Genevieve
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.
This was my first time reading a book by Kristina Forest, and it won’t be my last.
This was such a cute, and romantic summer love story. We follow Noelle, who works at a bookstore and has a side job as a bridesmaid for hire while trying to save money to go back to school.
Jeremiah, who comes from a wealthy business family, tells his mom he has a girlfriend, the only problem is he doesn’t. He hires Noelle to be his girlfriend for a weekend, but what was only supposed to be a weekend turns into something much more, and I loved watching their relationship grow.
The slow burn was done so well. The chemistry between Noelle and Jeremiah felt natural, the family connections added so many heartwarming moments to the story, and their bond felt very real.
This book was warm, sweet, romantic, and just made me happy while reading it. It’s the kind of book you pick up when you want something comfy and easy to get lost in.
I’ll definitely be reading more from Kristina Forest.
Daniel Black is a genius. Isaac’s Song is the sequel to Don’t Cry for Me, and I’m so glad I read them back to back.
Getting to hear Isaac’s side of the story and see his perspective on his relationship with both his father and mother was such an experience. If you’ve read Don’t Cry for Me, you know how emotional that story is, and this one adds so much more meaning to everything that happened.
Isaac is grieving the loss of his father while trying to figure out how to heal, forgive, and move forward. He starts to realize that he and his father are more alike than he ever wanted to admit, while also confronting the things his father never taught him.
What I loved most was how beautifully these two books connect. I definitely recommend reading Don’t Cry for Me first because it makes Isaac’s journey come full circle, but this book still stands on its own. You can feel the pain, the healing, the growth, and ultimately the acceptance throughout the entire story.
I immersed read this one and listened to the audiobook, and JD Jackson did an amazing job. His narration made an already emotional story even more powerful.
This book made me feel so many emotions, and I’m really glad Daniel Black gave Isaac the chance to tell his side of the story.
I’m kind of sad to say this was my first time reading anything by Daniel Black, but it definitely won’t be my last.
This was such a beautifully written and emotional story. The entire book is basically a letter from a dying father, Jacob, to his son Isaac, and his son is gay, something Jacob struggled to accept. And this whole book is him finally being real about why he couldn’t love his son the way he should have.
Jacob is finally opening up and being honest about why he couldn’t love his son the way he deserved, and it’s not easy to read. It really gets into how Black men are raised to be tough, not soft, not emotional, being providers, and carrying all of that generational pressure.
What really stood out to me is how Daniel Black shows that a lot of parents are really just parenting the way they were parented. That doesn’t excuse the pain, but you see where it comes from, even when it hurts.
This book felt raw. Like I was sitting in the room with him while he was writing this letter, witnessing something personal that wasn’t meant for anyone else.
We don’t get a lot of stories where a parent is this vulnerable, where they admit they were wrong and actually apologize. That alone made this feel powerful and real.
However, He never even got the chance to say any of this face to face. He never reached out, never had that conversation with his son, and that frustrated me. Because at the end of the day, he chose not to. He had time, and instead he made excuses and I hated that.
I think I’m reading Isaac’s Song next because I really want to read the story from the son’s perspective.
I didn’t expect to enjoy this book as much as I did.
This was my first time reading anything by Mia Corland, and I’m honestly impressed. The story follows six different POVs, each character is pulled into the same dangerous mission, but for very different reasons.
They’re all connected by one goal, but the tension comes from the fact that nobody fully trusts each other and honestly, as a reader, I didn’t either, not one single person!
Everybody had something to hide. These are very untrustworthy characters, and I was side eyeing all of them at some point.
The pacing was so good, short, fast chapters that made it impossible to put down. Definitely a story full of secrets, and twists that keep you guessing.
This was such a beautifully written and heartbreaking story, and honestly, it’s probably going to be one of my top 5 reads of the year.
This is a dual POV story following Huong (Guava) and her grandmother as they try to survive through war, loss, and everything that comes with living through some of the most difficult periods in Vietnam’s history.
What really stood out to me was how this book shows the impact of generational trauma and the strength it takes for a family to keep going when it feels like the odds are stacked against them. I’ve never read a book that explored the experiences of the Vietnamese people during and after the war in such a personal and emotional way.
This book made me sad, angry, and emotional, but I learned so much from it. It’s one of those stories that stays with you long after you finish it.
A heartbreaking but necessary read.
I actually found this book while searching for books with Haitian representation for Haitian Heritage Month. I went in completely blind, which honestly made the experience even better. All I really knew going in was that it had ties to the Black Panther Movement in the 60s and 70s, and honestly, that alone sold me.
The story follows Nettie as she leaves Haiti for America, hoping to build a better life for herself. Once in America, she becomes involved with the Black Panther Movement first in Oakland, California and then in Chicago, Illinois, where she slowly transforms into a revolutionary, which made her journey even more interesting to follow.
What I really liked about this book was how it mixed historical fiction, romance, and suspense without feeling all over the place. Once things started picking up, I was all in and had a hard time putting it down. The beginning was a little slow for me at first, but after that it turned into a page turner.
I also really appreciated how the book tied in real historical moments and tensions because it made everything feel more honest and believable. And the writing itself was just beautiful. You can tell Fabienne Josaphat put so much care into telling this story.
This was my first read by Edwidge Danticat and I’m impressed.
“The dew breaker” basically means torturer in Haitian Creole, and the story centers around a man who was once part of the Tonton Macoute, the brutal militia responsible for killing and abusing thousands of people in Haiti during the François and Jean-Claude Duvalier regime between 1957–1986.
The story is told through multiple POVs, with each chapter following different characters dealing with trauma, survival, immigration, and the lasting effects of what happened in Haiti.
What I liked most was how every story eventually connected back to the dew breaker somehow, even though there were a few chapters where I didn’t really understand the connection at first or why they mattered. At times, the writing was so vivid that you could truly feel how dark, brutal, and haunting that period in Haiti was.
This wasn’t a favorite read for me, but I still think it was a really good and important one. The ending especially was heartbreaking and honestly one of the strongest parts of the book for me. Can’t wait to read more from her.
This book was so good, like, so good it actually had me conflicted by the end.
This was a dark fantasy that covered everything I needed out of a book this month. It does have a few slower moments, but for a debut novel, I was genuinely impressed.
We follow Wen, a village girl who’s desperate to help her family and community as they struggle through famine and death. She makes the ultimate sacrifice and offers herself to the royal family as a concubine in hopes of bringing food and stability back home. She starts off naive and kind hearted, but watching her transformation, Man! she turns into somebody you do not wanna mess with.
Then we’ve got Prince Terran and his brother Maro, both fighting for the throne. The tension between them, made me want to know more. Watching their power struggle unfold and the layers of their rivalry kept me turning the pages.
I’m trying not to spoil anything, but this definitely gave me Game of Thrones vibes. Check your triggers cause there are some.
And the ending, the last few chapters had me stressed, and wanting more. It definitely did not go the way I thought it would.
Just read it, y’all seriously a good one!
I was privileged to receive an ARC of Mazywood by Tananarive Due from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Saga Press for the opportunity to read this early!
This is a dual POV story where we follow Mazelle Washington, a young actress trying to navigate life in the 1920s, and then her grandson Johnny and his family fifty years later when they return to her secluded cabin retreat. Once they arrive, long buried secrets slowly start coming to light, all while something terrifying creeps around outside.
The way this book had me stressed for this family at every turn was driving me crazy. I was so invested and constantly worried something bad was about to happen. Every time they stepped outside or something strange happened I was immediately like “absolutely not.”
I loved the blend of historical fiction and paranormal horror. It reminded me of The Reformatory with the way it mixes history with supernatural elements, but Mazywood leans even more into the paranormal side. The setting, the mystery surrounding Mazelle, and the creepy sense of danger all worked so well together.
If you love family secrets, creepy woods, and horror mixed with historical fiction, definitely add this one to your September release list. This was such a suspenseful read for me.
Since it’s Haitian Heritage Month, I wanted to pick up more books by Haitian authors and An Untamed State came highly recommended by someone in my book club. And wow, this book had me from the very first line: “Once upon a time in a far off land, I was kidnapped.” After that, I could not put this book down.
The story is set in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, which is my family’s hometown, and Roxane Gay does not sugarcoat anything. This book is brutal, emotional, and honestly hard to read at times. It deals with poverty, corruption, kidnapping, torture, rape, and the mental trauma that follows, so please check your triggers before going into this one.
We follow Mireille, her husband Michael, and their son Christophe while visiting her wealthy family in Haiti for the summer. After Mireille gets kidnapped, the book follows both her time in captivity and the aftermath of everything she goes through.
What made this a 5 star read for me was how real and emotional it felt. I felt so connected to Mireille and everything she was dealing with. The writing completely pulled me in and even during the hard parts, I couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what happened next.
This is definitely not a light read, but it’s one that’s going to stick with me for a long time.
I really enjoy Ibi Zoboi’s writing. Having now read three of her books, I haven’t rated any lower than 4 stars, and this one was no different.
She does an amazing job bringing the Caribbean folklore of the soucouyant to life. I listened to the audiobook, and it was such a quick read. The book is written in verse, which I honestly didn’t realize until the author’s note at the end, but I really enjoyed the writing style and how easy it was to get through.
We follow two girls, Marisol and Genevieve (which made me so happy because that’s my name), as they navigate life and identity in very different ways.
Marisol, a teenage immigrant living with her mother, knows about her magic and understands the history behind who and what she is.
Genevieve, who is mixed, born in Brooklyn and lives with her father and stepmother, isn’t aware of her magic. Instead, she’s focused on living with a skin condition that she believes has no cure.
This book touches on themes of colorism, racism, immigration, identity, and family, all while blending in folklore and magic in a really interesting way.
My first Stephen King read and I get the hype around 11/22/63.
This book gave me Back to the Future vibes, the whole time. I went in thinking it was mainly about the Kennedy assassination, but it ended up being so much more than that. We get sci-fi, historical fiction, mystery, and even romance all blended together in a way that somehow really works.
This book is LONG (audio was over 30 hr) and the middle definitely dragged a little for me, but even during the slow parts, I still needed to know what was going to happen next. That’s what kept me interested the whole time.
I really enjoyed this one. Not a perfect read because of the pacing in the middle, but still a great first Stephen King read for me.
I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice yet, but this remix by Ibi Zoboi was beautifully done.
We follow Zuri, who’s all about her Brooklyn roots and her family, and then Darius and his wealthy family move in across the street acting real standoffish at first. They definitely start off a little tense, but watching their relationship slowly grow was so good.
Everything about this story just worked for me, the characters felt real, the sense of community was so strong, and the romance was done in such a soft, meaningful way. You could really feel the tension and growth between them.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Elizabeth Acevedo, and she did an amazing job bringing the story to life. Her voice added so much emotion and realness.
This book started off really strong and had my full attention. We follow a mother, Santie, and her daughter Ady during slavery and their journey through everything that came with that time. Once Ady gets separated from her mother and ends up at the Mockingjay Inn, I thought the story was about to dive deeper into the secret society, the spying missions, and all the historical drama.
We do get some of that, but not until the last few chapters. Most of the story focuses more on Ady’s friendships and romantic relationships. Nothing wrong with that, but I was hoping for more of the historical side.
I liked it and the beginning really pulled me in, but it didn’t fully give what I expected.
Marcus Kkwelier does it again with The Caretaker.
This one starts off a little slow, but once it picks up I was all the way in. The world building and suspense were great, there’s this constant eerie feeling creeping in that makes you keep turning pages just to see what’s going to happen next.
We follow Macie Mullins, who’s down on her luck and just needs a job. She ends up taking a position as a caretaker, but from the beginning, nothing about this place feels normal. She’s given simple rules to follow, but of course, things start going left real quick. This job turns into a freaking nightmare.
And Macie, she got on my nerves so many times. Like girl please just do ONE thing right. But honestly, that frustration just added to the tension because I was so invested in what was happening to her.
Once the story really gets going, it becomes a page-turner. Creepy, tense, and super engaging.
And that ending! Honestly perfect. It wrapped things up so well and still had me sitting there like, wait a minute, what just happened!
I have really mixed feelings about Twenty Years Later by Charlie Donlea.
It started off strong, the first couple of chapters had my full attention, but then it slowed down a lot. For a good stretch (like 15 chapters), I found myself losing interest. I also felt like I could see where the story was going pretty early on, which took away some of the suspense for me.
I will say, it did pick back up toward the end, and that helped, but it was just an okay read for me.
This book wasn’t what I expected at all, I went in completely blind after my husband bought the book home, and I’m so glad I did. It ended up being extraordinary.
We follow Sam Hill, the boy with red eyes, as he shares his remarkable life story, including childhood bullying, the deep bonds with his close friends, and his relationship with his parents, especially his mom.
It’s definitely a slow burn, but I was completely engaged the entire time. I stayed fully invested in Sam’s journey and it was hard not to love him or feel everything he went through. His friends Mickie and Ernie, along with his parents, really added so much heart to the story.
I highly recommend experiencing this one through both the audiobook and the physical book, it really brings the story to life.
I went into this pretty open minded. I read Hidden Pictures, I didn’t really have any expectations going in.
But man, I honestly didn’t like a single character everyone just got on my nerves. The story kept me reading, but I kept waiting for it to really do something, and it just never fully got there for me.
I wasn’t a fan of the ending. It left me more annoyed than anything. It was just okay for me.
Orphan at the Lake was okay. I liked it, but it didn’t really do anything new or shocking for me.
We follow Hazel, a private investigator hired to find a missing girl. At first it seems like a typical runaway case, but the more she digs, the crazier things start to get.
I stayed interested enough to keep reading, but the ending was kind of underwhelming for me. It wasn’t as thrilling as I wanted, it was just, okay.
The kite runner was such a powerful read.
We follow Amir, who grows up privileged, and Hassan, who is nothing but loyal to him and is also the son of his family’s servant . Their friendship is complicated, and one moment really changes everything between them.
This book honestly had me in my feelings. It’s emotional, heartbreaking, and at times hard to read, but I couldn’t put it down. Watching how everything plays out and how Amir deals with it later in life, really stuck with me.
Khaled Hosseini really did his thing with this one and he also narrated the audiobook which made it even more personal.
I still feel like I’m not even saying enough, but just know, this one is worth the read.
This is my first read from Brandon Massey, and honestly, it was a solid popcorn thriller. Super fast paced, with short chapters, you can really fly through this one. Definitely a wild ride.
We follow Nate, who seems to have it all together, running his franchise and getting ready to marry his fiancée. But everything shifts when he randomly reconnects with his childhood best friend Marvin, and from there, things spiral real quick.
Marvin has a troubled past, and it’s clear he hasn’t let go of what happened between them as kids. The tension builds fast, and you just know something isn’t going to end well.
This was entertaining, dramatic, and easy to read. Not super deep, but it kept me hooked the whole time.
I really loved being back with these characters. Catching up with Harper, Jordan, and Robyn felt so nostalgic, especially since the story picks up right where everything left off. I could literally see and hear the characters like I was watching the movie all over again.
I listened to the audiobook, and I definitely recommend it, the multiple POVs added a lot to the experience. Getting inside Jordan’s head was probably my favorite part. Her perspective brought some much-needed depth and helped me understand her vulnerability and why she moves the way she does.
Harper and Robyn, on the other hand, felt pretty much the same to me. I was hoping for a little more growth from them, but it didn’t take away from my overall enjoyment.
I’m gonna need another book ASAP because that ending and cliffhanger was shocking but expected. I would absolutely continue this series,I need to know where things go next.
I really enjoyed Bones at the Crossroads by LaDarrion Williams. The world is still sooo good and honestly one of my favorite parts of this series, and I love how it keeps expanding.
I think I liked the first book a little more, but this was still a great sequel.
We’re back with Malik as he starts freshman year at Caiman University, trying to have a normal college experience (even though we already know that’s not really possible for him). He’s dealing with a lot, grief, betrayal, and really coming into his powers, and you can feel that weight throughout the story.
And I really liked getting more time with the characters. Everybody just feels layered. The friendships, the tension, the side characters, it all adds to the story without feeling like too much.
I had a really good time with this. It builds on the first book in a meaningful way, I just wanted it to hit me a little harder emotionally like the first one did.
I really enjoyed Tell Me What You Did by Carter Wilson. The podcast style thriller had my attention from the start. I loved how the short chapters and quick pacing kept me turning the pages, I was tuned in the whole time.
We follow Poe, the host of a true crime podcast where guests can anonymously confess their crimes. But one day, a stranger comes on her show claiming to be the man who murdered her mother years ago, and Poe immediately knows something isn’t right. Because she’s holding a secret, one no one else knows, that her mother’s killer is already dead.
From there, it turns into this tense cat-and-mouse game where you’re constantly trying to piece everything together and figure out what’s really going on.
Now, I will say the ending didn’t hit as hard as I wanted it to, it wasn’t bad, just not as exciting as I expected. But, I still had a great time with this one.
Definitely looking forward to picking up more from this author!