amateur_bookworm's reviews
589 reviews

My December Darling by Lauren Asher

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lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

My December Darling by Lauren Asher is a cute holiday romance. And I love revisiting Lake Wisteria  any chance I get. The small town setting is perfect for this one. I’m typically not a big fan of novellas but this felt developed enough that I enjoyed it like a full length book even with being a quick reed. 

The part of this book that won me over was the Legos. Introverted adults whose idea of a good time is staying home and building complicated Lego sets? Count me in! I absolutely loved that whole component of the story. I mean Dr. Darling is cute and sweet and thoughtful and all that, but, really, he had me at the Legos. 
Strangers in Time by David Baldacci

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emotional sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Strangers in Time by David Baldacci is a historical fiction novel set in London during WW2. It’s a standalone book. 

I enjoyed watching the unlikely alliance form between Charlie, Molly, and Oliver and continue to unfold through the book. It was tough to read all of the devastating losses they each experienced. I didn’t know much about London during WW2 so this was a bit eye-opening. 

I definitely prefer David Baldacci’s modern thrillers. This was a slow starter for me and most of the plot twists felt either pretty predictable or a bit undeveloped. I do appreciate that the book has chapter titles and they’re not just numbered, as I think it sets the stage for each chapter.  But it overall felt that there were just too many subplots happening that weren’t explored well enough. 

Although this is not my fave David Baldacci novel nor my fave WW2 book, I am glad that I read it. David Baldacci is one of my favorite authors and I always look forward to his new releases as I’ve read his full backlist. 
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Axes & O's by Kayla Grosse

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Axes & O’s by Kayla Grosse is a super spicy MMF holiday romance. And I pretty much loved it from start to finish. 

I enjoyed all of the narrators. It was really easy to follow along and the spicy parts are definitely spicy. I honestly would’ve been happy if it was a little longer. And I’ll definitely never look at a lumberjack the same after this. 
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Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Pucking Sweet by Emily Rath is the third book of her Jacksonville Rays series. It is a spicy, why choose, hockey romance that runs concurrently with the prior books of the series. I did enjoy this one, although it was definitely not my favorite of the series. 

I really like Poppy’s character and her accent. But it took me a bit to adjust to the change in narrators from the first two books. I definitely prefer the prior narrators of this series, as only Alex Kydd was the same one for this audiobook. 

I’m glad to see there are more books coming in this series. I’ve really enjoyed all of these audiobooks so far and I plan to listen to the rest when they’re published. 
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Baby Cakes by S.J. Tilly

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

Baby Cakes by S.J. Tilly is a series of three holiday novellas but it reads as one story. It’s a cute and spicy romance centered around Christmas and New Year’s edition baking show specials. 

So. I’m not saying that I read this solely based on the cover, but ….. well ….. anyway, I picked this up because of the cover. I do like S. J. Tilly’s writing too, so it wasn’t *only* based on the cover photo. 

I think this one will be appreciated the most by anyone with a huge celebrity crush or is a big fan of GBBO. I can’t relate to either so it just felt like a really rushed insta-love story to me. I found it a little cringey and cheesy in parts, but I did still like the holiday setting of it. The holiday puns are both a bit eye roll inducing but also somehow festive. 
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What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

What Happened to the McCrays? by Tracey Lange is a poignant story about love, loss, and family. This one definitely tugs on the heartstrings. I just love her real and raw characters set in real life situations. 

Tracey Lange is unmatched in capturing the messy and relatable drama of families and this book is no exception. I fell in love with Tracey Lange’s writing with her debut novel, We Are the Brennans. (I love the reference to the Brennans in here!)

This was an emotional one for me. My heart just broke over and over again, especially for Casey. I mean, how much heartache can one person endure in their lifetime?!? I enjoyed the story being told in dual timelines of the past and present so you see the whole relationship arc of Kyle and Casey. And I especially loved the youth hockey team in the story, since both of my boys played at about that same age. 

If you’re looking for a family-centered drama then I highly recommend that you read this one and either, or both, of Tracey’s other two books. 
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Just You and Me by Wesley Harper

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Just You and Me by Wesley Harper is the second book of her Three Rocks series. It is a cute and fun small town romance. 

I just love all of the characters and the small town setting. Lucas is impossible not to love, but Henry (aka Gramps) stole the show. Lucas dropping everything to move in with and take care of Henry is both sweet and sad. The addition of Henry in the story made the book for me and I just love how quickly Henry and Zoe bonded. Zoe’s friends are also great and I cracked up at her mom’s advice. I’m loving the town of Three Rocks and can’t wait for Avery’s story in the next book. 
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The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman is a short novella. It is witty and insightful, in the way only Fredrik Backman can be, about the perils of living modern life as an introvert. 

I love most of Fredrik Backman’s books so I was excited for this small taste of his writing. It includes some absolutely hilarious observations about life and, specifically, married life. It’s basically feels like the middle-aged equivalent of When You Give a Mouse a Cookie. 
The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score

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medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score is a Christmas romance and the second book in her Fixer/Kings Siblings series. It can be read as a standalone but I am glad I read Mr. Fixer Upper first. This is a sweet and spicy, small town, single dad, enemies to lovers romance based around a reality tv show helping the small town of Merry, Connecticut rebuild in time for their annual Christmas festival after devastating hurricane flooding. 

This book grabbed me right off the bat. I already loved Catalina King from the first book in the series, and the curmudgeonly Noah immediately reeled me in too. There are some serious sparks here between Cat and Noah. Sara is an awesome character and I love her spunkiness. I couldn’t get enough of the sense of small town community. Seeing Gannon and Paige from the first book is the cherry on top.

This book is the perfect Christmas romance for me. It’s Christmas-y but without the holiday being the overwhelming theme. I like that it’s a solid plot on its own but still with winter and Christmas magic intertwined throughout. 
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Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

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lighthearted medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score is the first book of her King Siblings book. It is a romance with big “he falls first” energy that is sweet and has some spice. I honestly only picked this up because I want to read The Christmas Fix and that is the second book after this one. 

I adore Gannon’s persistence in his pursuit of Paige. I appreciate how capable Paige is presented with her work. I like the short, quick chapters that make for easy reading. The seasonal designations throughout the book are a fun way to track time jumps. And it sheds a serious light on the pay gap and limitations that women find themselves dealing with in the workforce. 

I did overall enjoy this one but a few things weren’t great for me here. It was a bit of a slow starter for me. I got tired of Paige constantly denying her feelings, looking at it as a choice between either a career or a love life with no way to balance the two. But Gannon really made the book for me and I was definitely rooting for him. And now I am SO ready to see Cat in a Christmas story! 
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