My SPOILER ALERT Book Reviews!

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Gay the Pray Away — Heartbreaking, Hopeful, and So Needed (4/5 ⭐) Author: Natalie Naudus Genre: YA Contemporary / LGBTQ+ / Coming-of-Age / Religious Trauma ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS Religious trauma & cult dynamics Homophobia & conversion ideology Emotional abuse Child abuse (non-graphic) Shunning / family estrangement Control of bodily autonomy Threatened physical violence 🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review includes a FULL, COMPLETE plot summary , including the ending. Proceed accordingly 💥 📖 What Is Gay the Pray Away About? At its core, Gay the Pray Away is about unlearning shame . It follows Valerie Danners , a 17-year-old girl raised in an ultra-religious community governed by the Institute of God’s Basic Principles (yes, it’s as suffocating as it sounds). Valerie has been taught that her feelings are sinful, her body is dangerous, and obedience is love. Then she meets Riley —and everything cracks open. This book is clearly written for qu...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ You Will Never See Me — A Brutal Noir Descent Where Survival Is the Only Victory Author: Jake Hinkson Genre: Noir Thriller / Psychological Crime Fiction Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4 out of 5) ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS ⚠️ This is a dark, unsettling read. Please check carefully. Graphic violence Sexual assault Stalking Kidnapping Misogyny Murder Domestic abuse Alcoholism Self-harm / suicide Child abuse (past) This book does not blink. 😬 🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review contains FULL SPOILERS , including the ending. If you want to go in blind, stop here and come back when you’re emotionally prepared. 🩸 🖤 A Hook So Good It Practically Writes the Book for You Alice Hardy is a professor, a wife, a mother — and she’s having an affair. One night, after leaving her lover Jason Brennan’s apartment, Alice gets lost in his neighborhood and is attacked in an alley by a man wielding a hunting knife. She doesn’t freeze. She doesn’t submit. 👉 She slashes his throat and runs. Then comes the fatal decision:...

 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Soldier Sailor — Motherhood Without the Filter (5 Stars) Author: Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy Genre: Literary Fiction / Motherhood / Marriage ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS Postpartum depression & maternal mental health Sleep deprivation Marital conflict Emotional neglect Brief child endangerment Illness in a child Death of a pet Near-drowning Intrusive thoughts Misogyny & gendered labor imbalance 🚨 FULL SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review contains a complete plot summary, including the ending . If you want to experience this raw, gut-punch of a book unspoiled, stop here and go read it first. I’ll wait. ☕📖 A Brutally Honest Portrait of Early Motherhood Let’s just get this out of the way: Soldier Sailor is one of the most honest depictions of early motherhood I’ve ever read. No soft lighting. No Instagram glow. No “cherish every moment” nonsense. This book says the quiet part out loud: new motherhood can be isolating, terrifying, ra...

His Grace, the Duke (Second Sons #2) — ⭐⭐⭐½☆ (3.5/5 Stars) Author: Emily Rath Series: Second Sons Genre: Regency Romance / Why-Choose / Historical Romance ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS Explicit sexual content Strong language Emotional manipulation Power imbalance Jealousy & possessiveness Violence (including gunshot wound) Attempted murder Parental abuse (past) 🚨 FULL SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review includes a complete plot summary and ending . If spoilers ruin your life, turn back now. 🫣📖 ✨ Overview His Grace, the Duke picks up immediately after Beautiful Things —and somehow manages to be longer, spicier, louder, messier, and more outrageous . Think Regency England…but with modern mouths, maximalist drama, and a love configuration that refuses to color inside the lines. I had fun. I also thought, “Wow, this did not need to be this long.” Both things can be true. 😅 🏙️ The Midnight Flight to London We open with James Corbin (Viscount Finchle...

Beautiful Things (Second Sons #1) — ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5 Stars) Author: Emily Rath Series: Second Sons (Book 1) Genre: Regency Romance / Reverse Harem / Historical Romance ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS Explicit sexual content Strong language (many, many F-bombs) Emotional manipulation Parental abuse (past) Classism Infidelity themes Power imbalance Alcohol use 🚨 FULL SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review contains a complete, start-to-finish plot summary , including the ending and series setup. Proceed at your own risk. 😈📖 ✨ Overview: What Is Beautiful Things About? Beautiful Things is the debut novel from Emily Rath and the opening act of her Second Sons series. It’s a spicy Regency-era romance that blends Bridgerton-style aesthetics , modern dialogue, and an unapologetically horny heroine who inspires… intense devotion from nearly every man in her orbit. We follow Rosalie Harrow , age 22, broke, sharp-tongued, sexually confident, and freshly summoned to a duke’...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The Amateur Marriage — A Lifetime of Love, Regret, and Almosts Author: Anne Tyler Genre: Literary Fiction / Marriage & Family Drama Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (5 out of 5) This was my first Anne Tyler novel , and… wow. I get it now. I fully get it. There’s no murder, no mystery, no flashy hook — and yet I was absolutely glued to the pages. This book feels so achingly human it almost hurts. ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS Marital conflict Emotional neglect Infidelity (emotional) Child abandonment Drug addiction (off-page but central) Death Divorce Long-term grief 🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review contains a FULL plot summary , including the ending . Read on only if you’re ready to sit with feelings. Lots of them. 😭 💍 A Love Story That Starts With Impulse We meet Michael Anton and Pauline Barclay in 1941 Baltimore under delightfully chaotic circumstances: Pauline impulsively jumps off a streetcar to join a parade, hits her head, and ends up in Mic...