3 Stars. I adored Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares, the first book in this series. Dash was just enough of a curmudgeon and Lily was a delight. They were quirky together, they had funny friends, and seeing their relationship develop against the backdrop of Christmas in New York was the stuff that holiday rom-coms [...]
4 Stars. It's been quite a while since I read any books in this series because I somehow missed that a fourth one existed! I can't say that there was a whole lot going on here, plot-wise. There were a few things but they felt and largely turned out to be low-stakes. Mostly I just enjoyed re-visiting Weezie [...]
4 Stars. I’m not a huge romance reader and even less of a young adult romance reader but I’ve watched my share of rom-coms and this is a rom-com with the cutest of meet cutes. I adored it. And what reader could resist its charms? Dash and Lily’s paths cross when Lily leaves a red notebook with a dare hidden [...]
4.5 Stars. How can you not love a character named Mika Moon? And the found family that surrounds her new young charges is absolutely delightful. Quirky, caring, funny, interfering, determined, mischievous… I could go on but I won’t. I love stories of found families and what a family this one is [...]
3 Stars. First of all, this is a disturbingly violent book. I didn’t have nightmares or anything but it is graphic. Horrific domestic abuse, very violent death, and a brief mention of rape. Sensitive readers should steer clear. That out of the way, there’s a lot of potential here. I really didn’t know who [...]
4.5 Stars. To me, the plot of this book took a back seat to the characters, but that’s why I liked it. I am a very character-driven reader and Legends & Lattes gave me a whole book in which to watch a group of diverse characters develop, become friends, build a supportive community, and cheer each [...]
4 Stars. The last time I was in Charleston, SC, one or two tours that I went on mentioned Eliza Lucas. Her father left her in charge of his plantations near Charleston in the 1740s while he went to war with the Spanish in the Caribbean. That really caught my attention. A woman running plantations? At that [...]
4.5 Stars. The inside flap of my copy of this book describes it as a "riveting tale that will appeal to fans of The Princess Bride." I hesitated over that. I love The Princess Bride. So much. That description is setting some very high expectations and I don't know if it's possible to meet them. Sanderson did [...]
4 Stars. Now, hang with me for a minute here. Flora is a difficult character. I struggled a bit with her, to be honest. She's really prickly and she can get a little too self absorbed at times. I understand that she's suffered an unimaginable loss but watching her repeatedly push away people who genuinely care for her got to be [...]
3 Stars. I am a surprisingly big fan of Ms. Willig's Pink Carnation series for someone who doesn't consider herself a fan of romances. But the witty banter, intrigue, and Napoleonic settings sucked me right in. I inhaled that entire 12-book series and wished for more. The author's newer books look more serious to me so I've [...]