“You know, people come to Italy for all sorts of reasons, but when they sat, it’s for the same two things.”
“What?”
“Love and gelato.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: gelato, scooters, amazing dresses, old photographs, mansions, delicious italian food, diary entries, statues, night clubs, train rides, monuments, history and cemeteries.

“I made the wrong choice.”

Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t in the mood for Italy’s famous sunshine and fairy-tale landscape. She’s only there because it was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? All Lina wants to do is go back home.

But then she is given a journal that her mom had kept when she lived in Italy. Suddenly Lina’s uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. A world that inspires her, along with the ever-so-charming Ren, to follow in her mother’s footsteps and unearth a secret that has been kept for far too long. It’s a secret that will change everything she knew about her mother, her father—and even herself.

People come to Italy for love and gelato, someone tells her, but sometimes they discover much more.

I liked this more than I thought I would! I have an old dream of visiting Italy, and this book definitely revived that desire within me. I never went there, but I would love to visit all the beautiful cities there and eat all the delicious italian food I can – by the way, just a quick heads up… this book will make you hungry. It’s impossible not to read this and not immediately crave pizza, pasta and gelato! You have been warned!

If you like summery books with some depth, you have to read this book. This book in particular is focused on a trip to Italy, so if you like to read travel books, this is another reason why you should pick this up. According to the author, this story was inspired by her own time spent in Italy. And let me tell you: her love for that trip shows in the story. Her experience really brought this book to life and made the story more credible. I’m also glad Jenna Evans Welch incorporated real history and fun facts about the architecture, statues and monuments. You’ll have fun, but you will also learn some new things about the italian history.

I personally liked all the characters in this, with no exception. There was something about these characters that made them realistic. Maybe it’s because of the relationships and interactions between the characters, or maybe it’s because of how well the author captured the essence of italian mannerisms and strong opinions. Whatever it was, it was well made and made a huge difference in my experience as a reader!

Surprisingly, the romance wasn’t the highlight of the book, but I still really liked it for what it was. It was a very cute and sweet summer romance that developed slowly. It was, in my humble opinion, a very good representation of a friends-to-lovers relationship!

I think people go into this book thinking this a very lighthearted read, but the story has some depth to it. I admit I wasn’t expecting it to be this way, but I was happy with how it turned out. Most beach reads don’t have strong plots, and this is an exception to the rule. I wasn’t counting on reading the entire series before I read this book, but now I’m curious! I don’t even know if it follows the main characters, but I’ll definitely check it out. If you’re looking for a fun book with a traveling theme for the summer, look no further. This is the perfect book for you!

xoxo,

“For every teenage girl who has made a mistake and those who had no one to believe in them. May you find strength in yourself and realize you are strong enough. This too shall pass, and you’ll become a woman of strength. Hang in there.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: friendship, football championships, car rides, applesauce, baby strollers, missing cats, affairs, rape, Alzheimer’s, teenage pregnancy, lies, fantastic mothers, cute baby and blonde curls.



Two years ago, Riley Young fled from Lawton, Alabama. After accusing the oldest Lawton son, Rhett, of rape, everyone called her a liar and she had no option but to leave. Now she’s back, but she’s not at Lawton High finishing up her senior year. She’s at home raising the little girl that no one believed was Rhett’s.

Rhett is off at college living the life he was afraid he’d lose with Riley’s accusation, so Riley agrees to move back to Lawton so she and her parents could take care of her grandmother, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s. But the town still hasn’t forgotten their hate for her, and she hasn’t forgotten the way they turned on her when she needed them most.

When town golden boy Brady Higgens finds Riley and her daughter, Bryony, stranded on the side of the road in a storm, he pulls over and gives them a ride. Not because he cares about Riley, of course, but because of the kid.

But after the simple car ride, he begins to question everything he thought he knew. Could Brady believe Riley and risk losing everything?

I don’t feel exactly the same way I did when I read this from the first time, but from all the three books so far, Brady is still probably my favorite of the boys. I love how different he was from his friends, and did not want to hide the fact he was seeing Riley regularly. He did what he thought was right without thinking how the other guys and the rest of the town would see them being friends. He wasn’t scared of other people’s reactions.

Just like the other female characters of the previous books, I really liked how strong Abbi made Riley. She obviously went through a lot in the past and she is not a regular 17 year-old girl anymore. It is very sad that nobody believed a 15 year old teenager when she said she was raped, and she had to move out of Lawton to have her baby. Just like Maggie and Willa, she doesn’t like drama (which I appreciate) and is very mature for her age. Also, it was nice to see that Maggie and Willa were very friendly and nice to her, and they wanted to be friends. They made a great friend group. 

One of the things I thought was a bit weird is how Bryony behaved during the book. For a 15-month old child I think she was a bit… overdeveloped. But I don’t know… maybe it’s just me? I think if she was a bit older, her dialogue would make more sense.

There were some shocking elements in the book – especially regarding Brady and Rhett – that I wasn’t expecting, but I really liked how things turned out.

At this point, I don’t think I could pick a favorite book in this series because I really liked all of them so far, but it would definitely be between the first book or this one. 

I reread this for the second time and I still liked it: the romance was good and the story is classic Abbi Glines (which I love)! Incredibly bingeable and so easy and fun to read. Recommend it!

xoxo,

“I guess that’s the difference in being loved the right way and the wrong way. You either feel tethered to an anchor…or you feel like you’re flying.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: GPS trackers, pizza boxes, red dresses, house parties, coconut cake, Spanish classes, swimming pools, gunshots, cookbooks, threats, manipulation, drugs, schizophrenia and miracles.

Sloan will go through hell and back for those she loves.
And she does, every single day.
After finding herself stuck in a relationship with the dangerous and morally corrupt Asa Jackson, Sloan will do whatever it takes to get by until she’s able to find a way out.
Nothing will get in her way.
Nothing except Carter.

Sloan is the best thing to ever happen to Asa. And if you ask Asa, he’d say he’s the best thing to ever happen to Sloan. Despite Sloan’s disapproval of Asa’s sinister lifestyle, he does exactly what he needs to do in order to stay a step ahead in his business. He also does exactly what he needs to do in order to stay a step ahead of Sloan.
Nothing will get in his way.
Nothing except Carter.

This book is absolutely INSANE and I couldn’t put it down until I finished it!

I was really into this story and I was sure I was going to rate this book five stars when I reached the middle of the book. The reason why I didn’t do that is because the story got too crazy by the end and that’s where it lost me. I’m not entirely sure of this, but I feel like this may be one of Colleen’s first books. I say this because you can still tell this is a story written by her – because the drama and the romance elements are there, just like in her other books -, but it’s very noticeable that she was still working on her writing!

With that said, I was really into the romance and how dark the story was. It was so stressful to see how the main girl was dealing with her current situation and how helpless she was – but in a good way, because it was what grabbed me to the story.

It was a rollercoaster of emotions, and even though I didn’t love the second half of the book, I couldn’t put the book down until I finished the story! It’s a very graphic book and it deals with very serious topics such as rape and violence, so I would recommend it only to older readers – be aware of those triggers if you are sensitive to those specific topics.

xoxo,

“One should only walk away from an autobiography with, at best, an uncomfortable distaste for its author.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: pseudonyms, wheelchairs, knives, old notes, autobiographies, manuscripts, baby monitors, nurses and antagonists.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

A standalone romantic thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.

What the… I’m sorry, what just happened?!

To be completely honest, I’m not even surprised by this point: this is another unique, amazing novel from the one and only, Colleen Hoover. What I like so much about her books is that even though she has a very specific style (a lot of drama and plot twists), she writes very unique and out-of-the-box stories.

This one in particular was incredible! I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished with the story and I knew exactly what was going on. There were so many scenes that freaked me out, but I couldn’t stop!

The writing is wonderful: it’s disturbing, wicked and very intelligent. I personally think this is the kind of book you should go into without knowing too much about the story. 

And don’t even get me started on that ending! When the bomb dropped, I had to put the book down, close my eyes and take a quick breath. I’m still processing what I read!

Anyways, this is a must-read if you like Colleen’s books! It’s amazing and very worth it (and probably one of my new favorites from her).

xoxo,

“A mother’s heart breaks a million ways in her lifetime.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: maternity, pink gloves, hot coffee, razors, DNA, inheritance, postpartum depression, wigs, unfortunate accidents and parenting classes.

A tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family–and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for–and everything she feared.

Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had.

But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter–she doesn’t behave like most children do.

Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well.

Then their son Sam is born–and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it is changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.

The Push is a tour de force you will read in a sitting, an utterly immersive novel that will challenge everything you think you know about motherhood, about what we owe our children, and what it feels like when women are not believed.

Wait a damn minute… this is a debut novel? I’m so impressed with the quality of this book!

I know this book is marketed as a thriller, but I would say this is more of a… creepy family drama? In this story, we follow three generations of women within the same family: the grandmother, the mother and our main character, Blythe. In this story, the focus is on Blythe and her daughter Violet, but the author also shares the two other stories to show the readers how the women in the family dealt with their respective daughters. It’s a book that talks about motherhood, the bond between a mother and a child, and how we can’t escape from our family inheritance!

What really creeped me out about this book was how real and honest it was. It didn’t feel like a fictitious story. It felt like the characters were real people, part of a real family. I can definitely see some readers relating to this book, especially when it comes to the struggles of being a new mother and not feeling a connection with their children.

One thing I really need to mention is the ending, because it gave me chills! It was so creepy and I thought it was the perfect way to end the book (in my humble opinion).

I completely understand the hype around this book! I personally really liked how dark and unsettling the story was, and the writing was incredible. Highly recommend it!

xoxo,

“Tell a person they’re wrong, and they’ll cover their ears. Tell a person they’re right, and they’ll listen to you all day long.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: journalists, friendship bracelets, dementia, cigarettes, broken glass, old photographs, letters, bees, painted nails, school uniforms, hotel rooms, mini bottles of alcohol, knives, surprises, lies and regret.

If there are two sides to every story, someone is always lying…

Jack: Three words to describe my wife: Beautiful. Ambitious. Unforgiving.
Anna: I only need one word to describe my husband: Liar.

When a woman is murdered in Blackdown village, newsreader Anna Andrews is reluctant to cover the case. Anna’s ex-husband, DCI Jack Harper, is suspicious of her involvement, until he becomes a suspect in his own murder investigation.

Someone is lying, and some secrets are worth killing to keep.

Wow, this book was a crazy ride! What I liked so much about this story is how the reader makes new discoveries every chapter. This is the kind of thriller where you find out things slowly with time and where you can’t trust anyone. I think this is a great way to keep the reader curious about the story and to make guesses on who’s responsible. Well, it definitely worked for me!

The story alternates between a journalist and a detective (the main characters in the story), separating “His” and “Hers” points of view by chapters. These characters are investigating the death of the woman found in the woods, but things get… complicated (for spoiler reasons, let’s keep it this way). 

I personally wasn’t expecting this story to be so dark, but I was wrong. There were some scenes here and there that were heavy. Not only that, but the eerie atmosphere of the woods gave the book an extra creepy vibe!

The ending was very surprising and shocking, and I was very pleased with it! I had my theories throughout the book and I suspected some of the characters, but I never thought it would end like that! 

The author did an amazing job with this book. I really liked the story and I would recommend it to all the thriller/mystery fans. It’s a creepy story full of twists and turns, and I guarantee you will be entertained the entire time!

xoxo,

“Don’t all crazy people think they’re the rational ones?” – 3.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: kittens, diagnoses, tapes, medical records, walls, whispers, monsters and a lot of theories.

“A clever cocktail of psychological thriller and supernatural horror.” Kirkus

The Silent Patient by way of Stephen King: Parker, a young, overconfident psychiatrist new to his job at a mental asylum, miscalculates catastrophically when he undertakes curing a mysterious and profoundly dangerous patient.

In a series of online posts, Parker H., an ambitious young psychiatrist, chronicles the harrowing account of his time working at a dreary mental hospital in New England and his attempt to cure the facility’s most difficult, profoundly dangerous case.

Originally admitted to the hospital as a child, the man has no known diagnosis. Every person who has attempted to treat him has been driven to madness or suicide.

Parker, brilliant and overconfident, takes it upon himself to discover what ails this mystery patient and finally cure him. But things quickly spiral out of control …

Fans of Sarah Pinborough’s Behind Her Eyes and Paul Tremblay’s The Cabin at the End of the World will be riveted by Jasper DeWitt’s astonishing debut.

PRAISE FOR THE PATIENT:

“A stunning debut! DeWitt’s The Patient is a thrilling, compulsive page-turner that will appeal to fans of F. Paul Wilson, Sarah Pinborough, and Alex Michaelides.” Brian Keene, bestselling author and World Horror Grandmaster Award winner

“‘Insidious evil’ is such an overused term, but there is no other way to describe what prowls the hallways of this riveting novella. A compulsive read I devoured in one day. And the ending … it still haunts me.” F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling creator of the Repairman Jack series

“The Patient is a fascinating and frightening read that comes at you like the monster under your bed.” Reed Farrel Coleman, New York Times bestselling author 

Heads up: unpopular opinion incoming! So… I was somewhat underwhelmed with this book. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of positive things I can say about this particular story, because the truth is that it just wasn’t a very memorable/special book.

It’s a horror/mystery book with some creepy moments here and there, but I didn’t love the plot. There were some things revealed at the end that I wish were more… realistic? And yes, I understand what the author was trying to do and I’m okay with the direction he decided to take. But with that said, I wish the execution was better. There were so many scenes here that didn’t make sense and didn’t connect to the story well. I’m sorry for not being specific, but I don’t want to spoil the story for you. I’ll just say that even though I understand the mysterious part, I wish it was done a bit differently. A great example of this was the part regarding what happened at Joe’s home (if you already read the book, you probably know what I’m talking about).

On a positive note, I really liked the book’s format. I liked the concept of a doctor writing about his experience with a patient in an online forum. It felt personal and realistic, and it was done beautifully. I was interested in what he was saying and it felt like there was a real online audience for the story.I still think it’s a quick and easy read, nice for a lazy weekend. But it’s not in any way, shape or form similar to The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. So if you’re going into this with that in mind… you will probably be disappointed.

xoxo,

“He planned an adventure he never intended to take, imagined a life he never intended to live. Instead he sailed out on a tide of pills and tequila.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: cold beers, pot hounds, memorials, Albergs, prosthetic legs, Christmas gifts, fresh lobsters, Island hopping, bikinis, mountain climbing, nature, whales, decks, no WI-FI and suicide notes.

Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller’s unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself…

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.

But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course.

In Trish Doller’s unforgettable Float Plan, starting over doesn’t mean letting go of your past, it means making room for your future.

This book was very powerful. I saw Heather from Bookables (on Youtube) talking about it and I immediately knew I needed to pick it up.

This story is about Anna, a waitress whose fiance died recently by suicide. She was the one who found him – of course, this traumatic event had a huge impact on her. Months later, she gets a notification that reminds her they were going on a trip in his sailboat, and in that second, she decides to take the trip by herself. Unfortunately she quickly realizes that she can’t do it alone, so she hires a professional sailor to help her. Well, you can guess what happens next.But with that said, this is not a story about romance. It’s a story about a woman finding her happiness again and going through grief. 

Anna was a likeable character and I felt her pain on a deeper level. She was very strong and it was a joy to watch her healing. Keane was also amazing, and he made a great pair with Anna. He was exactly what she needed for support!

I admit I was expecting more graphic/shocking content because other reviewers kept talking about how serious this book was. Obviously the main character suffered a terrible loss, and I can understand how triggering it may be for some readers who had been through the same thing. But I personally didn’t think the book was that dark, in the sense that it wasn’t about her husband’s suicide, but about her getting her life back on track.

We are always stronger than we think, and this story is a great reminder of that. I really liked this book and I would recommend it to other readers. If you’re considering reading this book, please be aware of the trigger warnings for suicide and depression.

xoxo,

“Então, muitos e muitos meses depois de ter deixado o lar, Sho percebeu uma grande luminosidade à sua frente. Parecia que a floresta terminava ali adiante. Mas não conseguia enxergar além, a visão ofuscada pela claridade. Com o coração batendo forte, caminhou em direção à luz. Conforme os seus olhos se iam acostumando, conseguiu ver as árvores um lago imenso, casas coloridas. Ao fundo, vislumbrou o que parecia ser uma cidade de pedra na base da gigantesca montanha. Era magnífica, muito maior do que ele imaginara. Parou e ficou admirar aquele monte de pedra, perplexo. Não era possível visualizar o seu topo, mas nas partes mais altas podia ver o branco da neve, tal como contava a lenda.” – 4/5 estrelas!

Atenção! Este livro contém: figueiras, carvalhos, cestos de fruta, enchentes, floristas, cientistas, framboesas, gatos governantes, estátuas, coelhos de estimação, diários, muros, votações, novas religiões, olhos muito azuis e jornais.

Num lugar não muito distante, mas também não muito perto, o num tempo que já pode ter passado, ou talvez ainda nem tenhachegado, existiu, existe ou existirá uma pequena cidade à sombra de uma enorme montanha, de pedra branca e com o topo eternamente coberto de neve. Nela, aconteceram, acontecem ou acontecerão os factos narrados neste livro.
Não se trata de um local místico, mitológico ou de qualquer maneira fantástico mas sim de uma cidade perdida no tempo e no espaço, com seus próprios costumes, leis, cultura, qualidades e defeitos. Até a língua falada não é parecida com nada que já tenhamos escutado. O dinheiro, então, não valeria sequer um centavo de nossa moeda. Mas a vida lá… Bem, talvez essa se pareça um pouco com a que vivemos atualmente. Afinal, por mais que o homem se tenha espalhado pelo planeta, e ido até além dele, convenhamos que adversidades, conflitos e situações de toda a natureza teimam em se repetir.

Afinal, se surge uma pessoa com a solução para um problema, sempre haverá duas outras, uma para contestar a solução dada e a outra para apontar dois novos problemas. Portanto, caro leitor, aproveite a história a seguir e não se sinta incomodado se algum dos casos narrados se confundir com sua realidade. Pois se cada sociedade possui as suas questões a resolver, e elas tanto se parecem, esta, com certeza, resume, pelo menos, uma parte da experiência chamada humanidade.

Fiquei muito impressionada com este livro. A história contada é brilhante e captou a minha atenção desde o início! Este livro retrata a história das várias gerações da civilização do Vale da Montanha Branca. Apesar de haver uma história principal, são contados diferentes acontecimentos que retratam as diferentes situações políticas, conflitos, hábitos e tradições do povo ao longo dos anos. 

Apesar do tom humorístico ao longo do livro, é impossível não perceber a crítica política por detrás da história. Fez-me refletir sobre a facilidade com que se geram conflitos (mesmo sendo ridículos) dentro de uma sociedade e quão difícil pode ser geri-los e agradar a toda a população. E é exatamente por isso que é possível reconhecer este tipo de situações na nossa sociedade dos dias de hoje. E isto não se aplica apenas à política, mas também ao poder dos media e ao poder judicial, como também foi mencionado no livro várias vezes.

Existem algumas personagens fixas que vão aparecendo ao longo do livro, como por exemplo o jovem que trabalha na loja de flores do Senhor 11, mas existem também personagens mais passageiros. Achei muito interessante este formato e a forma como as histórias se cruzaram ao longo do livro!

Confesso que não estava à espera do final. Foi uma forma muito imprevisível e interessante de terminar o livro! Precisei de uns minutos para processar o que tinha acabado de ler, mas fiquei muito feliz com a decisão que o autor tomou. Foi a forma perfeita para terminar o livro, na minha humilde opinião!

Um dos meus aspetos preferidos do livro é a escrita. Apesar de ter um peso político, a história é muito fácil de acompanhar e o tom divertido faz-nos querer continuar a ler! Há sempre algo a acontecer em cada capítulo. Por exemplo, tão depressa os cidadãos discutem se seria bom ou mau erguer um muro em torno da cidade para ficarem protegidos de intrusos, como é tomada a decisão de se deixar de consumir framboesas (mesmo não se sabendo bem porquê). 

Reparei que foram utilizados muitos termos e expressões em português do Brasil ao longo do livro (o que faz sentido, dada a origem do autor). Pessoalmente, o uso de expressões e termos em português do Brasil não me dificultou a leitura, mas compreendo que possa dificultar a outros leitores portugueses.

O autor fez um excelente trabalho ao criar uma história memorável em torno das várias gerações da população do Vale da Montanha Branca. Recomendo este livro inesquecível a todos os leitores. Vou levar esta história comigo para o resto da minha vida!

xoxo,