Review: After We Fell -  Book #3 After Series - Anna Todd - July 2014 You know that feeling when you pull a book off the shelf that's been sitting there so long it's practically become part of the furniture? That was me with After We Fell by Anna Todd. It had been gathering dust since 2015 ,yes, 2015  and it finally got its moment in the sun last weekend when I packed it for my reader's retreat, determined to tackle one of my chunkiest reads. Reader, I devoured all 848 pages across a Friday afternoon and Saturday. No shame, only pride. Opening this book was like stepping into a time machine. Within a few pages I was right back in Hardin and Tessa's world, and it genuinely felt like no time had passed since I finished the second book all those years ago. There's something wonderfully nostalgic about returning to a series you loved in an earlier chapter of your life, but what made this reread particularly fascinating was how much I had changed in the decad...

Review: It All Comes Back To You - Melissa Wiesner - August 2023 I'll be honest—I've been in a bit of a romance reading slump lately. After devouring countless meet-cutes and happily-ever-afters, I found myself craving something with more emotional weight. When I stumbled upon Melissa Wiesner's "It All Comes Back to You," the promise of angst and genuine emotion was exactly what I needed to pull me back into the genre. This book immediately reminded me of Cecelia Ahern's "Where Rainbows End" in the best possible way. We first meet Anna at sixteen and Gabriel at eighteen, thrown together for a college project despite being complete opposites. Their unlikely friendship blooms beautifully on the page, and Melissa Wiesner captures that intoxicating feeling of finding your person at exactly the wrong time in life. What follows is a masterclass in second-chance romance spanning nearly two decades. The structure—following Anna and Gabe as they connect, dr...

    Review: All That We Are Together - Book #2 Let It Be Series - Alice Kellen - April 2019 I'll be honest—this book caught my eye purely because of its gorgeous cover. Sometimes I'm that reader who absolutely judges a book by its cover, and All That We Are Together had me completely smitten from the moment I spotted it. It's been sitting on my shelf for a couple of years, practically calling to me with its stunning design, and I finally decided it was time to dive in. As the second installment in Alice Kellen's Let It Be duology, this story picks up three years after the dramatic ending of book one. Axel and Leah's relationship was torn apart by well-meaning family and friends who couldn't see past the eleven-year age gap—he was thirty, she was nineteen—and believed Axel was taking advantage of her. Now, both are grappling with the aftermath of that painful separation and questioning whether everyone else was right about their relationship. When fate brings...

Review: The Favourites - Layne Fargo - January 2025 The Favourites by Layne Fargo is a gripping and emotionally intense novel that immerses readers in the cutthroat world of elite figure skating. From the first page, the book draws on the obsessive love of Wuthering Heights , set against the modern backdrop of competitive ice dancing. At the heart of the story are Katerina Shaw and Heath Rocha, two talented skaters whose chemistry and passion leave an indelible mark on the ice—and in the reader's heart. The narrative unfolds as a documentary-style recounting of the pair's turbulent relationship, spanning over two decades. Kat and Heath’s journey begins when they are just children, brought together by shared pain and a burning desire to escape their troubled pasts. Together, they rise to become champions, captivating the world with their performances and fiery bond. However, their obsession with each other comes at a steep price, leading to an explosive downfall. What makes ...

Review: Prince of Pain - Book #1 Cruel Legacies - Tara Gallina - February 2025 He’s no prince, she’s no princess—and their love story is anything but a fairy tale. Welcome to the cruel, glittering world of Prince of Pain, where the Gilded Age vibes of opulence and decadence collide with the toxicity and torment of a modern-day old-money romance. Tara Gallina’s Prince of Pain dives headfirst into the lives of Adelaide and Kingston, childhood friends turned enemies-turned-something-more. Adelaide, raised in the lap of luxury yet emotionally bruised by betrayal and loss, is determined to keep her guard up in a world where people take what they want, no matter the cost. Kingston, with his piercing moonbeam eyes and dangerously sharp edges, is the boy who saved her once—but has become the man who knows exactly how to break her. The setting, a Rhode Island mansion enclave, feels like a character itself—full of secrets, echoes of past grandeur, and shadows that can’t be escaped. The push-p...

Review: Reminders of Him - Colleen Hoover - January 2022 I was lucky a year ago to pick this book up at a secondhand book sale and of course, like a lot of the books I own, it has sat on my shelf for a year almost to date. I finally got around to reading it, though was a little cautious as though I have loved the majority of Colleen Hoover's books, the last one I read was Regretting You and I regret reading it as it ended up being a DNF and then I never got around to reading her other books as you know how sometimes a DNF can leave an unsavory taste in your mouth and makes you wary to try their other titles. Reminders of Him though was a fabulous read and reminded me why I love New Adult Romance as I was thrust back into the world of angst, heartbreak, and emotions but also romance, forgiveness, and moving on. Five years ago, Kenna made the biggest mistake of her life and it cost her not only the people she loved but also prison time. Now Five years later, she has been released ...

Review: Follow Me Back - Book #2 Twisted Love Series - A. Meredith Walters - June 2015 When I get into a bit of a reading rut which I felt in September, something that I love to do is go back through my Kindle and try and click on random reads - most of these have been sitting there for years and years. Sitting patiently, waiting to be clicked and read. Follow Me Back though it is Book #2 of a series, can be read as a stand-alone as it was very easy to understand. Follow Me Back is a great read if you want an angsty dark read but also a twisted love story of two people who shouldn't be together but they are despite the world telling them they are wrong, the heart wants what the heart wants - even if logic defies it. This book reminded me of what stories were like before the world became saturated with self-published and people hopping on trope trains. Back in 2012-2015, New Adult romance was the new genre created. It was filled with Angst, college-aged characters Emotions, and Ed...