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mandas_world_of_books's reviews
210 reviews
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
1.0
This book fell short for me and was an DNF after 8 chapters. While it had all the makings of a cozy romance read in a small town, I just couldn’t get behind it. This was all the talk on #booktalk and #bookstagram for fans of #gilmoregirls but it just didn’t do it for me. But hey, just because it wasn’t for me, doesn’t mean it won’t be for you.
Forget Me Not by Julie Soto
4.0
Boy loves girl. Girl loves boy, but she won’t admit it. Girl screws up. Time passes. Wounds “heal”?! Fate brings them back together. Is it a happy ending for them in the end? So glad this one was recommended to me.
⭐️ Rating: 4
⭐️ Rating: 4
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
3.0
This one was hard for me. I didn’t love it. I didn’t hate it. It kept me entertained enough to keep going. I liked the storyline but at the beginning I almost DNFed it and I think that jaded my perception of the story to be honest. As much as I want to give it 4⭐️s for “I liked it” I just can’t for that reason.
⭐️ Rating: 3
⭐️ Rating: 3
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Did I read the #partofyourworld series out of order - yes
Do I think I missed something because of it - no
Thank you @libby.app for having book 3 in the series ready before book 2. I LOVED the premise of this book. But if we’re talking out of order - I also read the short story that goes with this, before I finished the series so 🤷🏼♀️ I don’t feel like I missed anything - the characters were just as lovable. My heart broke for Justin and Emma just as it would’ve if I read it as the third in the series and I fell in love with them the same way. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second - hurry up hold!
⭐️ Rating: 4.5
Do I think I missed something because of it - no
Thank you @libby.app for having book 3 in the series ready before book 2. I LOVED the premise of this book. But if we’re talking out of order - I also read the short story that goes with this, before I finished the series so 🤷🏼♀️ I don’t feel like I missed anything - the characters were just as lovable. My heart broke for Justin and Emma just as it would’ve if I read it as the third in the series and I fell in love with them the same way. I can’t wait to get my hands on the second - hurry up hold!
⭐️ Rating: 4.5
Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha Coryell
dark
mysterious
medium-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
4.5
Have you ever wondered what it’s like to love an accused serial killer? What’s the toll it takes on you? Do you really love them or do you love the idea of them? This book had some twists and turns I didn’t expect. Even the very end had me going “OMG!” For a debut novel, I thought it was well done.
⭐️ Rating: 4.5
⭐️ Rating: 4.5
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
4.5
TJ Klune has done it again. Masterfully pulling you into the world the magic. This second novel transported me right back to the happiness I felt while reading the first one. If you read the first one, read this one.
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
4.5
Books 1 & 2 of 2025
EOS - wow, all I can say is wow! I enjoyed this book so much. The battle; the friendship; the way everyone comes together for the common good. Well done @sarahjmaas
TOD - this one burned slower for me. I enjoyed the focus on Chaol, however, I needed it to move faster. But in true SJM fashion, the last 100ish pages it picked up and it all revealed itself.
I am so glad I did these two books as a tandem read. I feel like I got so much more out of it. If you’re contemplating whether you should do it or not, the answer is yes, yes you should. You won’t be disappointed.
EOS ⭐️ Rating: 5
TOD ⭐️ Rating: 4.5
EOS - wow, all I can say is wow! I enjoyed this book so much. The battle; the friendship; the way everyone comes together for the common good. Well done @sarahjmaas
TOD - this one burned slower for me. I enjoyed the focus on Chaol, however, I needed it to move faster. But in true SJM fashion, the last 100ish pages it picked up and it all revealed itself.
I am so glad I did these two books as a tandem read. I feel like I got so much more out of it. If you’re contemplating whether you should do it or not, the answer is yes, yes you should. You won’t be disappointed.
EOS ⭐️ Rating: 5
TOD ⭐️ Rating: 4.5
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas
5.0
Books 1 & 2 of 2025
EOS - wow, all I can say is wow! I enjoyed this book so much. The battle; the friendship; the way everyone comes together for the common good. Well done @sarahjmaas
TOD - this one burned slower for me. I enjoyed the focus on Chaol, however, I needed it to move faster. But in true SJM fashion, the last 100ish pages it picked up and it all revealed itself.
I am so glad I did these two books as a tandem read. I feel like I got so much more out of it. If you’re contemplating whether you should do it or not, the answer is yes, yes you should. You won’t be disappointed.
EOS ⭐️ Rating: 5
TOD ⭐️ Rating: 4.5
EOS - wow, all I can say is wow! I enjoyed this book so much. The battle; the friendship; the way everyone comes together for the common good. Well done @sarahjmaas
TOD - this one burned slower for me. I enjoyed the focus on Chaol, however, I needed it to move faster. But in true SJM fashion, the last 100ish pages it picked up and it all revealed itself.
I am so glad I did these two books as a tandem read. I feel like I got so much more out of it. If you’re contemplating whether you should do it or not, the answer is yes, yes you should. You won’t be disappointed.
EOS ⭐️ Rating: 5
TOD ⭐️ Rating: 4.5
Ushers by Joe Hill
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
What happens when you see the ushers who want to bring you home when your time has come and no one believes you? What happens when you interfere with those ushers? This #amazonshortstory was so good but I also wanted it to be a full length novel! Full disclosure: the real reason I read it, the cover…it was what hooked me from the beginning.
When We Were Friends by Jane Green
emotional
medium-paced
4.0
This was a CUTIE #amazonoriginalshortstory with a twist that I did not see coming. I got this from my #amazonfirstreads one month and finally got around to reading it and I’m so glad I did. It showed how friendships aren’t always what you think and how sometimes friend breakups are the hardest to recover from. Well done!