booksalacarte's reviews
695 reviews

3.75⭐️2🌶️

Memoir

Reminiscing

Big dreams

New York childhood

Rise to fame

Politics

The Hollywood machine

Tw: cursing, distant parents, 

It was such a pleasure to open the book while I was listening to the audiobook and find that true to Barbra’s personality, she add tidbits, asides and paraphrases, while she is reading her written words. Bringing such an amazing depth and realness to her memoir.

At the same time, I feel like absolutely every aspect of Barbra’s life was talked about. 

It was very, “And Barbra wrote the other 51!”

This audio book is 48 hours long and it felt like it, even at 2.5x speed! It’s like she shared every time she went thrifting to find vintage clothing or antique furniture or bought a piece of art. I wasn’t expecting to have so much clothing descriptions and things read from other people’s memory vaults. 

I appreciated hearing about the interviews, reviews and concerts… but man. That was a lot.

4.5⭐️3.25🌶️

Contemporary Romance

1st person

Dual POV

Second chance romance

marriage of convenience

Property Reno

Flashbacks

Tw: parental abandonment, emotional abuse, cursing, family death, parental infidelity

I adored Funny Feelings, so I was excited to read an ARC of The Co-Op. 

Two kids who fell in love a decade ago meet again after loosing their grandmas. They are tossed together when they have a common goal of fixing up the duplex their grandma’s owned. 

I found the story to be very charming. I loved the pacing and steadiness of the plot. The characters were solid and had great emotional arcs. The side characters were very cute. 

I especially adored the epilogue.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

4.75⭐️3🌶️

Adult Fantasy Romance

Viking inspired

20yo FMC

Multi POV

Sister story

Disabled Side Characters

Unique Magic System

Slow burn

Found Family

Complicated Characters

Secret Identities

Forced Proximity

Training

Rebels

Tw: suicidal thoughts, discussed cannibalism, torture, emotional abuse, kidnapping

That ending?!?! I am deceased. When is the next book out, because I need it!

The recap at the beginning was very nice! 2 pages worth, so you don’t have to reread The Road of Bones. 

This was a great second book. It didn’t have the slower start that TRoB did. You are dropped right into the thick of things.

I think we lost a little of the drive in Silla’s story as she trained and mastered her powers. It’s a necessary part (and at least it was realistic and she wasn’t a pro right away) of her journey, but it slowed down her momentum and allowed the story to dive into her character growth, while quietly

Laying the groundwork for the overarching plot. Hopefully the next book will help things pick back up for her arc. 

The new Saga POV makes the story so interesting. I’m so invested in this sister story. The story plot staggering was really well done. It brought the tension that was missing from Silla’s plot. Her backstory was heartbreaking.

A LOT of new world building was introduced. I’m wary of how much, but interested to see how it all rolls together. 

Having a villain story arc was SO good! I loved to hate them in this book. That’s how you know it is a good villain. But the glimpse of the true “Big Bad” means there is so much more to come! 

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine, Dellacorte Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own

The Ashen Series
The Road of Bones- 4.75⭐️3🌶️
Kingdom of Claw- 4.75⭐️3🌶️

The road of bones
4.75⭐️3🌶️

Adult Fantasy Romance
Viking inspired
20yo FMC
Dual POV
Journeying
Disabled Side cCharacters
Unique Magic System
Slow burn
Found Family
Complicated Characters
Secret Identities
Forced Proximity

Tw: murder, addiction


I should have read this sooner. 

I heard about it through mutuals and it has been on my TBR for a long time. I was so excited to get an arc of it which made me hike it up on my never ending TBR. 

This was such a refreshing read! The plot was intriguing. The world building was slow, but well done. It didn’t distract for the story, and never felted like an info dump. The magic system has only been revealed when needed. And usually that annoys me, or makes me think it’s not been well thought out… but in this instance, I think it suits the plot really well.

The beginning was slow to get into. I was waiting for the FMC to get to a decently capable point, and it took a while. But the further I read, the more I had to keep reading. The plot was surprising, the characters unique and I was so angry when the twist happened! That character better get what’s calming to them!! 

The first PoV is the FMC and very compelling. Orphan on the run with a secret even she doesn’t know about.

The second POV introduces us to another girl… the enemy, essentially, hunting for the first FMC by the order of the mysterious queen.

Third POv is the blond mercenary with a troubled past.

4th POV is the band leader who is as tight lipped and mysterious as anyone. 

The beginning was hard to get into, I was waiting for the FMC to get to a decently capable point, and it took a while. But the further I read, the more I had to keep reading. The plot was surprising, the characters unique and I was so angry when the twist happened! That character better get what’s calming to them!! 

The love triangle-ish had me on the edge of my seat! I was so intrigued by how the romance would play out. 

Thank God I have an ARC of the second book… cause I would not do well with that cliffhanger and POV addition if I had to be patient and wait until February, when it is going to be released. 

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing - Ballantine, Dellacorte Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Where the Library Hides

4.25⭐️2.75🌶️

Book 2 in Duology

New Adult Romantasy

Dual POV

Historical fantasy

Magical realism

Egyptian Setting

Coming of Age

Hispanic Heritage

Mystery

Secrets

Grief

Banter

*Closed door romance

Where the Library Hides picks up exactly where the first left off. And the characters are so strong and set up in rhe beginning that it’s like I read book 1 yesterday, when I actually read it months ago. 

I found the atmosphere a little less defined in this portion of the duology. There was so much going on that I am afraid the author didn’t spend as much time immersing us in the setting. The Library centric plot point, which could have been such a sensory experience, wasn’t even brought up until later in the book. It’s hard to not notice, when book 2 had SO much of the river in the book.

The foreshadowing was a bit more smack you in the face, you can’t miss it, than I prefer. Twists were obvious chapters in advance. Even most of the characters seemed to see things coming while Inez fell backwards a bit backward and back into the naivety I thought she left behind in book 1. But, she is also a 19yo.

There was a tiny bit of an opening for a spin-off, and I’m not sure if I’m looking forward to that or not. 

Overall, I really did love this bingable duology! 

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for an Advanced eReader Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

3⭐️2.5🌶️

This was a sweet and heart twisting story. I recognize that this is a YA books and would probably emotionally sucker punch a teen. It was cute, but there were things I didn’t like, as an adult.

The magic, while intriguing, really interrupted and spoiled the mood of the story for me. 

I love the quote at the beginning of the book! It’s a favorite song of mine.

I don’t love song lyrics in books when I’m listening to audiobooks. Especially when there are copywright laws involved. Also, some of the chapters are literally just text message threads. Not a fan.

Why did it taking so long to say how old the FMC is. We don’t find out she is in high school until chapter 3. I don’t think they say she is 17 until around chapter 40-something. Annoying, but not a game changer.

3.75⭐️2.75🌶️

Ya fantasy

Count of Monte Cristo Retelling

Unique magic system

Friends to enemies to lovers

Feminine rage

Flashbacks

Imprisonment

Pakistani inspired

Betrayal

Revenge

Secret identities

For She is Wrath was an attention grabbing retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo. The FMC’s unwavering pursuit for justice against a corrupt ruler and those who wronged her was the best kind of feminine rage. She goes up against her former lover as we learn about what lead up to her false arrest and imprisonment for treason and murder. 

The richness of the descriptions of the food, clothing and setting was so immersive. I wish there had been a little more explanation of some of the Pakistani inspired elements. As someone who isn’t familiar with the culture and I wish there had been a little more explanation, but I really liked what was there. 

The magical world building wasn’t as strong as I would have liked. I would have loved it to have been even more flushed out earlier in the plot.

The romance was true enemies to lovers. There was no doubt that Dani wanted M dead. The tension and was superb. I really enjoyed the main couple’s chemistry. 

Unfortunately the friendship with Noor was a bit unbalanced, making it feel as if Noor was a true side character in her own story. It’s not often a side character seemingly thinks they are actually a side character. She would have really blossomed if she had been given a little more.

The conclusion was a little anticlimactic for me. But the beginning was everything I wanted and more. 

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.5⭐️3🌶️

Interconnected stand-alone

Book 3

Chicago setting

Bipoc romance

On again-off again romance

Secret relationship

Forced Proximity

 

This was a fun read! I really adore the Vega family, and especially Abuelo.  The side characters in this series so far steal the show. 

This was a good 3rd book for the series. The couple was heavily hinted at in book 1, so it wasn’t a surprise pairing. 

I can’t praise enough, the amount and care for detail that is put into the cultural aspect of this series. As someone who doesn’t speak Spanish, the language is flawlessly implemented and translated in a way that doesn’t detract or distract from the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

3.75⭐️3🌶️

First person

Contemporary romance

Romcom

Workaholic FMC

Ex-Best friends brother

He falls first

This was a great contemporary romance that hit on second chances, work-life balance, mental health, and that all encompassing feeling of falling hard and fast for someone. 

So often the “just knowing” is played up as people being immature or not believable. This made it  a natural mentality.

I love that these adults spoke to each other like adults. It takes so much unnecessary drama out of the equation.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own