that Ripley is his next client, he feels conflicted. He wants to stay professional, but that becomes very difficult when you’re around someone 24/7.

Review

I was looking for new books to read when I came across this one. The cover looked cute, and the story sounded even cuter. So the moment this book was released, I got it.

I love small-town romance stories, they never get old. I really liked that Ripley owns a lavender farm. I’ve read books about characters who own farms before, but never a lavender farm. I even started imagining what that would be like. I love lavender, so I immediately loved the setting. Small towns in books are always the cutest. Everyone helps each other, and it kind of reminds me of where I grew up, just without the lavender farm.

The characters were very likable. I enjoyed their personalities, and together they were great. There was so much chemistry between them, and I absolutely loved the banter. It had everything I needed. There’s also a bit of a side story about a movie being filmed in this small town, so it’s like small-town charm meets Hollywood vibes. It was really fun.

The reason I didn’t give this a 5/5 rating is because, toward the end, it felt a bit underwhelming, more “just okay” than amazing. It was still good, but the first half (or even more than half) was so strong that the ending didn’t quite match it. That said, something interesting does happen toward the end. Just when I thought it would be a slow and average ending, the author added some action. I mean, since Banks is a bodyguard, I expected a bit more action overall, maybe involving crazy fans or the press. A little more of that would have made it even better.

Overall, I still really enjoyed this book. It was definitely a page-turner, and I think it’s the perfect read for spring.

Apparently, this is going to be the first book in the Darling Springs series. I looked it up, and the next book is already set to be released in August, which is only five months away. I also checked the synopsis, and it sounds so good.

The post It Seemed Like A Good Idea – Lauren Blakely | Book Review first appeared on A happy life.