snugglesandpages's reviews
246 reviews

An enemies to lovers college sports romance with real communication and a swoon-worthy MMC 🥰 seriously, I loved this book. Nathan Hawkins is officially one of my top fav book boyfriends 🥵

📖 Stassie is a girl who knows what she wants and is willing to put in the hard work, no matter what it entails. I enjoyed her arc and character development, going from stringent planner with an aversion to all things hockey, to embracing new freedoms and finding unexpected love & friends.

Nathan Hawkins is the captain of the UCMH Hockey Team and is definitely the type of guy you want on your side. He is fiercely loyal and would throw himself under the bus to protect his team, even if it means being benched himself. 

When a misunderstanding sees one of UCMH’s rinks shut down for repair, the Skating team are forced to share their rink with the Hockey team. Stassie is furious with the disruption to her meticulous schedule as she and her roomie/skating partner Aaron prepare for an upcoming comp. Stassie needs to focus on her dream of making it to Team USA, so it's a good thing she doesn't even like Hockey players, right?

Thanks to my fave's @Sjp.reads @reading.adventures.with.rach and @racheal_reads for buddy reading with me! So glad I had you ladies to vent to about my utter distrain for Aaron. I can't!! He is just such a POS! Oh, and gorgeous Henry and his sweet lil bro energy 🥹. 

Can't wait for book 2 in the series, releasing in Oct. 🤞

I think there will be a lot more sports romance in my future, particularly Ice Hockey. It may have reignited my childhood obsession with The Mighty Ducks (oh, Charlie 🥰) 

Kill Joy is a quick and fun prequel to introduce you to the 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙂𝙞𝙧𝙡𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 trilogy, I enjoyed the murder mystery format and trying to piece the clues together along with Pip.

However, there are a lot of characters for a short prequel that you don't really learn anything about, aside from perhaps what drove Pip to choose the project subject she did in AGGGTM and her clever detective skills. So if you're like me and haven't read the series yet, you may enjoy reading it more AFTER the first book, once you have come to know the many characters better.

I will say that I am keen to read the series now, which has been sitting on my shelf for over a yr 😂.

I don't usually go in a book with expectations, and a lot of the time don't even read the blurb, but in this case, I really feel like the cover, blurb and title all portrayed a creepy cabin in the woods where sinister things have happened. However, that's not exactly what this is.

Maya has been self-medicating for years to cope with the sudden and inexplicable death of her best friend 7 years ago. She is convinced her ex-boyfriend Frank was somehow responsible, despite never having laid a hand on her. When a video goes viral depicting another girl literally dropping dead in front of Frank in the same manner, Maya decides to return to her childhood home to confront Frank and uncover the truth about her friend's death and the missing pockets of time from those few weeks they spent together.

The House in the Pines is more of a slow-burn physiological suspense than the dark and sinister cabin vibes I had anticipated it to be. The story is told through dual timelines of past and present, however, the abrupt flipping back and forth somewhat fizzled the pent-up suspense for me.

The story really ramps up in the last 100 pages as everything comes together and though the reveal was something I had put together early on, the concept was super intriguing and engaging enough to keep reading.

*Thank you to @hachette for sending me a copy of The House in the Pines.

"𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙖𝙡. 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙗𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡."

📖Hallie Welch has been crushing on Julian Vos since they almost kissed one night during her freshman year of high school. That was 15 years ago. When Julian returns home to his family's vineyard on a sabbatical from his ivy league school to write a novel, Hallie concocts a plan to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate so she can either fall in love for real or move on with her life. Only, real-life Julian is not at all who she imagined. Julian is a studious and structured College Professor who irons his socks and plans every detail of his day down to the minute. Hallie is a chaotic and impulsive landscaper who is chronically late and plans absolutely nothing. But you know what they say... Opposites attract! 

💭Secretly Yours was my most anticipated rom-com of 2023 and it did not disappoint. I loved these characters and their quirks so much. The romantic setting of a small town vineyard and ooof, the dirty talk 🥵! 

Tessa has a way of harnessing her character's perceived flaws and incorporating themes of grief, loss, anxiety and body positivity in such a lighthearted and relatable way. 

Read if you like.
🌸 Small Town Romance
🌸 Grumpy x Sunshine 
🌸 Opposites Attract
🌸 Second Chance Romance  
🌸 Steamy Open Door 🔥 

A big thank you to @nicolawoods_hc and @harpercollinsaustralia for sending me an early copy of Secretly Yours! And to the lovely @racheal_reads & @reading.adventures.with.rach for buddy reading with me 💗

I can't wait for book two (Unfortunately Yours) which focuses on Julian's sister, Natalie in a marriage of convenience trope! Bring on June 1st 🙌

Secretly Yours is OUT NOW! And is the perfect Valentine's read for fans of Tessa Bailey's Bellinger Sister series!

I read Laura Marshall's debut, Friend Request a few years ago and loved the creative plot and clever execution. My Husband's Killer follows a similar setup and was just as thrilling. 

💭𝙈𝙮 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨:
The story is told through multiple POVs and timelines, broken up into four parts. Each revealing a web of secrets and lies between the group of longtime friends, as Liz pieces together what really happened to her husband on the groups luxury Italian getaway. 

I really felt for Liz, having lost her husband in such a sudden and unexpected way. Left to navigate the grief with her young boys after months of no real closure, only to be hit with such a bombshell that had her questioning everything she thought she knew about Andrew, their marriage, and her friends. 

All the perfectly placed red herrings had me doubting everyone at some point and the short and snappy chapters heightened my anticipation for what was to come. 

Thank you @hachetteaus for sending me a review copy of My Husband's Killer. It was a ride!

Omg! How have I never read Rachael Johns before now! This book has absolutely everything! The best work-wife relationship, single-mother representation, teenage angst, online dating, social media bullying, trauma, loss, + mystery and thriller elements! Oh, and that twist! ... I did not anticipate that at all!!

Told from the perspectives of Deb, her teenage daughter Romona and Deb's work wife Quinn, I became heavily invested in each of their individual journeys of love and self-discovery. I laughed, I cried... and I may have developed a slight case of carpal tunnel 🤣 (haha, jokes!) Yes, this is a chunky read at just over 500pgs, but it honestly didn't feel that way while reading it. Rachael has such a way with words, that it all flows so beautifully. 

As a local Sydney girl myself, I loved that I could visualise all the places mentioned in the book as well. I felt like I was walking down the streets of Darlinghurst alongside Quinn & Snoodles 🐕 
My reading snacks may have also been swayed by the mention of cheese toasties and pizza.. (I should have called myself thehungrybookworm 🤣) 

Thank you @harpercollinsaustralia & @harlequinaus for #gifting me a copy of The Work Wives 🙏 And to the lovely @taurusbooklover for buddy reading with me 💜

Be right back while I add Rachael's entire backlist to cart! 💸🛒

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.