stephsbooktalk's reviews
783 reviews

Thank you so much to TBR & Beyond Tour, Random House Children & Delacorte Romance for the advance copy of this book! 

Dungeons and Drama was my first book by Kristy that I read earlier in the year and I absolutely loved it!!! It was a Young Adult book that I was constantly recommending and left me with all the feels. I was excited that Kristy came back with another book with the same theme. 

This book is not connected to the Dungeons and Drama at all. So no need to worry about reading in order or feeling like you have to read Dungeons and Drama prior to this - though you really should. 

Once again Kristy takes us into the world of Dungeons and Dragon and I feel like we get even more involved in the game compared to the first time around. We see more of the friend group and see more of the overall game being played. I love the inclusion of online viewing as I know that is a big part of computer/video game culture. I love how they all went to the comic book store and participated in a costume contest. Their group just seemed like such a fun group of teens to be around. I love the twin dynamic of Sanjiv and Kashvi! Kashiv was a great friend to Quinn especially with Quinn starting a new school and her prior history with her friend group (girls are just vicious!). 

Just like with the prior book, Kristy's banter and teenage feelings had me kicking my feet. We got to see the start of this coupling in the beginning and her meddling Grandma (who was such a great side character) helped kick start their meet cute. Logan was very apprehensive for Quinn to join their D&D group because of their rule of about not dating. And as a reader, you could tell it was because he wanted to date her! I thought their dynamic was just so darn cute and her grandma played a role in finding ways to force them to be around each other. There was a moment during their costume contest that gave me big heart eyes while reading. 

If you are looking for a cute, fluffy, YA romance with tons of D&D references that just will make you smile as you read - give this series a read! 

Thank you so much to 831 Stories for an advance copy & the gifted copy of this book!

This book will be out January 28th, 2025.

I absolutely adored this book! It was such a quick read for me and I was hooked from the early start. I'm not sure what it was about it but the way that Upsana wrote this short story just had me sucked in.

Nania was coming out of her first relationship and it was a long term and starting a new life in New York City. She met David at a party and immediately struck a friendship with him. Both characters were flawed but also felt believable. Especially when Nania made a cardinal mistake surrounding her ex, felt a little too real for me. This also is the 2nd book in the last few months where the FMC is conflicted about having feelings for a man when they previously dated a female. I was rooting for the two throughout their friendship stage. They just worked so well together and encourage one another. Could David had made more of an effort when he was on his camping trip? Yes definitely but also that just makes it feel real as guys just aren't as perceptive as females are.

I am not sure if I missed it but I'm fairly certain we did not learn how Nania and Christian met? I just was more curious than anything. Not knowing didn't put a damper on the story but I still want to know!

I thought the length of his book was perfect and I thought the pacing was great. And I just really enjoyed this one!

Notable moments/quotes that I loved:
I am used to this cycle of reacting and then regretting. I have a tendency to be emotionally impulsive in arguments over seemingly small stuff.

"Like, is it possible to ever be fully confident when you're into someone? Regardless of gender. "
"I think the hope is that over time, you get to know someone and you don't put them on a pedestal anymore. And once they're off that pedestal, if you still want them, then you know it's more than a crush. Regardless of gender."

I look around, at my life, and I feel like I have very few people who really know me. For a long time, that was on purpose. But recently, I'm starting to realize it's become almost habitual...even if I want to be vulnerable, it doesn't mean I will be. The desire exists, but the actual practice of it is completely different.

I didn't realize something as trival as making a mistake at work could cause me to feel so pathetic.

I miss life not feeling like a rug burn.

Humans are humans. Touch is touch. I know how to kiss. I know how to touch.

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for an advance copy of this!

This book will be out January 14th, 2025.

Alice Feeney is back with her latest twisty domestic thriller. I have read a few of her books and I feel like I'm so mixed on how I feel about them.

I was VERY invested in this story and was hooked very early on. This book is told primarily from the point of view of Grady as well as from his missing wife Abby.  Feeney has this way of creating these narrative for both sides and you do not know which is correct. Grady gets himself in a sticky situation and is literally stuck. There are some twists which honestly I think I missed some of them and with the help of Reddit provided me with a clearer understand of what happened during the epilogue.

The narrators for this book are Richard Armitage and Tuppence Middleton. I didn't realize that Richard is an actor but also has done a handful of  audiobooks. Tuppence was a new narrator to me and thought she handled the female point of view very well. There was also some extra sound effects that added to the audiobook listening which was a nice touch.

Bonus: This cover is STUNNING!

Notable quotes/phrases that I loved:

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary copy of this!

Americans seem to forget their racism when their stomach we’re calling or their homes needed furnishing.

This was initially on my radar when it first came out due to the premise of the book but what pushed me to read it was to complete a prompt for a book challenge. And wheww I do think I was somewhat a target audience due to my chronic onlineness, love for the Kardashians, history of watching reality tv.  

I do not think this book is for everyone. But I'm not entirely sure that it deserves the as low of ratings that it is getting. It was slightly chaotic and there was a harmful section centered around eating disorder which I did not feel was necessary. This also takes place during the early months of Covid. 

The sisters were fascinating and meant to be unlikeable. Though I will say Mina was probably my favorite just because I felt like I could relate with her obsession with fandoms and online communities and just general internet consumption.  

I thought Mikaela Hoover did a good job with the narration though I do wish we had 4 individual narrators for the point of views. There was a small section where Manijeh Khakpour spoke which kind of came out of nowhere. I am curious what the looks like in the book because it similarly came out of nowhere.

It really is hard to explain this book but it was a fun time. So if you are looking for something a little chaotic, centers around 4 sisters born into wealth who are self involved & spoiled, give this one a try! 

Mini Book Review: The idea of having an advent calendar format for a book is such a smart idea! And I will say the way the book was written, self control was very hard some days. Overall I really enjoyed this book! It left me in suspense most days and as I mentioned the self control of not continuing to see what happened next was really hard. The things that this family went through was A LOT and the resilience of them was very apparent on page. 

I won't say much about the ending except that it left me feeling very underwhelmed. And it frustrated me because we devoted all this time to this book for that?! I know the author said that because there was already 4 point of views it "didn't leave a lot of room for an in depth look at [this character]". Come on man! 

I'm anxious to see if more authors do this for next holiday season. 

Thank you so much to Sophie Andrews for the complimentary copy of this book!

This book is out now!

If you are looking for a sweet, spicy and short novella this holiday season - look no further.

You all should know that I am a huge fan of Sophie's writing and her way of creating these characters that you grow attach to. This book is short running around 80 pages and yet I knew who both Evan and Holly were. She also does such a great job making the storyline and characters feel so relatable.

There was not one day, since she'd first sat next to me, that she was not the center of my life. I was nothing without her. But somehow, I had let her forget it.

I was rooting for this couple the whole time. And I love how Sophie used Holly's point of view to show the past and Evan's POV in the present. We got to see how they met as tweens into their early adulthood. Evan was so in love with his wife but overtime their relationship has changed and they needed to find their way to reconnect.

It was just such a sweet book and I thought it was a great length but I do wish we got an epilogue a year or two later to see how the couple are now.

Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the free book! #Partner
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary audio! 

I tried so hard to get to this one last year and the season just went by too fast And now I'm kicking myself for waiting so long because this was such a charming listen! 

I found myself a few times at Laurel's antics and found a little of myself in her. This had a few of my favorite romance tropes: enemies to lovers, one bed, fake dating and being stuck in one place/forced proximity.   

You have to suspend your belief of reality just a tad for this, Laurel told some white lies and quickly they started to build up. And I just would imagine in real life, it would not have gotten as far as it did but for the sake of book it was fun. I do wish we got to see more of Laurel and Max flirting and being together together but they were still cute. 

There's really not much more to say on this! I just really enjoyed it! I thought the narrator  Jennifer Jill Araya did a great job and made the listening go really quick. If you are a more read with your eyes, it is under 300 pages and easily digestible. 

I recommend this book for the holiday season! 

Thank you so much to @katerockbooktours & @author.amarinylix for gifting me a copy of the book!

“I hope so, but you need to live through an Austin summer before you declare it home. Some folks have a hard time with the Austin heat.”

Jake is head over heels for the girl that he sees at the gym. Rakell isn’t sure what to think of Jake when she first meets him. The whole book is Jake trying to win her over. She has such a sexual attraction to him but it’s really hard for her to connect to any men.
The writing style took me a bit to get into. It was told from dual POV but woven together instead of by chapter. I really like Jake as a character. He was open and honest about what he wanted. Rakell was a little harder for me to relate to. I dp wish both of them opened up about their jobs especially Rakell. I felt bad for Jake because she sometimes was all in and sometimes she was not. Even when they started seeing each other, it’s like she was half in.

The spice though in this - whewww! The tension leading up to the act was so good! Amari was so good at executing their intimacy. If you are not blushing at this then I’m not sure what would make you blush. I love Jake’s relationship with his friends! And I looked ahead and it seems like we eventually get a Dwayne book 👀

If you are looking for your next series to indulge in - give this one a read! There are 6 books in this collection that will keep the page turning.

Mini Audiobook Review: Wow! I had no clue what to expect from this book and this exceeding them.  I had never heard of this book prior to it being picked as a bonus book for my one book club but it looked like it would be an enjoyable read! 

At first it started off a little slow and I was nervous that I wasn't going to like it but I ended up becoming super invested in the storylines and wanted to keep on listening. I also was nervous because there were 4 POV with 1 narrator and I was hoping I would be able to follow along. 

As I mentioned above, this is told from 4 POV - Hattie, Ana, Claudia and Erica. Hattie is the owner of the hotel that the 3 women are staying at for their yearly bookclub trip. Each woman has their own thing going on and an arc throughout the book. 

It's hard to say whose storyline pulled me in more but I think it was Ana. I just felt for her as her children are getting older and her feeling like she was no longer needed in their life. Claudia is having her own life changing week. Coming out of a long term relationship, losing her job and not knowing what she wants to do with her life and figuring out if she wants to still be a chef. Erica doesn't show a lot of emotion and puts up such a front for her friends. Erica has a personal revelation that she hasn't told her friends and it all unravels while on this trip. Hattie is trying to figure out how to run the hotel while keeping her late husband's legacy & traditional legacy. 

The way the author was able to weave all the storylines together was so good! It was just enough of each and it all just comes together so beautifully. This is such a great book for bookclubs especially those that are women focused. This takes place in December and talks about Christmas but I wouldn't say it's a Christmas book more of a winter book. With the snow falling and this gorgeous cover, it just makes you feel cozy and feels good. 

The chapters are on the longer side but honestly while listening, I felt like it went by fast! I highly recommend either by reading with your eyes or your ears. 

Mini Audiobook Review: This has been one popular book over the last month! I had been wanting to read it for awhile and was happy when one of my bookclubs picked it as the December read. I am very conflicted on how I feel about the book. In some way, I really enjoyed it but then in another I found some of it cringey and then confusing.

Ethan's constant "Wanna make out?" was so cringey!! Maggie just let it roll off her back but he was coming on a little too strong for me especially when she didn't even seem interest. Now as the book went on my ick towards Ethan soften and I ended up liking him. By the end I thought their relationship was very cute and I was happy for them two!

I did like the author's way of mixing the two genres of a cozy mystery and romance! Even though I was left feeling confused by the end, it doesn't reflect on the tone and the fun I had while reading. Plus this had one of my favorite tropes in a mystery - locked room! I think I was most confused with the ending. So I think I may go back and reread with my eyes to see how it all wrapped up since it just didn't sit well with my brain by just listening.

During our discussion it seem like those around felt the same. It was just okay. I'm happy I read it and I really enjoyed the mix of the two genres. I also liked that the chapters were short and made you feel like you were cruising along.

I recommend giving this book a read if you are looking for a cozy mystery with romance set in a mansion of a famous author ala Agatha Christie like!