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sarahsbookstack's Reviews (2.6k)
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Hazel is a romance author who has had a hard time coming up with a new story. So what she does is acts like her female characters and leaves the big city to the small town of Story Lake where she bought a house that inspired a spark of an idea for a story.
There she meets Cam, a too handsome and grumpy contractor that will change her world.
I highly enjoyed this romp in the small town of Story Lake. The residents are hilarious, the teenage mayor, Goose the bald eagle and his antics and ninja Bertha the raccoon. I haven't laughed so much in a book in a long time and most of it was at the hilarious made up names + swear words...these characters get creative.
I can't wait to return for Gage and Zoey's story!
There she meets Cam, a too handsome and grumpy contractor that will change her world.
I highly enjoyed this romp in the small town of Story Lake. The residents are hilarious, the teenage mayor, Goose the bald eagle and his antics and ninja Bertha the raccoon. I haven't laughed so much in a book in a long time and most of it was at the hilarious made up names + swear words...these characters get creative.
I can't wait to return for Gage and Zoey's story!
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
I love when there is a book based on a real life and this recounts the Supreme Court case in the 1920s involving a girl named Carrie Buck and a 2022 timeline with Jessa (who you'll find has connection in a way to Carrie Buck) .
This book made me so mad at what went on in this country (pre-WW2 eugenics) and what happened in the author's 2022 timeline with immigrants and ICE and the same stuff going on that happened in the pre-WW2 timeline.
There were so many parallels to the scary things that are going on in this country right now. But I feel this book is very important. I really feel we need people like Jessa. She was so passionate at helping these women that it was beautiful to watch it unfold.
This book made me so mad at what went on in this country (pre-WW2 eugenics) and what happened in the author's 2022 timeline with immigrants and ICE and the same stuff going on that happened in the pre-WW2 timeline.
There were so many parallels to the scary things that are going on in this country right now. But I feel this book is very important. I really feel we need people like Jessa. She was so passionate at helping these women that it was beautiful to watch it unfold.
mysterious
medium-paced
I really like when an amateur becomes an investigator into a crime! Addy is such a person. When an old high school friend reaches out to her to help plan his "afterlife party" but when his assisted passing happens ahead of schedule....Addy turns to his older brother (at first hesitantly) to figure out who might have done it.
I like small towns. There is this cozy murder mystery, gossip galore, unhinged moments of some townspeople, crazy media, and a small maybe budding romance that made up this ride.
I hope we get to see more of Addy from this author and please make Owen come back 🙏🥺
I like small towns. There is this cozy murder mystery, gossip galore, unhinged moments of some townspeople, crazy media, and a small maybe budding romance that made up this ride.
I hope we get to see more of Addy from this author and please make Owen come back 🙏🥺
emotional
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
Holy crap, Bruce is the epitome of a near perfect man! This was my first book of reading of this hockey team, The D.C. Eagles, but I now NEED to read the rest.
I love how Farrah and Bruce first meet as strangers who kiss. Then they meet "officially" as Bruce's hockey team captain introduces his sister, Farrah, to Bruce. The hilarity ensues. He has to be careful though because of who she is and what she had just gone (and goes) through
But this book also has so much heart. There are many topics of discussion: adoption talk (Bruce), foster/Big Brother program (Bruce with Jackson) and PCOS (Farrah). I thought they were all handled with grace and really made me care about all these characters. Also parts that really made me swoon: Bruce taking Farrah to the ER twice and really showing that he will ALWAYS show up and she can trust him.
I love how Farrah and Bruce first meet as strangers who kiss. Then they meet "officially" as Bruce's hockey team captain introduces his sister, Farrah, to Bruce. The hilarity ensues. He has to be careful though because of who she is and what she had just gone (and goes) through
But this book also has so much heart. There are many topics of discussion: adoption talk (Bruce), foster/Big Brother program (Bruce with Jackson) and PCOS (Farrah). I thought they were all handled with grace and really made me care about all these characters. Also parts that really made me swoon: Bruce taking Farrah to the ER twice and really showing that he will ALWAYS show up and she can trust him.
medium-paced
Not my favorite but I did finish it. A secret relationship with a rich girl and a poor boy and she always just thought she was too good for him. Wanted to screw up her relationship with her boyfriend but never broke up with him.
There are dairy entries from her, that again, just showed how terrible she was "I'm going to break up with him, I swear!". And just a whole bunch of rich jerks that are so entitled that anyone who doesn't come from money is a waste of time 🙄
I'm glad the book was short....I couldn't take it if it was even longer.
There are dairy entries from her, that again, just showed how terrible she was "I'm going to break up with him, I swear!". And just a whole bunch of rich jerks that are so entitled that anyone who doesn't come from money is a waste of time 🙄
I'm glad the book was short....I couldn't take it if it was even longer.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
After Ava suffers the loss of her home after a tornado, she will need to find the ways she wants to and can move on.
Ava has been stuck in her ways, never leaving far from home after an accident took the life of her mother but content enough.
Going through a natural disaster and losing a lot has to be just devastating. I liked that Ava knew she needed to change things now and find herself again. I loved that she recognized that she also needed to help two of her friends who also suffered some losses, though one was not due to the tornado. Ava also had to find some courage to get to do what she did near the end of the book.
Ava has been stuck in her ways, never leaving far from home after an accident took the life of her mother but content enough.
Going through a natural disaster and losing a lot has to be just devastating. I liked that Ava knew she needed to change things now and find herself again. I loved that she recognized that she also needed to help two of her friends who also suffered some losses, though one was not due to the tornado. Ava also had to find some courage to get to do what she did near the end of the book.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
This was so cute! India gets to have a second chance at liking her brother's best friend, Felix, as he's new to town and going to write an article for the paper of the romantic spots for dates. But he has no desire to fall in love.... Though India quickly becomes someone who he likes to spend time with.
Things that made me laugh:
- Jess, "outing" India about her favorite trope at the bookstore and more
-the insistent with their parents new tenant complete with a Rapunzel joke
-India calling Felix "Felicia" because it sounds better to her
-Betsy the bike and how India talks to her
- the LOTR pickup lines
- just the sisters and how they all interact
Something that made me swoon:
- when Felix takes the blame for someone to protect India
- the knowledge of who the next book will be about (and I called it! - to myself 🤣)
Things that made me laugh:
- Jess, "outing" India about her favorite trope at the bookstore and more
-the insistent with their parents new tenant complete with a Rapunzel joke
-India calling Felix "Felicia" because it sounds better to her
-Betsy the bike and how India talks to her
- the LOTR pickup lines
- just the sisters and how they all interact
Something that made me swoon:
- when Felix takes the blame for someone to protect India
- the knowledge of who the next book will be about (and I called it! - to myself 🤣)
mysterious
slow-paced
This book was a good mystery with an amateur sleuth in history professor Emma, set in NY in the 1980s. When her neighbor "Seal", a photographer who was linked with Warhol, dies under mysterious circumstances. Emma was becoming friends with her and wants to find out why this happened.
My favorite part of this was the post-mortem POV of Seal as she narrates her young life. I also liked that there were some parts of history that I haven't heard of before (I was growing up in the 80s so if they didn't teach it in school, I didn't know it) and it made me stop the book for a bit to Google and learn about it.
The only thing I would change is that sometimes the chapters were longer and sometimes they were shorter and that just let to some weighed down/sluggish parts to me.
My favorite part of this was the post-mortem POV of Seal as she narrates her young life. I also liked that there were some parts of history that I haven't heard of before (I was growing up in the 80s so if they didn't teach it in school, I didn't know it) and it made me stop the book for a bit to Google and learn about it.
The only thing I would change is that sometimes the chapters were longer and sometimes they were shorter and that just let to some weighed down/sluggish parts to me.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
I was so excited for another book by Etta and it was as fun as the first.
Brianna is a middle school vice principal who yearns for a new library and is promised a new one by the Principal..... Until he decides they need the football field redone instead. So Brianna enters a "Mars simulation" another teacher had asked for volunteers for before and she rejected. If this team of teachers win, they could get prize money to get a library back on track.
6 weeks of trying to get the teachers to see her as not only their semi-boss but as a friend without her getting too close at the same time. Roman, the science teacher and Principal's son makes it hard.
I liked the 4 tasks they had to do in the simulation. Tempers can run high, Jordan (the team leader) is bossy, the "food" sucks and close quarters are not always ideal. There is an incident with the school nurse and a spider and I felt bad for what happened to her, though...SAME GIRL! I would have freaked too!
I really loved that this gave Brianna the courage to pursue something that is a better fit for her. I never felt suspicious of Roman though he gave some valid reasons TO suspect him sometimes.
Brianna is a middle school vice principal who yearns for a new library and is promised a new one by the Principal..... Until he decides they need the football field redone instead. So Brianna enters a "Mars simulation" another teacher had asked for volunteers for before and she rejected. If this team of teachers win, they could get prize money to get a library back on track.
6 weeks of trying to get the teachers to see her as not only their semi-boss but as a friend without her getting too close at the same time. Roman, the science teacher and Principal's son makes it hard.
I liked the 4 tasks they had to do in the simulation. Tempers can run high, Jordan (the team leader) is bossy, the "food" sucks and close quarters are not always ideal. There is an incident with the school nurse and a spider and I felt bad for what happened to her, though...SAME GIRL! I would have freaked too!
I really loved that this gave Brianna the courage to pursue something that is a better fit for her. I never felt suspicious of Roman though he gave some valid reasons TO suspect him sometimes.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
This was a fun, second chance romance on a hiking trail through the Scottish Highlands.
Brooke and Jack fell for each other while he was a TA (not hers as there were 2) and she was a student. Then things happened that made them have to walk away from each other. Now Brooke is ghostwriting Mhairi's memoir and needs to hike the trail Mhairi made to make it even more authentic.... The problem is Jack is the photographer going with her.
This hike was full of rain, a little bit of fog to get lost in, and memories too strong to ignore for long. I felt the pain and she that Brooke held into. I also felt that it kept her from pursuing her actual dream. But at the same time, I'm so happy she was able to gift Mhairi in one small way.
I love the rekindling of Brooke and Jack. The heat between them is super charged even when they are on the outs. They just felt that they were a perfect fit for each other and they just needed to find that perfect time for their relationship to really bloom.
Brooke and Jack fell for each other while he was a TA (not hers as there were 2) and she was a student. Then things happened that made them have to walk away from each other. Now Brooke is ghostwriting Mhairi's memoir and needs to hike the trail Mhairi made to make it even more authentic.... The problem is Jack is the photographer going with her.
This hike was full of rain, a little bit of fog to get lost in, and memories too strong to ignore for long. I felt the pain and she that Brooke held into. I also felt that it kept her from pursuing her actual dream. But at the same time, I'm so happy she was able to gift Mhairi in one small way.
I love the rekindling of Brooke and Jack. The heat between them is super charged even when they are on the outs. They just felt that they were a perfect fit for each other and they just needed to find that perfect time for their relationship to really bloom.