amateur_bookworm's reviews
574 reviews

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange

Go to review page

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange is a poignant story about love, loss, and family. This one definitely tugs on the heartstrings. I just love her real and raw characters set in real life situations. 

Tracey Lange is unmatched in capturing the messy and relatable drama of families and this book is no exception. I fell in love with Tracey Lange’s writing with her debut novel, We Are the Brennans. (I love the reference to the Brennans in here!)

This was an emotional one for me. My heart just broke over and over again, especially for Casey. I mean, how much heartache can one person endure in their lifetime?!? I enjoyed the story being told in dual timelines of the past and present so you see the whole relationship arc of Kyle and Casey. And I especially loved the youth hockey team in the story, since both of my boys played at about that same age. 

If you’re looking for a family-centered drama then I highly recommend that you read this one and either, or both, of Tracey’s other two books. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Just You and Me by Wesley Harper

Go to review page

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Just You and Me by Wesley Harper is the second book of her Three Rocks series. It is a cute and fun small town romance. 

I just love all of the characters and the small town setting. Lucas is impossible not to love, but Henry (aka Gramps) stole the show. Lucas dropping everything to move in with and take care of Henry is both sweet and sad. The addition of Henry in the story made the book for me and I just love how quickly Henry and Zoe bonded. Zoe’s friends are also great and I cracked up at her mom’s advice. I’m loving the town of Three Rocks and can’t wait for Avery’s story in the next book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

Go to review page

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman is a short novella. It is witty and insightful, in the way only Fredrik Backman can be, about the perils of living modern life as an introvert. 

I love most of Fredrik Backman’s books so I was excited for this small taste of his writing. It includes some absolutely hilarious observations about life and, specifically, married life. It’s basically feels like the middle-aged equivalent of When You Give a Mouse a Cookie. 
The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

Go to review page

medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score is a Christmas romance and the second book in her Fixer/Kings Siblings series. It can be read as a standalone but I am glad I read Mr. Fixer Upper first. This is a sweet and spicy, small town, single dad, enemies to lovers romance based around a reality tv show helping the small town of Merry, Connecticut rebuild in time for their annual Christmas festival after devastating hurricane flooding. 

This book grabbed me right off the bat. I already loved Catalina King from the first book in the series, and the curmudgeonly Noah immediately reeled me in too. There are some serious sparks here between Cat and Noah. Sara is an awesome character and I love her spunkiness. I couldn’t get enough of the sense of small town community. Seeing Gannon and Paige from the first book is the cherry on top.

This book is the perfect Christmas romance for me. It’s Christmas-y but without the holiday being the overwhelming theme. I like that it’s a solid plot on its own but still with winter and Christmas magic intertwined throughout. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

Go to review page

lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score is the first book of her King Siblings book. It is a romance with big “he falls first” energy that is sweet and has some spice. I honestly only picked this up because I want to read The Christmas Fix and that is the second book after this one. 

I adore Gannon’s persistence in his pursuit of Paige. I appreciate how capable Paige is presented with her work. I like the short, quick chapters that make for easy reading. The seasonal designations throughout the book are a fun way to track time jumps. And it sheds a serious light on the pay gap and limitations that women find themselves dealing with in the workforce. 

I did overall enjoy this one but a few things weren’t great for me here. It was a bit of a slow starter for me. I got tired of Paige constantly denying her feelings, looking at it as a choice between either a career or a love life with no way to balance the two. But Gannon really made the book for me and I was definitely rooting for him. And now I am SO ready to see Cat in a Christmas story! 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Pucking Wild by Emily Rath

Go to review page

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Pucking Wild is the second book in Emily Rath’s Jacksonville Rays series. It’s a spicy romance with witty banter and big found family vibes. We see quite a bit of Rachel, Jake, Caleb and Ilmari from the first book in this story that features Tess and Ryan. 

First of all, Tess and I share the exact same sentiments about the beach and the sand and sunburn (it all sucks). Redheads unite! 

Second of all, I absolutely hate Tess’s ex and his character made me want to chuck my phone across the room while listening. 

Thirdly, this could’ve been a five star if Ryan’s nickname hadn’t been “Puppy.”  *Sigh*

The narrators are great. They are Amy Hall and Alex Kydd, two of the same narrators from the first book. I just don’t love audiobooks when the guy also does a girl’s voice during his chapters, and vice versa. Other than that, it was a perfect fit for the book. 

I cannot wait for Poppy’s story after the, ahem, glimpse of her situation in this book. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
From Air by Jewel E. Ann

Go to review page

emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

From Air by Jewel E. Ann is a contemporary romance featuring a travel nurse and a smoke jumper, a firefighter who parachutes into remote wildland fires. It is the first book in her new Wildfire series. 

I’m not sure what it is about Jewel E. Ann’s writing style, but you don’t simply read her words—she makes you feel her words. I adore her writing. It makes me laugh, it makes me cry, I feel butterflies in the swoony moments, and I just can’t put it down until the very last page. This is the second book of hers that I’ve read and they have both been five star reads for me.

I love the witty banter throughout this book. I really felt the connection between Jamie and Calvin. And the dynamic between the roommates is great. I was not expecting to have this book rip my heart out and shred it into pieces before putting it back together again in the end, but it did just that. I cannot wait to read more of this new series and I plan to read some of her backlist while I wait. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Untying the Knot by Meghan Quinn

Go to review page

slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Untying the Knot is a spin-off of Meghan Quinn’s Cane Brothers series. It falls chronologically between the second and third book in that series. It is a contemporary romance about a marriage in trouble. There are spicy scenes in it. 

Honestly, this is probably my least favorite Meghan Quinn book that I’ve read to date. I found Myla to be so unlikeable and unrelatable. Her character’s actions had me SO close to a DNF for this book. I was ready to throw in the towel at about 20%. 

The only thing keeping me engaged enough with the story to keep reading is the flashbacks of the start of their relationship. I really disliked present day Myla but I came around on her character a smidge with the flashbacks. I did enjoy the banter between characters. I am glad I finished it—but I also think I would’ve been just fine having not even started it in the first place. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

Go to review page

funny lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn is the third book of her Cane Brothers series. It’s a sweet and spicy friends to lovers romance. This one is so cute and is definitely my favorite of the three books. 

I absolutely adore the way Breaker and Lia first met. A super secret Scrabble club at their college dorm, with Lia instantly razzing him about his abomination of a mustache. The banter is hilarious right off the bat. 

The dynamic between the brothers really adds to the story. I love the way they razz each other but they’re also close to each other. And, oh man, the way these powerful billionaires respectively swoon for the woman in each of their lives. 

It literally only took two pages for me to hate Brian, Lia’s fiancé. Don’t even get me started on his mother either. Lia’s quirkiness and sweetness are so endearing that you can’t help but root for the best for her the whole time. 

All three books in this series are lighthearted and easy reading. I did find this one to be a bit cheesy at times, but that just adds to it being a feel-good romance. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood

Go to review page

funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood is a short novella that is available only as an audiobook. It’s a quick enemies to lovers romance with some spice.

I really enjoyed this one, even though I really don’t play video games. In true Ali Hazelwood fashion, there’s a women in STEM theme and it’s witty. The narrator is great and perfect as Viola. I just love everything Ali Hazelwood writes, and this one is no exception. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings