Review: Games Untold - Short Stories - An Inheritance Games Collection - Jennifer Lynn Barnes - November 2024 I've been a Jennifer Lynn Barnes fan for longer than I care to admit it all started back in the early 2000s when I picked up Tattoo and was completely swept away. Since then I've devoured everything she's written, but it's The Inheritance Games universe that truly has my heart. And honestly? Choosing a favourite Hawthorne brother is impossible. Xander's humour has me snorting with laughter, Nash's old-fashioned gentlemanly ways make me swoon, Grayson's fierce loyalty makes me feel so safe, and Jameson oh, Jameson with those romantic gestures and that deliciously mysterious streak. They each hold a little piece of my reader's heart. So when I took  Games Untold off my bookshelf  for the Readers Retreat I attended in Taupo last weekend, I knew exactly how I'd be spending my downtime. Curled up, cup of tea in hand, utterly lost in the Hawthorne...

Review: The Book Boyfriend - Karli Perrin - November 2017 As a proud bookworm, I’m sure I’m not the only reader who has closed a romance novel and sighed, wishing that book boyfriends could step straight off the page and into real life. You know the type charming, swoon-worthy, and just the right amount of dreamy. Well, in The Book Boyfriend by Karli Perrin, that fantasy gets a cheeky little twist, and honestly, it’s the perfect short read to scratch that romantic itch. This delightful short story introduces us to Zara Hennessy, a woman who has well and truly had enough of the dating scene. After a string of failed relationships, she’s decided that love just isn’t worth the drama anymore. Fair enough, right? Sometimes it really does feel easier to curl up with a good book than deal with real-life heartbreak. When Zara agrees to help her sister at the biggest book signing event of the year, she expects a busy day surrounded by authors, readers, and the usual bookish chaos. What she does...

Review: Murder at the Royal Ruby - #Obsession Collection - Nita Prose - July 2023 Work has been an absolute whirlwind this past week ,the kind of busy that has me staying later than I'd like and trudging through the door with barely enough energy to string a sentence together. As much as I hate to admit it, my reading had been waning a few evenings in a row, and for a bookworm, there really is no worse feeling. So, in true book lover fashion, I did what any of us would do, I scratched that reading itch with a short, satisfying quick read that had been quietly waiting for me on my Kindle. Sometimes a book just knows when it's time to be picked up! Now, most of you will know Nita Prose from her beloved series featuring Molly the Maid, but this little gem takes us somewhere entirely different behind the velvet curtains and into the dazzling, cutthroat world of theatre. We are introduced to a young, passionate wannabe actress who has been paying her dues, grinding away and waitin...

Review: Recalculating - Jennifer Weiner - October 2011 If you’re used to Jennifer Weiner’s usual heartfelt chicklit , buckle up, because this one takes a sharp turn into psychological thriller territory We meet Maureen, a woman who is finally living life on her own terms. Her husband, Tony, has passed away, and she’s beginning to find her footing in her new-found freedom. We’ve all been there, right? That big "garage clean-out" phase where we try to reclaim our space. While sorting through the clutter of her old life, Maureen discovers a wrapped gift addressed to her from Tony. Inside? A GPS system . It feels a bit vintage for 2026, but she plugs it in anyway. At first, it’s just a helpful gadget. But then, the tech starts to glitch. Or does it? The GPS begins speaking to her, not in a generic robotic tone, but in Tony’s voice . And he isn't just giving her directions to the grocery store. He’s calling her names ,the same belittling names he used when he was alive. The ...

Review: Golden Hills - Jennifer Weiner - June 2023 I'll be honest – I've been in one of those reading slumps that every book lover dreads. You know the feeling: picking up book after book, only to set them down after a few pages, nothing quite clicking. So when I spotted Jennifer Weiner's "Golden Hills" as an Amazon Original Short Story, it felt like exactly what I needed: something quick, digestible, and from an author I trust to deliver emotional depth without requiring a massive time commitment. What I got was so much more than a slump-buster. "Golden Hills" centers on Ida Berkowitz, a senatorial candidate whose seemingly assured victory gets complicated when her past resurfaces in the form of Marissa Schuyler – her former camp bunkmate and the keeper of a decades-old secret. Weiner masterfully captures that stomach-dropping moment when your carefully constructed adult life collides with the messy realities of who you used to be. Ida and Marissa...

Review: Passage - Caroline Overington - October 2012 I was in a bit of a slump and knew I wanted to read something but I couldn't decide what I was in the mood for, so I picked up a quick read from Australian author Caroline Overington as I knew I would enjoy this one and again it would be a fast read. The book starts with us being introduced to Paul Bannerman who is the newly elected Deputy for the State of Victoria when a news release comes out about his past and his short time in the cult of the Jesus People run by Brother Ruhamah. As a young man, Paul didn't know what he wanted to do with his life and was just on a track of wandering. That was until one day at college, 17-year-old Paul met Brother Ruhamah at the college campus and he captured Paul's attention. Paul decided to up and sell what little possessions he had and go live on the commune and embrace the commune life which he did for a while until he came one day to the conclusion that he had gotten what he wanted...

Review: The Right Equation - Tracy Krimmer - October 2014 Scrolling through my Kindle in search of a quick read, I stumbled upon a delightful short story by Tracy Krimmer. It centers around Penny, who is reluctantly gearing up for her 20th high school reunion. Dressed as Albert Einstein, she steps into the party hoping for more than just a nostalgic trip down memory lane—she’s hoping to reconnect with her high school crush, Will. Penny’s excitement builds when she discovers that Will has harbored similar feelings for her all these years. Sparks fly, and for a moment, it feels like a fairy-tale reunion. But things take a turn when the lights suddenly go out, and when they come back on, Will’s friends are laughing. The painful memories of Penny’s high school days, filled with humiliation at the hands of the popular crowd, come rushing back. The story cleverly weaves themes of self-worth, redemption, and the courage to confront the past. Penny is a relatable protagonist, and readers wi...

Review: Ten Twisty Tales - Teresa Bassett - April 2024 As October approached its spookiest threshold, I found myself yearning for a collection that would not only entertain but also leave me pondering long after the last page was turned. Enter **Ten Twisty Tales** by UK author Teresa Bassett, a young adult short story anthology that perfectly embodies the eerie essence of the season. Each narrative is a suspenseful exploration of childhood rebellion, revenge, and the incredible weight that a single choice can carry. Bassett's deft storytelling captivates the reader from the first tale, weaving a rich tapestry of emotions and moral quandaries. These stories follow naughty kids who, in their quest for retribution or excitement, find themselves backed into corners where split-second decisions can end lives or irrevocably change their paths. The recurring theme that choices—no matter how trivial they may seem at the time—can have far-reaching consequences resonates deeply throughout t...