Tuesday, May 5, 2020

APRIL BOOK REVIEW! | 2020

Hey there friends!  It's Book Review Day!  I had a very good April, book-wise.  I listened to five really awesome audiobooks and love them all!  I love when that happens!



So my April started with some Kindle Unlimited picks for you guys! I know a lot of you have joined Kindle Unlimited so I want to try and spotlight a few great picks from there when I can.  I almost always choose KU books that also have the audiobook with it (for free) because y'all know I am an audiobook girl. ;)  If you want to check out Kindle Unlimited you can get more info here.

April started off with...




Oh my word, y'all.  This book was OUTSTANDING. Here is the author's summary:

Life is over in an instant for sixteen-year-old Finn Miller when a devastating car accident tumbles her and ten others over the side of a mountain. Suspended between worlds, she watches helplessly as those she loves struggle to survive.

Impossible choices are made, decisions that leave the survivors tormented with grief and regret. Unable to let go, Finn keeps vigil as they struggle to reclaim their shattered lives. Jack, her father, who seeks vengeance against the one person he can blame other than himself; her best friend, Mo, who bravely searches for the truth as the story of their survival is rewritten; her sister Chloe, who knows Finn lingers and yearns to join her; and her mother, Ann, who saved them all but is haunted by her decisions. Finn needs to move on, but how can she with her family still in pieces?

Heartrending yet ultimately redemptive, In an Instant is a story about the power of love, the meaning of family, and carrying on…even when it seems impossible.

This book had me covered in goosebumps most of the way through it.  It was sad and hopeful and haunting and moving and beautiful and powerful.  Those are just the words that instantly spring to mind.  This is most definitely not a feel-good book but it is an awesome read (or listen). I feel like Kindle Unlimited selections can almost be in the "B-movie" category sometimes but this one was way above that.  Be ready to cry and mourn right alongside everyone but you will most likely be happy you read it.  It will make you pause and wonder "What would I do if I and/or my loved ones were in this sort of situation?  Would I act selfishly in order to save those I love most or would I be selfless and do what it takes to give us all a fighting chance?". 

I loved this book so much and highly recommend it as long as you're aware that it's a little graphic when dealing with a car accident scene.  If this could be a sensitive subject for you, then please note the heads up.




Marin had the perfect life. Married to her college sweetheart, she owns a chain of upscale hair salons, and Derek runs his own company. They're admired in their community and are a loving family—until their world falls apart the day their son Sebastian is taken.

A year later, Marin is a shadow of herself. The FBI search has gone cold. The publicity has faded. She and her husband rarely speak. She hires a P.I. to pick up where the police left off, but instead of finding Sebastian, she learns that Derek is having an affair with a younger woman. This discovery sparks Marin back to life. She's lost her son; she's not about to lose her husband, too. Kenzie is an enemy with a face, which means this is a problem Marin can fix.

Permanently.

This book was unsettling, heart-wrenching, nerve-wracking and a little insane but I could not stop listening! If you are looking for a book you can't stop reading (or listening to) this is it!

Marin is an ordinary mom in the midst of a holiday shopping crowd when she lets go of her little boy's hand just long enough to answer a text.  Within a minute she realizes her son is gone...she can't find him anywhere!  The police are called and she's in hysterics while they watch the security video of the man (dressed as Santa Claus) take him toward the parking garage.  And that's the last they see of him.

This is a fantastic twisty thriller if that's your thing.  I loved watching all the pieces fall in to place (the good and the bad) and the end left me shocked and satisfied all at the same time.

If you're in the mood for a dramatic, twisty thriller, this is a good one!!



This was my second Kindle Unlimited pick of the month (with free audiobook version) and while it was good, it wasn't my favorite of the month.  I certainly don't regret reading it but compared to the others I read this month, it was probably in last place.  But again, I loved all the books I read this month so take that for what it's worth.

With a dissolving marriage, strained finances, and her life in flux, Ally Anderson longs for normal. Her greatest concerns, though, are the health problems of her young daughter, Kylie. Symptoms point to a compromised immune system, but every doctor they’ve seen has a different theory. Then comes hope for some clarity.
It’s possible that Kylie’s illness is genetic, but Ally is adopted. A DNA test opens up an entirely new path. And where it leads is a surprise: to an aunt Ally never knew existed. She’s a little wild, very welcoming, and ready to share more of the family history than Ally ever imagined.
Coping with a skeptical soon-to-be-ex-husband, weathering the cautions of her own resistant mother, and getting maddeningly close to the healing Kylie needs, Ally is determined to regain control of her life. This is her chance to embrace uncertainty and the beauty of family—both the one she was born into and the one she chose.

Again, this one was fine.  Would I recommend it like I do the others from this month?  No.  But if you're bored and want a Kindle Unlimited rec, this one was good.  Not great but good.  That's honestly all I've got.  If you've got a child with allergies or an autoimmune disease then you might relate AMAZINGLY well to this story though so for all of you, I think it would hit home a lot more than it did for me.  My goodness...I felt for sweet Kylie and her mama because I would fight like a MANIAC if it were my kid just like Ally did.  But the rest of the story was just "eh".



YES!!  I love a solid rom-com/chick-lit novel and this is one of those!!  It's sweet, funny, sassy, and gives you #allthefeels.  I adored this book and after I finished it and went to see if the reviews agreed with me, I was astonished to see that this was not one of those books with hundreds or even thousands of reviews!  What?!  This book deserves to be up there with Kristan Higgins and Christina Lauren's books.  It was so cute!!

Here you go...

When your nemesis also happens to be your fiancé, happily ever after becomes a lot more complicated in this wickedly funny, lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy debut.

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that's three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.

Naomi wants out, but there's a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.

But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they're finally being themselves—and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

I loved this book because it was witty, smart, a little over the top, but oh so sweet!!  Nicholas and Naomi have lost that lovin' feelin', y'all.  They are going about their day-to-day lives and have forgotten why the fell in love and forgotten to really pursue each other as they march towards the alter.  Mother-in-law madness ensues too and while she's a controlling, manipulative force of nature, she also unwittingly helps heal some old wounds.

I ADORED this book!! It may be one of my favorites from 2020 so far.  It's absolute chick-lit/rom-com at it's best and it deserves more publicity.  No doubt I'll read more by Sarah Hogle!

And finally...



THIS ONE, FRIENDS.  READ THIS ONE!!!

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can't seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a "take me home" look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker's owner reaches out. He's a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan's not about to give up her dog without a fight. But what if this Jason guy really loves Tucker? As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can't deny a connection. Jason is hot and nice and funny. There's no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

Ok. Let me back up just a little.  So last summer, I read The Friend Zone and told you all that it was "amazing/I loved it/Top 3 of the year/must-read"...all of that.  I still 100% believe that.  So when Abby Jimenez released the sequel a few weeks ago I could not WAIT to read it!

Before I get into the summary, here's what you need to know.  The Friend Zone centers around Kristen and Josh and their love story while also bringing in Kristen's best friend, Sloan, and her fiance who ends dying tragically.  In The Happy Ever Playlist, the book focuses on Sloan as she picks up the pieces to her life now that her fiance is gone and her best friend is happily married.

The book starts with a random dog jumping through Sloan's sunroof which I thought was a hilarious and adorable "meet-cute" sort of introduction.  I love the two main characters form a bond over the phone before they even know what each other looks like and "who" they are.  It's a true love story built around a Cinderella story and it made me weak in the knees but it also made me go "This is not real life." 😂😂😂 The guys in these books (and movies) are always just a little too perfect but I guess that's what we love about them, right?!

You can absolutely read this as a stand-alone book but if you want to really do it the right way, I highly recommend reading The Friend Zone first and them immediately following it up with this one.

This is one of those books that has practically all 5-star reviews.  It's hard to find fault in it (although of course there are always a few...) but this will be one that I'll recommend for a very long time!

Remember, you can always find all of my past reviews on the Bookworm tab in my blog's menu anytime you need to reference back!

Have a great Tuesday, friends!



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16 comments

  1. I highly suggest The Aviator's Wife. I loved it so much.

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    1. I just looked it up and added it to my list! It looks good!! Thanks!

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  2. You and I are always on the same page when it comes to books!!

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    1. Almost always! Except for Eleanor Oliphant. I hated it and you loved it. 😂 Remember me texting you telling you to skip it?! Glad you didn't listen to me! 😂😂😂 I think you'll love the ones above though for sure!

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  3. Anonymous11:00 AM

    All of these sound great to me! I have Kindle Unlimited, so I’ll be checking those 2 books out first. Thanks for the great summaries and recommendations! ~ Kathy

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  4. I read In An Instant also - it was so, so good!

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    1. It was so different from anything I'd ever read before!

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  5. I was skeptical about In An Instant as well as the Kindle Unlimited have been very hit & miss for me but I LOVED it. Everything you said was right on!

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    1. Yes! KU is very hit or miss!! I was so shocked it was on there! I remember thinking "This book is too good to be on Kindle Unlimited!" haha

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  6. Anonymous7:45 AM

    If you haven't read Jar of Hearts by the author of Little Secrets you NEED to!
    I am reading Little Secrets now!

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  7. Not only is Abby Jimenez a great author - she also owns a fantastic cupcake shop here in MN - Nadia cakes!! Well worth a visit if you ever find yourself in the Twin Cities/MN!

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  8. Can’t wait to read the happy ever after playlist! Have you ever read anything by Lauren Layne? I adore her books!!

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    1. I think the only one I've read was Passion on Park Ave and it was so cute! I read it last summer! I need to try some of her others!

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    2. I can't wait to read The Happy Ever After Playlist! I loved the Friend Zone. I have KU (perfectly described as B rated movies) and I feel like I should read a couple a month to make it worth my money. Thanks for having some of these in your review!!

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