abbyluvsfrogs444's reviews
302 reviews

Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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

5.0

This is one of the easiest five stars I've ever given a book; I absolutely adored it! Tashie Bhuiyan, the woman that you are. Every book you've written has turned to gold. I've loved every single one and Stay with My Heart was no exception. 

First off, Tashie is so so good at creating characters and making you care so deeply for them. It's not an easy feat, to write characters that are not only very vivid and real but also loveable. I cared for each character in the book and could really understand and relate to them. Liana was such a good character. I was able to relate to her struggles with mental illness and grief. These discussions around mental health were handled with care and I appreciate it so much. So rarely do I see a female main character deal with mental illness and have if portrayed accurately and with respect, but Tashie did, and for that, I am grateful.

All the side characters were so funny and lovable and I had so much fun reading about them. Skyler, Mohammed, Ethan, and Vincent were amazing and added so much to the story. They were incredibly kind people who loved Liana like family. It was incredibly sweet. And Evie was a fantastic character and I loved her so much. All these characters were so real to me and I loved them all. 

The romance was so perfect. It developed so well. Liana and Sky were so adorable. They're so good for each other. I was rooting for them the whole time. 

I also really loved the complicated family relationships that were discussed in this book. It was heart wrenching to read about but it was realistic. It added much more depth to the story and I cared so much more about the characters because of it. 

Overall, I loved this book so much. I love Tashie Bhuiyan. She has become an auto-buy author. I have loved her other books so I know that everything she writes will be amazing. Thank you for writing such a wonderful book and for sharing your amazing brain with us. 

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The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

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adventurous funny mysterious reflective 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

4.5

I absolutely loved this one! It was like a Christmas-y, romantic version of Knives Out. And I am obsessed with it. It was suspenseful, mysterious, and swoony. I love the relationship between Maggie and Ethan. It was so cute and developed so well. And the mystery aspect of it had me on my toes the whole time. A mystery writer goes missing and two other mystery writers are trying to solve it? Perfection. I love it.
Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

Thank you so much to Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for the ARC!

Kasie West, I just love you. This book was so perfect. I loved every minute of it. I'll be honest, I wanted to read this book because it has a Taylor Swift song as the title. But I stayed for the story and for the characters. This book was so much freaking fun. I am obsessed with the revenge on your awful ex-boyfriend trope and Kasie West blew it out of the park. It was so well done. I love seeing awful men get the karma that they deserve. 

I also loved the cast of characters so much. I loved Finley's ambition and passion. I also loved her heart. Her relationship with her grandma was so tender and pure. I also loved Finley's friends. They were so supportive and funny and really added to the story. And Theo. Wow, I adore him. He was so kind and cute. He was so good to and for Finley. I had so much fun watching their romance develop. It wasn't forced and it wasn't cheesy, it felt very genuine. I really liked all the aspects of this book and how they weaved together to make the perfect book. 

If you need a super cute romance with a cast of characters so full of heart, this book is for you. You won't regret picking it up. 

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Her Knight at the Museum by Bryn Donovan

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

4.5

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the ARC!

If you're looking for a mix between Night at the Museum and Thor, this is the book for you. 

Oh my, when I tell y'all that I loved this so much! The title drew me in but then I read the synopsis and I was even more intrigued. Then I started reading and I couldn't put the book down. I am so obsessed with Griffin. He is the embodiment of "chivalry isn't dead." I fell in love with him right alongside Emily. With his beautiful words, the long hair, and a face that looks like it was carved from stone (HA), how could you not love Griffin. I also loved how realistic this book is, minus the statue coming to life part of course. I really understood Emily and Griffin and their struggles and anxieties. I loved watching them struggle together. I loved watching them fall in love and learn to trust another person again. These characters felt very real and I was rooting for them the whole time. What a joy this book is. I absolutely adored it. Y'all, if you're looking for a book where the man literally worships the ground his girl walks on, pick this one up. 
Love in Bloom by Lucy Eden

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

Thank you so much to Forever Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow, I loved this book so much!!! This book has everything you could ever need: a fiery leading lady, a love interest that worships the group our leading lady walks on, a fantastic cast of side characters, a small town filled with so much heart, and of course, a happy ending that will make your face hurt from smiling too much. I had so much fun reading this book. It was so cute and swoony and everything good. I loved the characters in this book; they all were so vivid and real. I was rooting for all of them the whole book. I also greatly appreciated the complicated family relationships. It felt so real and made it all the more satisfying when things were made okay again. Behind the cover of the book, you will find a story so fun but also so real. I loved every minute of it. 
She followed the moon back to herself by Amanda Lovelace

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

Thank you so much to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC! 

This was a beautiful poetry collection. I can tell how much of the author's heart and soul went into this. All the poems truly touched my heart Amanda Lovelace is definitely a poet I would recommend to anyone wanting to get into poetry. Her poems are accessible and beautiful and a wonderful launching off point for more poetry reading.
The "I Don't Want to Cook" Book: 100 Tasty, Healthy, Low-Prep Recipes for When You Just Don't Want to Cook by Alyssa Brantley

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informative fast-paced

5.0

Thank you so much to Adams Media and NetGalley for the ARC!

Wow. This was fantastic. All these recipes look and sound so delicious. They are all low effort and take so little time to make. I'm obsessed with how easy it all is. The author took so much care to include plethora of cooking pots so literally anyone can make a recipe from this cookbook. I need to make every single recipe in here ASAP! So amazing.
Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage

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emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted fast-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

5.0

All Lyla Sage books get 5 stars, even before I read it. I can't even tell y'all how much I love her and her books. This one blew me out of the water. I became obsessed with Teddy and Gus from book one, so finally reading their story was just, ugh, perfect. First things first, I ADORE Teddy Andersen. She is the funniest, most firery character in the Rebel Blue Ranch series and I can't get enough of her. And Gus. Listen, I disliked him at first for being such a jerk, but I'm glad Lyla gave him the backstory he deserved. I knew that Teddy and Gus would balance each other out and this books proved me right. It was so good to watch. They both deserved each other. And Gus? Phew, what a man. He is the only man that deserved Teddy. I also loved the dynamic between Teddy and Riley, Gus's daughter. Teddy fit into their family so easily. She became the perfect step mother to Riley. And I loved watching Teddy believe that she could be a mother, and a good mother too. I just love this series and this family and I don't want to say goodbye. Luckily we have one more book, so I don't have to say goodbye yet. Also I would love and ARC for the next one if The Dial Press is listening because I have tried for Lyla's past two books and failed. Please grant an ARC on a loyal Lyla Sage reader. I will NOT let you down. 
Love from Scratch by Kaitlyn Hill

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emotional funny hopeful 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? Yes

3.5

This was so cute, but not extraordinary. It was a fun, easy book to read to help me get out of my reading slump but I wouldn't read it again. I did find the characters unique and relatable at the same time. I appreciated the discussions of sexism in the workplace. It's a good book, but that's about it. 
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

Oh wow. I have so many words to say about this book but I don't know where to start. I'm blown away by Frankl and his insights. I can't even imagine going through something like he did and coming out of it with a renewed hope and joy in life. I don't know how he did it. All I know is this, the meaning of life is purely individual and personal for each person. My reason is different than another's reason. But, life does have meaning. It always does. And Frankl does an excellent job at drilling that into our minds. And if a Holocaust survivor says it's true, then I believe it. I finished this book with renewed hope. Hope is so rare in today's world, but I found it in Frankl's words. I love this book. It should be required reading for everyone. So fantastic. 

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