snugglesandpages's reviews
250 reviews

Our Missing Hearts is a dystopian novel that eerily blurs the lines between fiction & reality. A future America struggling to recover from financial and political instability, controlled by a dictating Government that brutally removes children from the homes of families that are thought to be resistant to the PACT (Preserving American Culture and Traditions). An act intended to restore America to its former glory, but rather, serves as an excuse to act out racism & violence against minorities, or anyone who is found to question the PACT.

There was a lot to think about after reading this book. Bird is a 12yr mixed-raced boy who is forced by his own country to stifle his identity, and his Chinese heritage is something to be ashamed of. Ng really captures the bigotry and hatred toward Chinese people following the pandemic. It sat in a way that made me feel so privileged to live in a country more open to cultural diversity than most, but it also struck a chord. I kept picturing my son's face as Bird, the same age and of mixed Asian/White race. What life could have been like for my children if recent events escalated, or history repeated. It was unnerving how real this dystopian world could be.

Ng's signature slow pace and poetic prose are definitely present in Our Missing Hearts. It's beautifully written & I can see it being a book that is talked about for years to come. Though there is a very important message to be taken from Our Missing Hearts, I felt it lacked character depth. I didn't feel any of the inner conflict or turmoil from Margaret surrounding her choices as a mother. Nor did I really feel any from Bird, given all he has endured.


*ARC gifted by the Publisher as part of a TandemCollective Readalong 

The story alternates POVs and timelines between Krissy Jacobs in the aftermath of her daughter's death and Margot Davis, January's childhood friend & present-day crime reporter who has returned to her hometown to care for her ailing uncle only to be drawn in by a missing person case which is eerily similar to one that shattered her childhood.

As some of the details came through about January & her death, I couldn't help but draw parallels to JonBenet Ramsey, a case that stunned me as a little girl and ignited my interest in true crime docos at a young age. It wasn't until after I finished listening that I looked further into the background of the book & realised the Author is none other than "Crime Junkie" & true crime podcaster, Ashley Flowers. The whole setup of the story makes total sense now, especially having listened to it on audiobook. This is exactly why I like to go into my reads blind because it makes for a more thrilling reading experience. 

Overall, the storyline kept me engaged with well-developed characters and plenty of red herrings. Just when I thought I had it figured out Ashley would throw us another piece of evidence that changed the whole direction of the case. 

The ending is a bit open ended and this may infuriate some, but I still think it's the perfect read for true crime and thriller lovers alike. I highly recommend you give this a listen on audiobook, the narration was stellar 👌

𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙯𝙤𝙣𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚?

I really enjoyed this swoony besties to lovers romance. The lifelong connection between Noah and Mia and their cute, playful antics lighten the emotional heaviness surrounding Mia's chronic illness and Noah's longterm guilt & grief after losing his brother.

The story is well paced and flows beautifully. I could relate to Mia and her desire to keep people at arms length, not wanting to burden them with the weight of her illness but still wanted to shake her at times and tell her its not her decision to make. I became so invested in not only their blooming romance, but their individual journeys toward acceptance & healing, that I ended up reading the entire book in a day! I

What I liked most was the fact the MC's actually communicate with each other! Real conversations and great banter. Also, I love the unwaving support they both have for each other to follow their dreams 🤩

Just be warned, you will really want fried chicken 🍗 after reading this book 🤣 

Read if you like;
⚜Friends to Lovers
⚜Modern Marriage of Convenience
⚜Slow Burn
⚜Workplace Pranks
⚜Chronic Illness representation. 

Thank you to @harpercollinsau & @harlequin for kindly #gifting me a copy of Would You Rather, I now plan to read all of Allison's books

When I found out that Alaina - autopsy technician and co-host of the true crime podcast Morbid - was releasing a crime thriller novel, I knew it was going to be headed straight to the top of my immediate read pile (sorry tbr)

From the first chapter, we learn who the perp is (kinda) and that he is a systematic killer who has an established pattern. The way the Author drops us into the thick of an active serial killer investigation, instantly sets the tension at max level. At first, I was a little on the fence about this approach as I enjoy a good backstory but, what I will say (because I don't want to spoil it 🤐) is there is a very well-executed twist about two-thirds of the way through that brings everything into focus like a slap across the face. 

I love dual perspectives in thrillers, especially when one of them is the killer! This setup provides the reader with a peep inside the dark and sinister mind of the killer and infuses a heightened sense of fear and urgency into the game of cat and mouse he is playing with the New Orleans PD & Forensic Pathologist, Wren Muller.

The plot is compelling and fast-paced for its short 243 pages, however, I didn't feel drawn or connected to any of the characters enough to deliver a lasting impact. As for the ending... I am reeling!! (Again 🤐) But, I have heard that book two is in the works as well as a TV series adaptation & I am intrigued to see where that will take us. 
 

‘𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙨, 𝘿𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚?’ 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙠𝙨. ‘𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 . . . 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙤𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚.’ 

Right from the first chapter, this dark, graphic and utterly creepy plot will paralyse you. It will suck you in, hold you hostage for 500 pages and then spit you out screaming for the next book in the series, leaving you with an overwhelming urge to devour Chris's entire backlist while you wait (which is exactly what I plan to do). 

Seriously, I have not read a book that has made me squirm, hold my breath or cover my body in goosebumps the way I did reading this. At one point (and this will make more sense once you've read chapter one) I was laying in bed reading when suddenly my ensuite door clicked and creaked open. My mind convinced itself that I could see someone staring at me from the other side. 😱 and then I messaged two of my booksta friends laughing at myself because I knew they would understand my fear. 🤯 

Fear! It is the main theme of Genesis, and when a book can infiltrate your reality the way this did for me, it is a true testament to the author and his ability to create such an immersive and spine-tingling atmosphere. 👏👏 

Genesis is book 12 in Carter's recurring character series, but don't let that deter you from picking it up because the procedural nature allows it to be read well as a standalone. 

⚠️ Warning: Genesis is brutal and will scare this shit out of you if you're reading at night or alone. So in other words, it's perfect for the spooky seasons! 🤣 

Rating: ★★★★★ 

Told in short and engaging chapters from the alternating POV's of Susie, Gabe and Anna/Sky, this unsettling story gives a glimpse into the darker side of adoption, and the long term mental effects it can have on the adoptee. 

I appreciate the extra detail Delaney puts into his writing by incorporating his research in a way that feels genuine to the characters. I have read a few of JP Delaney's earlier works and find his style to be breezy yet gripping, making it easy to get lost in the pages and devour in a single sitting.

With all the ingredients for a chilling psychological mind warp dangled in front of me, I thought I knew where the story was going and flew through the pages in eager anticipation of the train wreck ahead (ha! Yes I know I'm wicked😋). However, the author's change of pace saw the story evolve into more of a family drama than a thriller, and as such, I felt a little jilted by what could have been (I was getting The Push / Orphan vibes for a while).

My Darling Daughter is by no means a light read. There are quite a few heavy topics discussed in this book, including forced adoption, death of a child, miscarriage, sexual and emotional abuse, domestic/parental abuse, self-harm and more. Please consider the content before reading. 🖤

Thank you @hachetteau for sending me a #gifted copy of My Darling Daughter for review.  You can grab your copy in-store or online from Today!

Marshmallow is a powerful story about a group of 5 friends who are trying to navigate through life and the emotions of grief, 1 year after a tragic and heart-wrenching accident. Get your tissues ready.

💭 Thoughts: 
This story is raw, heartbreaking and yet beautifully delicate at the same time, taking you on a rollercoaster ride of emotions that will leave you with tears flowing at the end. 

I really enjoyed the multiple POV, which tenderly captures each character's unique voice and highlights how there is no one size fits all when it comes to loss and grief. 

There are also some witty moments to give your heart some reprieve and the strong element of friendship is hopeful and touching. 

If you like reading books with raw emotional impact written in eloquent prose, then this is for you. With some confronting topics, I suggest also considering the content warnings before reading.

Thank you @hachetteau for sending me a #gifted copy and @tandemcollectiveglobal for hosting the Tandem Readalong. This one will definitely stay with me. 

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There is just something about a well written friends-to-lovers romcom that gets my heart smiling. All the shared history and familiarity between Mack and Chase recites a more genuine dialogue of witty banter, vulnerable heart to hearts and bubbling sexual tension.

I adored the evolution of Mack from the sexy and flirty bar owner to swoony boyfriend material. The thought and care he puts into planning the dates and instilling the five date rule puts him high on my fictional men list 🥵.

Chase is definitely someone I could be friends with IRL, and because of that, I found myself wanting shake all the doubt out of her mind and scream that Mack is the one!! but, at the same time I could also relate to her fractured view of relationships and hesitancy to allow herself to go all in at the risk of losing the most important friendship in her life. 

Which brings me to one my favorite things about Erin's writing. The way she writes not only her characters with such depth, but that the sweet essence encapsulates you. I could smell every coffee, taste the cinnamon rolls and dammit, be prepared to have a serious craving for dessert pie after reading this! 🥧 

Side Note: We first meet Mack and Chase as the two besties with some serious chemistry in Erin's debut novel, The Wedding Planners. Five Dates Between Friends picks up towards the tail end of WP and is more in the realm of a spin-off than a sequel. This means you can read it without having read WP, but to get a true sense of the supporting characters and atmosphere, I recommend reading WP first (and not just because Nash and Jemma are 🔥).

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Thank you to the lovely @ for sending me an eARC of FDBF... I can only hope there is a followup in the works! 

This book is exactly what I needed to get me out of my recent funk! A deliciously layered romance that satisfied all my senses. 

•Open door romance 
•Stangers to coworkers (kinda) to lovers
•Steamy one-night stand.
•Sexual chemistry off the charts!
•Forced proximity (working together)
•Relatable emotional struggles 
•Food so good I could taste it.

Erin's writing is phenomenal. Her characters are so well rounded and the authentic internal dialogue only elevates this. The sexual tension and undeniable chemistry between Jemma and Nash are palpable and the friendships they have with their respective trios are ones you just want to hold into. 

I also really liked that the third act misunderstanding wasn't something trivial. Erin also approaches hard subjects like emotional and sexual abuse, rape, abortion and cheating with careful and conscious sensitivity.

The Wedding Planners is available on Kindle Unlimited and I highly recommend you give this one a read. I am currently reading the next in the series, focusing on side characters Mack & Chase (🥵) which is out on Friday!

Tessa Bailey is an autobuy author for me, so I was super excited to buddy read this with my Tessa Bailey Appreciation group ladies. Unfortunately, I didn't love this one...

💭 Thoughts:
My Killer Vacay is a fast paced, grumpy x sunshine rom-com with a side of a murder mystery. It's a rather short read, so the characters didn't feel as well developed in the way I have come to love with TB's writing, for instance, her Bellinger Sisters or the Hot & Hammered series. Nevertheless, in true TB fashion, you can expect there to be plenty of smutty scenes and hilarious one-liners to keep things steaming ahead.

While I did end up enjoying it more towards the second half, once we got to know our MCs a bit more, I just didn't vibe with the instant and very intense physical attraction on Myles' part. It just felt a bit ick to me.

However, that is just me and my trope preference. You may read this and love it, so if you're thinking of reading it, please do!