Category: reading

Book Review: The Shippers, by Katherine Center

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press.

Title: The Shippers
Author: Katherine Center            
Genre: Romance   
Rating: 5 out of 5

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

It’s a Katherine Center novel, so of course it was heartwarming, sweet, and laugh-out-loud funny. The idea of being trapped on a cruise with my entire family is…overwhelming. Doing that six weeks after you walked away from your own wedding at the altar, and for your own sister’s wedding…well, I can’t imagine.

JoJo and her obsessive over-thinking and analyzing/planning really made me laugh because, same. Cooper…man, everyone needs a Cooper in their lives. These two are so absolutely perfect for each other! I loved their banter, their fighting, the way they had each other’s back no matter what. Watching JoJo slowly come to realize how perfect they are together was so much fun. Loved this read!

Katherine Center is a bestselling author. The Shippers is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #371

I haven’t written anything this week. I’ve barely read anything. Work has been exhausting and stressful and all I’ve managed to do is survive. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

Book Review: Seconds to Spare, by Rachel Reiss

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books.

Title: Seconds to Spare
Author: Rachel Reiss       
Genre: YA   
Rating: 4 out of 5

Eighteen-year-old Evelyn Werth is trapped in what feels like a never-ending nightmare. She’s the only person onboard Aloha Airways Flight 1333 who’s stuck in a 28-minute time loop, one that repeats over and over again. During each loop, four things always happen:

1. The Internet goes out and the pilot warns of upcoming turbulence.

2. There are five minutes of moderate shaking.

3. A woman in the very last row collapses.

4. The plane tilts forward and begins to nosedive.

When Orion James –the cute boy who’s been asleep the entirety of each cycle– wakes, it triggers an alarming change in the events Evelyn has come to count on. As the two grow closer and learn to trust each other, they discover there’s more to the loop than they initially realized. They must discover the hidden clues, piece together the moving puzzle, and save everyone onboard –before it’s too late.

This was a solid read! I liked the mystery of what was going on, and I loved how the characters dealt with their own issues in 28-minute increments. I can’t imagine how maddening doing the same 30 minutes 400 times would be—especially with it ending just before the plane crashed! I liked the action, the characters, and the mystery. This would be a fun weekend read!

Rachel Reiss lives in California. Seconds to Spare is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: Burnout Summer, by Jenna Ramirez  

Image belongs to St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books.

Title: Burnout Summer
Author: Jenna Ramirez             
Genre: Romance  
Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Four years after graduation, life isn’t going the way Camille Luna expected. Her corporate career is soul-sucking, she’s in debt from student loans, and her breakup with her ex has created a serious rift between her college best friends. When her spiraling lands her in jail for the night, it’s Danny Brennan —the lovable burnout from their college clique— who bails her out and offers the perfect solution to her quarter-life crisis: a summer by the beach.

Cam is whisked away to Elswick, Rhode Island, where former slacker Danny has taken over his uncle’s restaurant and turned it into a seaside hotspot. But while Danny has grown into a devoted boss and dog dad, his carpe diem life philosophy is still as fiery as ever. The hazy summer days start to blur between shifts at the restaurant, dips in the ocean, and a reignited passion for writing, all alongside Danny who makes her laugh like nobody else. Cam can’t help but wonder —is it the salty waves that have her feeling so renewed, or is it the carefree friend she always overlooked? But summer can’t last forever, and Cam’s looming student debt reminds her at every turn that the frigid air of corporate office life is waiting.

As September approaches, Cam must decide between snuffing out the flames with Danny in order to keep her beloved friend group together and return to the corporate grind—or falling into his forbidden arms and setting her old life ablaze.

This was a solid read, but nothing unexpected. Cam was a bit whiny and why-didn’t-anyone-ever-tell-me-things for me (about everything from her student loans to oh, the engagement of one of her supposed best friends, so…not a one-time thing). While I agree that you don’t have to have a degree or do what everyone else is doing to be happy, Cam low key got on my nerves with her judgment of others and feeling sorry for herself.

Jenna Ramirez lives in L.A. Burnout Summer is her debut novel.

(Galley courtesy of St. Martin’s Press | Saturday Books in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #370

This was not a good reading week, so I only wrote one book review, Burnout Summer, by Jenna Ramirez. I DNFed eight straight books before that one held my attention enough to finish it. I certainly hope this is a better reading (and writing) week!

Happy writing!  

Sundays are for Writing #369

Crazy busy week + travel=limited reading and writing. I wrote one book review, Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara, plus my April reading post, and my best books I read in April.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in April (2026)

I read 15 books in April. Still behind in my reading…Of those 15 books, several were really excellent reads.

First Witches Club, by Maisey Yates. i enjoyed this from the very first page! This was relatable, cathartic, and made me laugh out loud several times (And root for happy endings, of course!).

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson. I’m so glad the book woman’s story continued! I’ve really enjoyed these books and seeing more about life in Appalachia. This was a wonderful read!

Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara. I can’t believe there are as many books in this series as there are…and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Kaylin and the gang are always a lot of fun to read and I find myself so immersed in the different cultures that it’s hard to put the book down. Same for this one!

Book Review: Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara

Image belongs to Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press.

Title: Cast in Blood
Author: Michelle Sagara        
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 5 out of 5

DO NOT MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF BARRANI

Kaylin has been warned to steer clear of the lords of the Barrani High Court. She’d be more than happy to oblige, but it’s a bit difficult considering she lives with ten of them, all sent to the green to gain power or die. With Kaylin’s help, they finally escaped their imprisonment. But their attempts at freedom had devastating consequences—and a price that has yet to be paid.

The first warning sign is the Consort’s invitation to visit the High Halls—a Barrani invitation, which means an immediate visit.

The second sign is less subtle: Kaylin finds Nightshade’s unresponsive body. He hovers on the edge of death, beyond saving through Kaylin’s healing power. No one can explain his state, nor why she’s powerless to save him. And if she and her Barrani friends can’t figure out a way to bring him back, he’ll be lost forever.

Yet even as Kaylin struggles to keep Nightshade from death, there is deeper magic at play, a growing threat with the potential to affect the entire Barrani race. Factions are shifting, new lines are being drawn—and Nightshade’s near assassination is only the beginning. Can Kaylin uncover the nebulous forces that threaten the balance of Barrani—and their entire world—before it’s too late?

I’ve been reading this series for years, and I’ve loved every book. I loved this book. Kaylin is so relatable to me:  she’s impulsive, has a temper, and just doesn’t understand what’s going on half the time—she’s me 90% of the time—and I enjoy reading about her. I also enjoy this world and its different cultures immensely. The secondary characters are great (Okay, I do get the Cohort mixed up all the time), and I’m always fully invested in the story.

Michelle Sagara lives in Toronto. Cast in Blood is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press in exchange for an honest review.)

Book Review: The Ruins Beneath Us, by Sasha E. Sloan

Image belongs to Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion.

Title: The Ruins Beneath Us
Author: Sasha E. Sloan    
Genre: Fantasy  
Rating: 3.8 out of 5

She saved the prince. Now she must survive his world.

Lyria and her mother have been on the run from the human kingdom of Verdinae for as long as she can remember. She’s an elf born with magic—a double offence in a kingdom determined to eradicate both. Under her mother’s watchful protection, Lyria learns the rules that keep her alive: stay inside, stay hidden, stay safe, and above all stay calm, lest her magic flair out of control.

But when she finds a human boy being attacked by a deadly monster in the forest, Lyria risks everything by using magic to save him. She doesn’t expect his broken body to survive, and she definitely doesn’t expect him to be the crown prince.

Offered a position at the palace as the royal apothecary, Lyria seizes the chance to step into the light and prove to her mother she can control her unwieldly magic. But Verdinae is not the paradise it at first seems. The nobles are ruthless, the secrets are deadly, and Cygnus—the brooding royal healer—seems determined to expose Lyria’s every flaw. As she navigates a world of glittering gowns, deadly secrets, and stolen kisses, Lyria must keep her identity hidden. . . even from the prince who’s falling for her.

But beneath the palace lies a darkness far more dangerous than any secret. And when Lyria and Cygnus uncover a hidden world that could change everything, she must decide who to trust and how much she’s willing to risk for a love that was never meant to be.

I enjoyed this read, and would be interested in reading more, but…Lyria had some issues. She believed everything her mother said—I can kind of understand this, but when she got out into the world and realized her mother hadn’t been honest with her, she still believed everything Finn said…even with evidence he was lying. She tends to overreact to things in big ways. And, even when evidence is right in front of her, she completely ignores it and is then shocked when it slaps her in the face later.

I enjoyed the worldbuilding and history of this novel, and I liked Cygnus a lot, but Lyria kind of got on my nerves.

Sasha E. Sloan is the author of The Ruins Beneath Us.

(Galley courtesy of Disney Publishing Worldwide | Disney Hyperion in exchange for an honest review.)

Sundays are for Writing #368

Considering I was gone most of the week at a work conference, this was a decent writing week. I wrote two book reviews, The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson and The Ruins Beneath Us, by Sasha E. Sloan.

I’m exhausted from people-ing for three straight days, and I have another super busy week this week, so I’m off to binge read the latest Chronicles of Elantra novel before release day Tuesday.

Happy writing!