“Perhaps they are worse than evil – they are bored.” – 3.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: private islands, wild animals, water bottles, search dogs, consequences, dehydration, revenge, and survival.

It was just supposed to be a family vacation.
A terrible accident changed everything.
You don’t know what you’re capable of until they come for your family.

After moving from a small country town to Seattle, Heather Baxter marries Tom, a widowed doctor with a young son and teenage daughter. A working vacation overseas seems like the perfect way to bring the new family together, but once they’re deep in the Australian outback, the jet-lagged and exhausted kids are so over their new mom.

When they discover remote Dutch Island, off-limits to outside visitors, the family talks their way onto the ferry, taking a chance on an adventure far from the reach of iPhones and Instagram.

But as soon as they set foot on the island, which is run by a tightly knit clan of locals, everything feels wrong. Then a shocking accident propels the Baxters from an unsettling situation into an absolute nightmare.

When Heather and the kids are separated from Tom, they are forced to escape alone, seconds ahead of their pursuers.

Now it’s up to Heather to save herself and the kids, even though they don’t trust her, the harsh bushland is filled with danger, and the locals want her dead.

Heather has been underestimated her entire life, but she knows that only she can bring her family home again and become the mother the children desperately need, even if it means doing the unthinkable to keep them all alive.

This book was very interesting! You can think of “The Island” as a psychological thriller – it follows a family that gets stuck on a private island in Australia and is trying to survive. Well, actually it’s not that simple, because it’s not the nature they are trying to survive from. Let’s just say I’m glad I started this book without knowing too much about it – so if you don’t know what the book is about, I recommend you do the same!
Even though this is a little different from the thrillers I usually pick up, I had a good time reading it! The atmosphere is very disturbing and I remember feeling stressed the entire time because I had no idea about what was going to happen! It’s a book full of action and suspense, and also a little violent, so be aware of that.
I also liked the characters, but I especially liked Heather as the main character. She was very intelligent and kind to her husband’s kids (even when they were super rude to her).
Yes, it’s not exactly your typical thriller, but I was never bored. The book is very gripping and it was hard to put it down, so I definitely recommend it to other readers!

“As I stood there surrounded by three people who had the ability to do just that-crack my chest open to all the disappointment and difficulty and grief-I knew I still wanted it. The risk of the bad stuff was so worth the good stuff. People who would be there for you when you messed up and behaved like a little jerk? They were the good stuff.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: waterpark rides, kimchi, instamodels, spontaneous plane rides, food trucks, arrow signs, food competitions, musicals, pranks, first love, single dads, improbable friendships, Korean-Brazilians, pasteis, the KoBra, summer jobs, LA and starry nights.

Clara Shin lives for pranks and disruption. When she takes one joke too far, her dad sentences her to a summer working on his food truck, the KoBra, alongside her uptight classmate Rose Carver. Not the carefree summer Clara had imagined. But maybe Rose isn’t so bad. Maybe the boy named Hamlet (yes, Hamlet) crushing on her is pretty cute. Maybe Clara actually feels invested in her dad’s business. What if taking this summer seriously means that Clara has to leave her old self behind? With Maurene Goo’s signature warmth and humor, The Way You Make Me Feel is a relatable story of falling in love and finding yourself in the places you’d never thought to look.

Another example of a book that spoke to my soul through the cover… how beautiful is that!
Now, the book itself: it was adorable! I really liked how Clara’s dad runs a food truck and (surprise surprise) it made me very hungry… all the times I read about it. All the food descriptions made me crave delicious food truck food!
Clara’s relationship with Rose was very interesting to watch as well. They started as mortal enemies and ended as best friends. They made great friends when they got to know each other better, which was nice.
I also thought the romance was very cute! The love interest was very nerdy and respectful. Just thought it was insta-love, but it was still cute.
I felt like Clara grew a lot this summer, it was nice to watch her develop and become more mature. And I really liked her personality in general, very different from the regular lead girl. She’s incredibly funny and sarcastic and weird, and I love it!
It’s a great book for a light summer read! It’s funny and sweet, perfect if you just want to grab something easy and fast to read.

“He didn’t give me flowers or candy. He gave me the moon and the stars. Infinity.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: first loves, sororoties, star gazing, beach houses, friendship, cheating, college parties, old letters, trips to Cabo, wedding plans, happy endings and… infinity.

It’s been two years since Conrad told Belly to go with Jeremiah. She and Jeremiah have been inseparable ever since, even attending the same college—only, their relationship hasn’t exactly been the happily ever after Belly had hoped it would be. And when Jeremiah makes the worst mistake a boy can make, Belly is forced to question what she thought was true love. Does she really have a future with Jeremiah? Has she ever gotten over Conrad? It’s time for Belly to decide, once and for all, who has her heart forever.

Oh god… where to begin? I got my heart broken again and again. I just love this series so much! I don’t even know what hit me with this one. I wasn’t expecting anything that just happened.
The reason why I’m giving this 4 stars and not 5: Well, for starters, Jeremiah. I was so sad about what he had done to Belly, and my perspective of him changed a lot in this book (still, I was rooting for Conrad the whole time!). He changed so much and I didn’t like how he turned out.
I loved this trilogy. I think it was amazing and cute, and I loved the ending! All my hopes were accomplished in the end. Oh, and we finally get Conrad’s POV! I was so excited when I saw his name for the first time at the top of the page!
Such an amazing series! I really loved this! Have to admit, I’m sad it’s over.

“I couldn’t even be mad at him, because this was who he was. This was who he’d always been. He’d never lied about that. He gave and then he took away. I felt it in the pit of my stomach, the familiar ache, that lost, regretful feeling only he could give me. I never wanted to feel it again. Never, ever. Maybe this was why I came, so I could really know. So I could say good-bye.” – 5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: a love triangle, car drives, the ocean, singing, slurpees, beach houses, college exams, real estate, dealing with grief and a ton of beer bottles.

Belly finds out what comes after falling in love in this follow-up to The Summer I Turned Pretty from the New York Times bestselling author of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (soon to be a major motion picture!), Jenny Han.

Can summer be truly summer without Cousins Beach?

It used to be that Belly counted the days until summer, until she was back at Cousins Beach with Conrad and Jeremiah. But not this year. Not after Susannah got sick again and Conrad stopped caring. Everything that was right and good has fallen apart, leaving Belly wishing summer would never come.

But when Jeremiah calls saying Conrad has disappeared, Belly knows what she must do to make things right again. And it can only happen back at the beach house, the three of them together, the way things used to be. If this summer really and truly is the last summer, it should end the way it started—at Cousins Beach.

SO. MANY. FEELS. This book… was so amazing, I don’t have enough words! I loved the first book, but I definitely liked this one better! This book had more depth and more serious issues, which I really appreciate. It’s a real and raw book with “real” characters dealing with very real struggles. It’s full of emotions, ups and downs… my heart broke over and over again. It was such an emotional rollercoaster! At this point, I’m very attached to all characters, and I need to see what happens next. Oh and don’t even get me started on that cliffhanger in the end…
I’m usually not a fan of love triangles, but this one is very well done! It makes the story very interesting! Jeremiah is very outgoing and sweet and shows constantly his love for Belly, but Conrad… is VERY unpredictable with his interactions and I love how slow the main romance is developing! I love both brothers, but I’m still cheering for Conrad though!
I thought Belly was a bit more mature in this book compared with the first one, but I feel she was still very selfish and childish.
I love Jenny Han’s style! She makes a story very easy to read and very relatable. I’m looking forward to reading her other trilogies “Burn for Burn” and “To All the Boys I Loved Before”. For now, I need to finish this series first… ASAP.

“For me there was – is – nothing better than walking on the beach late at night. It feels like you could walk forever, like the whole night is yours and so is the ocean. When you walk on the beach at night, you can say things you can’t say in real life. In the dark you can feel really close to a person. You can say whatever you want.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: beach houses, salty air, summer parties, cigarettes, charm bracelets, siblings, divorces, bonfires, Latin, pools, movies, learning how to drive, growing up, friendship, dancing, cancer, birthday cakes, colorful seashells, cute bikinis, pearl necklaces, sundresses, The Titanic, veganism, family issues, a lot of swimming, and seafood dishes.

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one terrible and wonderful summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.

I know this is irrelevant, but I have to mention this. You should see my face when the main character’s nickname comes up for the first time. Belly. Really? I’m very serious when I say I cringed the entire time her nickname came up. I mean, I get the nickname thing since her name is Isabella… but I truly disliked it. I wish she had a different name, like Bella for example… it just sounds so weird to me calling another person “Belly”. At the same time, I understand it makes the character memorable – so I guess it worked!
Besides her name, I didn’t like the MC’s attitude at times. She’s indeed a teenager, but I found her very immature and childish, which I didn’t like.
With that said, I really liked the book! I loved all the other characters, especially Susannah, Conrad, Jeremiah, and Cam. I just like how unique they were in their way – it felt like they were real people. The characters were very well defined from the beginning. The “perfect” main boys were not perfect and their lives were WAY far from perfect, and I liked that a lot. I also loved Susanne and Lauren’s friendship and I loved the whole “summer family” dynamic and how they all interacted as a group.
I enjoyed Jenny’s style of writing a lot! I appreciate how the book is structured, making it very easy to follow. The references to Belly’s age at the beginning of the throwback chapters made it easier to go back in time, without feeling completely lost. So, that was a plus!
I would describe this book as the “love child” of Sarah Dessen and Nicholas Sparks, so if you’re a fan of one of them, I recommend this one!

“You go after one, you go after all. You know the rules.” – 4.5/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: fights, sharp knives, angry teachers, spy cameras, guns, overdoses, sleeping in closets, friendship, leadership, loyalty, “normal” people, tons of blood, beer, a lot of secrets, and… crew business.

To survive where I live, you have two options.

You can be a Normal–a cheerleader, jock, member of the debate team, or on the yearbook committee. You pretend everything is normal.

Or you can be crew.
You insult us? We hurt you.
You hurt us? We really hurt you.
And if you screw with us, we will end you.

My name is Bren.
I’m the only female in the Wolf Crew–the best, fiercest, and most dangerous crew there is–and we have a rule: There’s no falling in love.

Well… too late.

Such a badass book! When I started reading it I immediately thought to myself “yeah, this is not my cup of tea” – and I was right. But with that said… I absolutely loved it! I found the crew concept very interesting and unique. It’s not a very common concept to find in YA books, especially romances.

I’ve heard a lot about Tijan’s books and I know they’re popular, so I decided to give it a try. I loved Tijan’s writing style and all the characters in the book, especially our main character, Bren. What a badass girl! She experienced a lot in her life and it made her such a strong young woman. It was great to see someone like her in a book, so fierce. I also thought her friendship with Taz was very sweet since she wasn’t a crew member like her.

Also, the romance was super cute! Cross was a perfect love interest – at least for me! If you’re looking for a slow-burning romance, this is absolutely perfect for it.

“Maybe it fixes itself. Or maybe it doesn’t. And we make peace with some things that are broken.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: Italian weddings, the meaning of love, new stepmothers, cool Launts, and a lot of traveling.

Patrick O’Hara is called back to his guncle duties… This time for a big family wedding in Italy.

Patrick O’Hara is back. It’s been five years since his summer as his niece Maisie and nephew Grant’s caretaker after their mother’s passing. The kids are back in Connecticut with their dad, and Patrick has relocated to New York to remain close by and relaunch his dormant acting career. After the run of his second successful sit-com comes to a close, Patrick feels on top of the world… professionally. But some things have had to take a back seat. Looking down both barrels at fifty, Patrick is single again after breaking things off with Emory. But at least he has a family to lean on. Until that family needs to again lean on him.

When Patrick’s brother, Greg, announces he’s getting remarried in Italy, Maisie and Grant are not thrilled. Patrick feels drawn to take the two back under his wing. As they travel through Europe on their way to the wedding, Patrick tries his best to help them understand love, much as he once helped them comprehend grief. But when they arrive in Italy, Patrick is overextended managing a groom with cold feet; his sister, Clara, flirting with guests left and right; a growing rivalry with the kids’ charming soon-to-be-launt (lesbian aunt), and two moody young teens trying to adjust to a new normal, all culminating in a disastrous rehearsal dinner.

Can Patrick save the day? Will teaching the kids about love help him repair his own love life? Can the change of scenery help Patrick come to terms with finally growing up?

Gracing the work with his signature blend of humor and heart, Steven Rowley charms with a beloved story about the complicated bonds of family, love, and what it takes to rediscover yourself, even at the ripe age of fifty.

Once again, I loved reading about Patrick’s adventures with Maisie and Grant! I assure you if these Guncle books keep coming, I will always make time to read them.
This time, our favorite Guncle is helping his nephews deal with their father’s engagement and wedding to an Italian woman they don’t know very well. So he decides to take the kids on a trip throughout Europe on their way to the wedding in Italy, to teach them about love and help them cope with the situation.
There are so many things about this book I love! This was a really fun read and I loved the European background for the story – and I like the loving message behind the book. I also love how the all characters are multi-layered and have depth. Patrick is a very fun character and has a very distinct personality, and to me, this character is a big reason why these books are so fun to read. I also love how sweet the kids are and how much they love and listen to their Guncle.
Another thing I thought was fun about this book was Patrick’s rivalry and jealousy with the kids’ new Launt (lesbian aunt) Palmina. It was interesting to see him feeling like his connection with the kids was in jeopardy because of this new, cool person who was introduced into their lives and that is getting their attention. That showed how much he cares about the kids and how he wants to protect the special relationship he has with them.
I truly enjoyed this book! I always love these Guncle books because they are super heartwarming and funny, and I always have a good time reading them. This is really good option to read for the Summer, but my advice is for you to read the first book first because you won’t understand most of what they’re talking about. But it’s very worth it, I promise!

“It’s one of those special places where you feel like time doesn’t exist. Where it will always be summer, where I’ll always wake up with you.” – 3/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: wedding festivities, meditation sessions, old videos, donuts, Instagram posts, #HoorayShesADupree hashtags, delicious pies, assassins, trophies, and plenty of Taylor Swift references.

Meredith Fox has been going to Martha’s Vineyard for the summer as long as she can remember. But this summer is the first one back since the death of Meredith’s sister. It will all be overwhelming, but even more since since the entire extended family will be together for her cousin’s big wedding.

Unfortunately, Meredith’s longtime boyfriend unexpectedly dumped her two weeks before the wedding, leaving her dateless. Luckily, she has the perfect distraction. Her family has a tradition of playing the ultimate game of Assassin every summer, and this year it will take place during the week of wedding festivities.

But her target just happens to be a very cute groomsman. She’s determined to not let herself get distracted, not let herself be lost in another doomed relationship. But as the week progresses, she can’t help falling for him, which may cost her not only the game, but also her heart.

Meredith’s family’s annual game of assassin at Martha’s Vineyard during a summer wedding is the perfect chance to honor her sister’s legacy, and finally join the world again. But when she forms an alliance with a cute groomsman, she’s at risk of losing both the game… and her heart.

Oh boy, this was… an interesting reading experience. I was a little conflicted with my feelings on this book, but now that I gathered my thoughts, let me tell you all about them!
Let’s start with the big romance in this book. Well, it was not my favorite because it was too “insta lovey” for my standards. The entire book happens in one week, and the main character Meredith spends most of the nights in the bed of someone she met at the beginning of the week. Yup, they lived a full-on deep romance… in a week. Call me old-fashioned, but this kind of romance is not my cup of tea. (Spoiler alert) Oh, and did I mention that after that single week, she decided to go to New Zealand with him? I wish I was joking! (end of spoiler) With that said, I did like Wit as a character and love interest – probably a little more than the main character Meredith if I’m being honest.
Now we have to talk about that silly game they played. What I think it’s the most unbelievable thing about it is that if this had happened in real life, I’m sure almost no adult would play. I’m sure that some cool uncle would still want to play with the kids, but all the adults want to play an assassin game? For a whole week? 24/7? That to me is too unbelievable – or maybe I come from a family that is not fun, idk. 🙂 Meredith wanted to play it and win it for her sister, and that I understand – but having every single person of the family being so into it and making such a big deal out of it… I thought it was silly.
What I did like about this book, is in regards to the family dynamics. Having everyone gathered to spend a summer week together and celebrate a wedding was one of the best parts of this book for me. I love to read about big families and everybody getting along and spending time together, so this was a treat! I just wish the focus wasn’t so much on the game, but more on things like meals together and group activities.
I was conflicted with my rating because I was unsure about what I felt about this book. I’m not a fan of “insta love” romances or the game they played in the book, and since those are the biggest parts of the book, that would mean this was mostly a negative experience, right? But at the same time, I liked the sibling story and how their entire family was gathered for a wedding week and spent time together. Ultimately, I decided I would give this a 3 out of 5 star rating instead of a negative rating. With that said, I’m not sure I would recommend this book because I feel like the book’s focus on the game the characters were playing is something that some people may not enjoy in a beach read. But to each their own!

“I’ll give you anything you want—anything at all—so long as you give me a chance to make you as happy as you make me. A dog. A family. A home. I want it all. These are my terms and conditions, take it or leave it because I’m not open to negotiations.” – 4/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: fake weddings, big fluffy dogs, dyslexia, mountains of work, restaurant reservations, auctions, words with no direct translation, and of course, terms and conditions.

Declan
I’m destined to become the next CEO of my family’s media empire.
The only problem? My grandfather’s inheritance clause.
Fulfilling his dying wish of getting married and having an heir seemed impossible until my assistant volunteers for the job.
Our marriage was supposed to be the perfect solution to my biggest problem.
But the more we act in love for the public, the more unsure I feel about our contract.
Caring about Iris was never part of the deal.
Especially not when breaking her heart is inevitable.

Iris
My plan to marry Declan was simple in theory.
Move in together. Throw a wedding. Have a baby.
We set rules to prevent any kind of issues.
Ones that were never meant to be broken, no matter how much Declan tempts me.
But what happens when our fake relationship bleeds into our real one?
Falling in love was never an option.
At least not for me.

When I started this book, I was 100% convinced it would top the first book: I personally love the fake dating trope and the boss/secretary trope, so I was expecting it to be better than the first book in the series. And even though I liked it, that didn’t happen.

The beginning was okay and I was engaged and interested, but I wasn’t too fond of the last third of the book for a few different reasons – the main one being how the pace slowed down considerably.I liked the romance for the most part! I liked how they were so important to one another before the romance even started. They knew very well the value of the other person and there was a lot of respect and subtle admiration. As a side note, their relationship reminded me a lot of Harvey and Donna (they’re from a TV show named Suits) – well, this is for sure a darker version, but if you’ve watched the show I’m sure you know what I’m talking about! They have the same fun and flirty dynamic.

At the end of the day, I had fun reading this. At this point, the books are practically in the same tier, rating-wise. There’s only one book left, but I’m not sure what to expect because Cal (the remaining brother) seems a little different from his brothers. We’ll see!

“It suddenly made sense. Only twice in his life had he felt this inexplicable, almost mystical attraction to a woman. He’d thought it remarkable, to have found two, when in his heart he’d always believed there was only one perfect woman out there for him. His heart had been right. There was only one.” – 4.25/5 stars!

Attention! This book contains: masquerade balls, gloves, fever, housemaids, earls, dowries, drawings, evil stepmothers, and mistresses.

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she’d be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton’s famed masquerade ball—or that “Prince Charming” would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps, this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid’s garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers her his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

I had no idea Benedict and Sophie’s story was a Cinderella retelling! It ended up being a really fun, swoony, and unexpected book.

As the characters go, I really liked both Benedict and Sophie as main characters. I felt really bad for Sophie for being put to the side for being a bastard child and for being mistreated for her whole life by her stepmother and stepsisters – and by the way, I still disliked Posy until the very end, you can’t change my mind on her. And Benedict is used to always being overlooked as “the second Bridgerton”, without people seeing him for who he is. And when they met for the first time… sparks flew! The masquerade chapters were some of my favorites from the entire book. It had such a magical feel to it! Sophie’s servants helped her dress up so she could attend the ball and have the best night of her life… right next to Benedict. Also, this is more of a side note, but I loved Violet’s interactions in this book. No one knows her kids like she does, and she always tries to parent them with kindness and help them navigate through life at all times. She’s one of my favorite characters from the entire series!

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I kind of wished their relationship developed a little more. I don’t think it was necessarily superficial, but I would love to see them grow a more stable relationship before concluding the story
I’m not sure what my favorite Bridgerton book is so far! After reading this book, I think it’s a tie between Anthony’s book and Benedict’s book – I thought Daphne’s book was a little boring in comparison to the next two books. Let’s see if Colin’s book changes my mind!

Now I’m very excited about the Netflix adaptation for Benedict’s story! As I’m writing this, they just announced Sophie Beckett is going to be portrayed by Yerin Ha. I’m very curious to see what they do with the “lady in silver”. I beg you Netflix, please don’t ruin the story!