Book Review: "Fun for the Whole Family" by Jennifer E. Smith

TFW you loved a book so much that you had to write a review immediately after you finished. Thanks so much to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book!!

The four Endicott siblings—Gemma, Connor, and twins Roddy and Jude—were an inseparable unit growing up. Their mother, an actress dreaming of her big break, left their family but would return for a few weeks every summer to take the four of them on a road trip. The destinations were never exciting but the trips were always memorable—until the events of one trip changed everything.

Now, as adults, it’s been three years since the siblings have seen one another and have barely communicated. But they get a text message out of the blue from Jude—now an Oscar-nominated actress—asking them to meet her in a small town in North Dakota in a few days.

Jude has called her siblings together because she has three secrets to share with them. Each has the potential to upend everything.

At the same time, each sibling is at a crossroads. Gemma, the oldest, who served as a surrogate mother for the others, wonders if she is pregnant—and if she wants to be. Connor, whose last book fictionalized their childhoods and angered his siblings, is divorced and has writer’s block. Roddy, a professional soccer player ready to retire, has the chance for one more season, but hasn’t discussed it with his future husband.

I love family drama, and this book was just so emotionally rich and compelling. The narration shifts between past and present and among the siblings, and the whole story was just so beautiful.

The book will publish 4/15/2025.

Book Review: "Cross My Heart" by Megan Collins

”…the beginning was so blindingly beautiful, it kept me from seeing the end.”

Rosie believes in love, in happy endings. After a broken engagement, she works in her parents’ bridal shop, helping others achieve their dream weddings. But she wholeheartedly believes there’s someone out there who’s right for her.

After receiving a heart transplant, Rosie is grateful to be alive and is grateful to the donor whose heart she now has. With the help of a friend who works in the hospital, she’s figured out that her heart donor was Daphne Thorne. Daphne was a college professor and the wife of famed thriller author Morgan Thorne, a local celebrity in Rosie’s town.

Rosie follows Morgan on social media and has read his books. The two begin corresponding via an anonymous service for transplant recipients and donor families. The more Rosie learns about Morgan and Daphne, the more she becomes convinced that she is the right person for Morgan. She has his wife’s heart, after all.

As she becomes more infatuated with Morgan and feels he understands her, she also starts hearing rumors from those who believe Morgan might’ve been responsible for his wife’s death. She’s determined to figure out the truth before letting herself fall for Morgan completely. But nothing is quite what it seems.

I was hooked on this book from the very first page. The concept of the book and the shifting perspectives were both really compelling, and I loved how Megan Collins kept me guessing. While I did figure out one twist pretty early on, I couldn’t wait to see how everything was tied up. It was quite a read!

Book Review: "The In-Between Bookstore" by Edward Underhill

Darby moved to NYC to go to college and put some distance between him and Oak Falls, his small Illinois hometown. As a trans man, getting a fresh start was exactly what he needed, away from those who looked down on him.

Now, as he nears 30, he’s just lost his job, his rent is increasing, and he’s feeling rudderless. It feels like all of his best friends are making progress in their lives, while he’s not. When he learns that his mother is planning to sell his childhood home and move into a new condo, he decides to move back to Oak Falls.

So much has changed in Oak Falls since Darby left. But one thing hasn’t: In Between Books, the store where he worked in high school. In fact, when he goes into the store, the new releases and the newspapers are all from 2009. And the kid behind the counter seems so much like Darby at 16…could it be Darby?

As Darby tries to connect with his teenage self, he also tries to figure out where his life went off track, and how to fix it. He also encounters Michael, his best friend while growing up, whom he hasn’t seen since their friendship ended dramatically before Darby left Oak Falls.

I love time travel and time loops, and how characters learn from the past. But this book never really took off for me. I didn’t really feel like Darby learned much, and I felt like everything in the book was left fairly unresolved.

Edward Underhill has written three YA books that I’ve enjoyed, so I was looking forward to his adult debut. I like the way he writes, so hopefully his next book will have more of a spark for me.

Book Review: "The Shots You Take" by Rachel Reid

This was so fantastic! Thanks so much to Carina Adores and NetGalley for the advance copy of the book.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ The last person Riley was expecting to show up at his father’s funeral was Adam, his former best friend and hockey teammate. Twelve years had passed since they’d seen each other, and the last time they spoke, Riley told Adam he wanted him out of his life.⁣⁣

⁣ What they had was so much more than a friendship. Yes, they shared an immense love for hockey, but their relationship was a physical one as well. And while Riley knew he was in love with Adam, Adam was afraid to acknowledge his feelings. It was easier to pretend it only happened when they were drunk or in the heat of the moment following a game.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ Adam’s arrival in the small town of Avery River, Nova Scotia causes quite a stir. Even though he retired from hockey, he’s still favored to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But his career achievements aren’t nearly as important as trying to help Riley through his grief—and letting him know how much he regretted denying his true feelings when they were younger.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ Not only does Riley have to deal with his grief about his father’s death, but Adam’s return reminds him of the anger and sadness he had tried to put behind him. But he’s never stopped loving Adam, although he tries everything not to allow himself to be vulnerable again.⁣⁣

⁣⁣ I love Rachel Reid and the way her books are fun, emotional, steamy, and heartfelt. What was fantastic about this book was that the main characters are more mature—in their late 30s or early 40s—so there was a gravity to the story that really worked. I loved it!⁣⁣

⁣⁣ The book will publish 3/4/2025.⁣⁣

Book Review: "The Business Trip" by Jessie Garcia

Ugh. I really was excited about this book, although I had seen mixed reviews. It just didn’t work for me at all.

Jasmine is finally ready to escape her abusive relationship. She’s saved her money and plans to sneak away in the middle of the night. Her first destination is Denver, but she’s eager for a fresh start.

Stephanie is the news director for a television station. She’s heading to San Diego (through Denver) for a conference.

Even though they’re from the same town and wind up on the same flight to Denver, Jasmine and Stephanie have never met. Yet it’s not long before both women text their friends about meeting a man—the same man—and each says they’re falling in love. Soon after, their texts become less frequent and then stop altogether.

Stephanie’s friends and colleagues start to dig into her texts and suspect that something isn’t right. Jasmine’s friend wonders what might’ve happened to her, too. All signs point to the man they both say they met. But what happened?

I thought this started out really strong, alternating between Stephanie and Jasmine’s stories. But then the story is taken over by a bunch of peripheral characters, those connected to the two women, and then the final section lays out exactly what happened. (So much telling, not much showing.) There are some twists that I saw coming, some I didn’t which required complete suspension of disbelief, but overall, I was really let down.

Book Review: "Dungeons and Drama" by Kristy Boyce

This was such a fun, sweet read! I’m always a sucker for fake dating rom-coms, but when you throw in a high school musical and some gaming, how can I resist?⁣

⁣ Maybe Riley should’ve thought twice about taking her mother’s car and driving her and her best friend a few hours away to see a production of Waitress. She didn’t get a ticket or get into an accident—she just didn’t have her license yet.⁣

⁣ Now she’s grounded for a while, and her parents can’t trust her to stay home alone at all. So as punishment, she has to work at Sword and Board Games, her dad’s game store. She’s not into gaming, and she believes the store was one of the reasons her parents got divorced. Needless to say, this will be torture.⁣

⁣ Her coworker (and classmate) Nathan takes an instant dislike to Riley, and she’s no fan of his either. But when her ex and his new girlfriend show up at the store, she has to pretend she doesn’t care, so she says she has a new boyfriend: Nathan. While at first, Nathan refuses to pretend they’re dating, Riley convinces him that their “relationship” will make the gamer girl he’s crushing on jealous.⁣

⁣ At the same time, Riley’s high school announces they’re canceling the annual musical for budgetary reasons. But Riley sees the musical as an opportunity to develop her skills as student director. How can she convince the school board not to cancel?⁣

⁣ I really flew through this book. The characters were so appealing and enjoyable and the fake dating trope is a favorite of mine. You can bet I’ll be picking up the next book in the series!⁣

Book Review: "Moody's Grumpy Holiday" by Lane Hayes

Yes, I know that the holidays are over. That doesn’t mean I’m done with my holiday reads! There’s still snow on the ground here, so I’m good.

Hudson’s engagement ended and he’s honestly not that heartbroken. After spending some time at the fancy California beach resort where his honeymoon was supposed to be, he’s ready for a fresh start. And investing in the Oak Ridge Ranch seems to be the solution.

On the way to the ranch, Hudson decides to do a little sightseeing in nearby Christmas Town, known for their year-round tree and apparently some of the best chicken noodle soup you’ve ever tasted.

While waiting for some soup, Hudson visits Moody’s Marvelous Bah Humbug Bookshop and is immediately intrigued by Moody, the store’s adorable, nerdy owner. Moody is no dummy; he can’t take his eyes off the handsome cowboy that walked into his store. But there’s no way he could be interested in someone like him, right?

Not only is Hudson attracted to Moody, who uses phrases like “two shakes of a lamb’s tale,” but the more he gets to know him, the more he realizes what his heart has been missing. But strangely enough, even though Moody lives and works in Christmas Town, the month of December is his least favorite. He truly embodies the “bah humbug” in his store’s name. Can Hudson help change that?

This was sweet, funny, and romantic, and boy howdy, it was super HOT!! I love how both characters grew through the book and the way they interacted with the supporting characters. All in all, quite a festive story!