Title: The Bali Bucket List
Author: Ava Wilde
Pages: 484
Genre: Romance
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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The Bali Bucket List

Jasmine seems to have it all: a good job, a fiancé, and a great life overall. But one night, everything changes when her fiancé suddenly dumps her. Left heartbroken and questioning everything, Jasmine realizes she has no idea who she truly is anymore.

Determined to rediscover herself, she books a trip to Bali. At the hostel where she’s staying, she quickly meets a group of new friends. At the start of her journey, she creates a “Bali Bucket List” filled with experiences she wants to try, and she also decides to document her journey on a personal blog.

The longer Jasmine stays in Bali, the more new people she meets; and before long, three very different men become interested in her.

But when her anonymous sex blog suddenly goes viral and threatens to expose her identity, Jasmine is forced to confront the person she’s become. Because sometimes, finding yourself is the only way to find the love you’ve truly been searching for.

Review

This book was available on NetGalley, and I was immediately drawn to the title and the cover. I was curious about what the story would be about because it sounded like something I would enjoy.

The book follows Jasmine, a woman who gets dumped three months before her wedding and decides to go on a journey of self-discovery. But her journey isn’t easy. It’s messy, and she makes a lot of mistakes and hurts people along the way. Jasmine tries so hard to become a different person that she (almost) loses herself in the process.

I really liked the storyline, and honestly, it felt different from most of the books I’ve read over the past few years. Every time I thought Jasmine was going to do one thing, she surprised me by doing something completely different instead. There were several unexpected moments, and I always appreciate that in a story. This book wasn’t predictable at all, which made it stand out. I wouldn’t call it a typical romance novel, but in this case, that’s actually a good thing.

One of the things I loved most about this book was the strong Eat Pray Love vibes. Eat Pray Love mixed with Bali created such an enjoyable vibe. Honestly, while reading, I started daydreaming about booking my own trip to Bali. I’ve heard good things about Vipassana meditation retreats before, and this book captured exactly the kind of self-discovery journey I expected from that setting.

There were quite a few characters, but most of them were entertaining. I really disliked Dylan, the ex-fiancé, because he dumped Jasmine to be with another woman. I was honestly surprised that Jasmine stayed in contact with him and still considered him a possible option. I’m not sure whether Jasmine was naïve or simply very lost at that point in her life; probably a bit of both.

Jasmine definitely made choices that I personally would never make, although I would absolutely go to Bali for a Vipassana meditation retreat.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was fun, empowering, and unexpectedly different, and I loved the Eat Pray Love / Bali vibe throughout the story. This was my first time reading a book by Ava Wilde, but I’m definitely open to reading more of her work. I have a feeling she doesn’t write typical romance novels, and I like that.

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Title: Protect
Author: Paisley Hope
Publisher: Slowburn
Genre: Romance
Pages: 416
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Protect

Rowan Kingsley has been through a lot over the past few years, including the loss of his best friend. His job as a hotshot firefighter isn’t easy, but it’s what he loves to do.

Now, Violette Taylor is back in town. Rowan dated Violette, the twin sister of his late best friend, when they were just 18 years old, and seeing her again brings back a flood of memories. But it’s not just difficult for him. Being back in Sky Ridge isn’t easy for Violette either; everything reminds her of her twin brother, who passed away years ago.

Review

This is the second book in the Sky Ridge Hotshots series, which is written by three different authors, something I think is pretty cool. I really enjoyed the first book, Fight by Sloane St. James, and I was excited to read this one as well. I was already somewhat familiar with Paisley Hope, since I recently read three of her books and absolutely devoured them.

The books I previously read by Paisley all had a cowboy theme, and for some reason, I’m really enjoying cowboy romance stories. I’m not entirely sure why I find cowboys so attractive, but I’ve now discovered that I’m also drawn to firefighter romances.

The main characters, Rowan and Violette, are great. They have a lot of chemistry, even though their breakup years ago was messy. They’re still clearly attracted to each other, and you can really feel the tension between them. I especially liked Rowan because he’s such a gentleman. The small things he does for Violette and her daughter completely melted my heart. The three of them together were just incredibly cute.

But this book isn’t all sweetness. Early on, you get a clear sense of how dangerous Rowan’s job as a firefighter really is. He even gets into an accident and ends up in the hospital with burns. I happened to read this book while there was a wildfire in my country, which made it hit even harder. It really made me realize how dangerous this job is, and I definitely have a lot more respect for firefighters now. This aspect of the story also added some action, which I really enjoyed. It wasn’t all fluff and romance; I liked the balance between tension and love. I think that combination is my favorite, and it’s probably why I’d also enjoy romance stories about soldiers, even though I haven’t read any yet.

The reason I’m giving this book a 4/5 instead of a full 5/5 is that I usually reserve five-star ratings for books that make me laugh out loud, truly move me, or feel life-changing. This one came close, but not quite. Still, I can highly recommend both this book and the series.

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Title: In her own league
Author: Liz Tomforde
Publisher: Golden Boy Publishing
Genre: Romance
Pages: 416
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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In her own league

Reese Remmington is the first woman to own a baseball team, and there is a lot of pressure to do everything right. She is more than qualified, but when you’re a woman leading a men’s sports team, all eyes are on you. She can’t afford any distractions and has to stay fully focused on the team.

It doesn’t help that the field manager, Emmett Montgomery, is a former All-Star turned coach who treats his players like family and the field like home. Everyone loves him. He’s not happy that his new boss seems to be all about numbers and money and doesn’t appear to care much about the team.

But after being forced to spend a lot of time together for work, Emmett realizes that she actually does care; she’s just afraid of making mistakes. And slowly, the spark between them becomes harder and harder to resist.

Review

I’m not always up to date with new releases, in the sense that I never really know which books are coming out in a year or even six months. So when I read the last book in The Windy City series about Rio, I thought that was it. I assumed it would be the final book in the series.

And technically, it was. This book is more of a standalone, but I still see it as part of the series anyway. So I was wrong, and I’m so happy that Liz Tomforde wrote this book.

The story is super cute, amazing, and uplifting. I’m all for girl power, especially when a woman works in a highly male-dominated field, and she’s the boss. How cool is that? I was definitely rooting for her and hating anyone who stood in her way or questioned her.

I understand why a lot of people thought she was cold, but she was just really focused on improving the team. She didn’t want any distractions, which made her come across that way, even though she wasn’t. So yeah, I really liked Reese.

And of course, I also liked Emmett. He appeared in the other books, and everyone already loves him. He’s the field manager, but the team feels like his family, which I thought was really sweet.

In my opinion, this is one of my favorite books in The Windy City series. Okay, technically, it isn’t part of the series according to Goodreads, but I’m counting it anyway.

It had everything I needed: girl power, so much chemistry, and great banter. I was eating it up. I loved this story so much.

And suddenly… I had a crush on an older man. He was basically the perfect man in my opinion, supportive, uplifting, and her biggest fan. I loved that.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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Title: Shatter me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Dystopian
Pages: 338
Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

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Shatter Me

Diseases are destroying the population, food is scarce, birds no longer fly, and even the clouds are the wrong color. But Juliette has problems of her own. She is different—and dangerous. If anyone touches her, that person could die. Because of this, she was taken from her parents and locked in a cell. She has been there for years. One day, she is given a cellmate named Adam. They know each other from school, though Adam doesn’t know that Juliette once had a crush on him. Meanwhile, the army wants to use Juliette and her powers as a weapon. Now, she is faced with a choice: join them and fight, or try to escape.

Review

Years ago, when these books first came out, I really wanted to read them. But then I forgot about the series (sorry). Recently, I heard someone talking about it again, and I decided to finally start reading it. I’m planning to read everything in the correct order—starting with book one, then book 1.5, then book two, and so on.

I loved this book. I’m still debating whether I should give it 5/5 hearts instead of 4/5. I really enjoyed the overall vibe. You feel sorry for Juliette because her touch is fatal, and she hates having these powers. Everyone is afraid of her and keeps their distance.

Then there’s Adam, her crush. Juliette isn’t sure if she can trust him, and honestly, I’m a little suspicious too. I keep wondering if he has some kind of hidden agenda. I guess I’ll have to read the rest of the series to find out. Still, I really like them together.

The world they live in is harsh. Food is scarce, books are being banned, and the government is trying to control everything. Juliette wants to fight against this regime. And as we all know, when people are controlled for too long, they eventually fight back.

Honestly, I can’t think of a single thing I didn’t like about this book. Everything just worked for me. I also saw that there were plans for a TV show, but there haven’t been any updates in years. I really hope they don’t abandon the idea, because this story could be amazing on screen if done right.

This is exactly the kind of book I needed right now, and I can’t wait to continue the series. I guess I really love dystopian stories. So far, I’m obsessed, and I just hope the rest of the series won’t disappoint. The writing is great, and I’m very curious to see what happens next.

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