Jenn

This was the first pick of the year for my brother's Moonlit Book Club, and I expected to love it! After all, The Martian is probably my all-time favorite book and here is another book about a team going into space. However. It seemed to be very slow paced and - I'm not sure if this was due to the narration (since I listened to an audiobook) or the writing - seemingly unemotional. Even when thingspeople dying left and right were happening, it didn't make me feel anything in particular. The ending was perhaps the largest let-down of them all.

We were in Mel's head the whole time, and while I get that she's a scientist and focused on the mission and wants to portray herself as emotionally stable for the sake of her coworkers and crew... as a reader we don't really get a sense of her feelings. We should absolutely feel her jubilation, fear, heartbreak, love - all the things - from her perspective, but we just don't.

I'm having so much fun reading the Empyrean series! Unfortunately, I'll have to wait a while to read the next installment and all of these kind of end on cliffhangers that leave you wanting more. But, a super fun ride along the way!

I'm usually not a thriller person, but this was a cozy whodunit with an enemies-to-lovers romantic subplot that gave Clue vibes.

This was a cute, quick read. There's no major conflict in the plot and a lot of the way things play out can be seen coming from a long way off, but it was still enjoyable to spend time with these characters. It was a cozy book to be able to curl up with, sipping a warm beverage on a cold, winter's day.

 I am a fan of military and US government thrillers. This was a solid short story. Good pace, just enough details to be plausible, and leaves you with a feeling of having gotten away with something. 

This was a very cozy book. Even though it was about a woman on the brink of divorce, it was treated in a very safe and gentle way. I like that the alternate universe timeline was full of possibilities and promise and that there were several good options for Ellie. We could see her having a good life in multiple different ways - there wasn't the feeling that one choice leads to happiness and another leads to ruin. And I think life is like this a lot - it may not always turn out how you hope or plan, but it can still be good. I love the message about marriage being work and that you choose your relationship every day when you wake up. And to not get caught up in the What Ifs, but appreciate the What Is.

I didn't enjoy this book as much as I've enjoyed Lauren Blakely's other books. This was my first MFM, and to be honest, I had to look up what MFM meant. Basically, it's about a throuple consisting of two men and a woman. It wasn't a situation that I was particularly interested in, which is why the star rating for me is a 2.0 - it's ok, but not really my jam. While I typically enjoy the author's writing, I felt that this story lacked a good plot line and was basically a foil for a series of explicit sex scenes, which were very detailed. In the end of the book, it very quickly glossed over them “coming out” to their family, friends, and the general public, and I felt that this could have been explored better. The gist was that friends and family were immediately accepting; as for the public/media, there will always be trolls and people who disagree but they just ignored any negativity. I think the relationship between the guys and jealousies could have been explored more than just “both of us want to share her,” but again, I feel that this was just a tool for explicit scenes vs. a real investigation of the relationship dynamics.

Light, fluffy, spicy romance. Pretty enjoyable.

This was a cute story (with spice) about a girl who meets a guy after being locked out of her temporary home in only a t-shirt and slippers. He takes her under his wing and ultimately gives her a place to stay with him. They don't realize until later that he's on the same hockey team as her brother, and they have an unspoken rule about dating relatives of your teammates. I enjoyed the author's writing style and storytelling, so I've since picked up a few more of her books (lucky for me, a lot of them can be read for free on Kindle Unlimited). They run a little more spicy than my preference, but I am really enjoying that all of the books share the same universe and characters recur in the other storylines.

This was a fun, if somewhat predictable, romance. Lighthearted and fairly well-paced.

This book was hilarious from the start! The banter and the situations were spot on. There were darker topics, but they didn't weigh down the story, although the characters did have to grapple with their issues along the way. A super fun read; I'm so glad I picked it up from my TBR shelf and gave it a shot!

This was a fantastic story! The action was non-stop, and while there were technical elements to the story, it was great to show the emotional impact of the event to the characters and to see the disaster from so many diverse points of view. I cried real tears at least 3 times while I read this and I read it in one sitting, so it definitely will hold your attention. Disaster story + airplanes + nuclear reactors - I can't imagine a book more tailored to my interests. I also loved her first two books: Falling and Drowning, but Worst Case Scenario has gained a special place in my heart!

Solid advice and gives you a fairly comprehensive set of discussion points to have with your future spouse across various aspects of life. Since it is written from a Christian perspective, they do not cover topics such as resolving previous marriages or incorporating children from previous relationships. They provide multiple examples /case studies to illustrate the points they are trying to make, which can be helpful. I would say that this book is likely more helpful earlier in your relationship vs. right before proposal or wedding planning.

I'm rating this book just below the “I liked it” 3 star rating. This is an enemies-to-lovers troupe and - Wow! - they really make the MMC out to be a huge [censored word]! He was absolutely horrible to her in the beginning for no good reason. I hated him. I did not want to see them together, even though obviously they would. I wanted to throw the book across the room. I stuck it out and they eventually got together, although whatever made him flip from wanting to drive her insane to wanting to date her wasn't well explained. They had a pretty serious conflict in the end, and the resolution was really quick and a bit glossed over. There was also a serious conflict with their two best friends (who are also in a relationship) - this conflict is apparently resolved, but without any explanation at all.

It was a quick read and there were a few good one-liners in there, but not a story I'd necessarily recommend. It was good waiting room material.

I do own this book, but I think I will be donating it to our local Little Free Library.

Wow! This was a wild ride! There were so many plot twists, and I cried multiple times!

This was a fantastic read! I loved the pace and the science - an intricate and well-researched story. There were quite a few plot twists and complications along the way, and characters were put in harm's way again and again. I would say more, but you will just have to read it without spoilers!

This was such a cute story! I loved that it was set in a STEM/academic setting and adored all of the science references! The banter between Olive and Adam (and really all of the characters) was fantastic!

I love the idea behind this book - that exploration of ‘what if my life had gone another way'? I like that the author really explored this idea and various ways that not only the husbands and flat/apartment could be different, but how Lauren herself could be different and the ways in which the mechanism of the husbands' arrivals could be problematic. This is a very well considered dynamic, which I appreciate.

I read this book in just two days, and it was very entertaining. There were a couple of husbands where I felt that it just dragged on and I was eager for them to go, so I could see what the next one was going to be like - so, I guess, a bit like Lauren herself felt at times.

I would recommend this book as a light romance with a bit of magical realism and speculation to keep you engaged.

This book is something quite special: an emotional, hopeful, realistic, punch-you-in-the-stomach, romance without the happily-ever-after. I love these characters and the story. And I hate the ending. But I get it. A tale of first loves and second chances, and all the different kinds of love. It's a reflection on who you are now and who you used to be. Of good memories coexisting with bad ones. Of how life can break you, and how you can continue to live even so.

This novella is a bit different from others that I have encountered in that it seems to fulfil multiple purposes. Coming at the end of the ACOTAR, ACOMAF, and ACOWAR trilogy, it serves as an epilogue in a way, to give readers another glimpse into life after the war and a few more precious moments with their favorite characters. In this capacity, the novella is a bit sweet and easy, with no real conflicts faced. The plot is more or less “a Christmas special” (albeit disguised as a Winter Solstice celebration). However, it also serves as a bridge between the ACOTAR trilogy and the new stories focused on Nesta in A Court of Silver Flames. In that capacity, the novella introduces some unresolved questions from the different points of view.

It was a much slower, fluffier read than others in the series, but enjoyable all the same.

I absolutely love this book! If you've followed the Bucket List Family's journeys on YouTube, you can hear Jess's voice clearly from the text. She has so many practical tips and suggestions about all aspects of traveling that you can go and use immediately. The book is filled with gorgeous images throughout, which really makes it hard to not want to go to all of these places - immediately! I love that she adds options for luxury, comfort, and budget lodging, so that people of all different resource levels can find a way to enjoy these locations. The book itself is beautiful, with a linen hardcover and glossy pages.

I was excited to read this book as soon as I saw the table of contents and realized that it had a very unusual format: this book started with a life-altering event, and then took turns describing scenes before and after, going further into the past and future with each chapter, like ripples expanding outward from a pebble thrown in the water.

This is a classic YA novel in that it deals with the real, and often messy, emotions of teens on the brink of adulthood. I appreciate that as you learn more about Emma and Hunter's relationship, it's not as picture-perfect as you might have first thought. And, despite the plot of the book revolving around The Accident, the focus is on Emma and her character progression, not a book about Hunter's recovery.

There is an underlying question of serendipity vs random, unfortunate events. Are there lucky accidents which lead to a better outcome? Or are there just painful events, and somehow we persevere through them? The question is raised and debated by several of the characters a couple of times in the book, and it is never definitively answered, leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions and have space for their own philosophical musings.

This was a well-crafted, well-written story. It's very introspective and character-driven and - in a way - comforting to read.

At the 50% mark, I was so confused. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to follow what was going on and that would frustrate me. However, the writing, while slow-paced, was very atmospheric and almost calming, even if the plot was mysterious, so it drew me in and kept me turning page after page. I would have liked a bit more depth on the relationship between June and her guy, to see more of that relationship unfolding, but overall, I'm happy with the story arc and how the loose ends were tied up.

 This book was a very satisfying ending to a great series! I love how it pulled everything together, but not in a rushed or overly simplistic fashion. I'm hoping that I'll get to see a few updates on these characters in The Calder Academy series. 

I have really been enjoying the Crave series. I like the fact that the female protagonist is not portrayed as weak or silly, and that she shows a lot of character and moral development throughout the series. Every character has depth and an interiority that is slowly revealed. I appreciate that the author shows the humanity of suffering and sacrifice. War has a toll, both physical and emotional.

For this particular installment of the series, Grace is realizing who she is - all the different parts that make up her heritage - and finding a way to incorporate them into her identity, while exploring the power and limitations of her gifts. We learn more about how Hudson's power works, which explains a lot about the way in which he does and does not use his power. Again, I just love the morality and conflicts presented in this series!

Obviously, if you've made it this far in the series, this book is a good fit for you. I put off reading the series right when it came out, but it has been fantastic and I would highly recommend it to people who love this genre.