My SPOILER ALERT Book Reviews!

⭐ 3.5/5: Count My Lies by Sophie Stava — A Twisty Thriller About the Dangers of Little White Lies 👉 Grab your copy here: Count My Lies on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book contains: Gender discrimination Anti-gay bias Suicidal ideation & self-harm Sexual content Cursing Illness & death Emotional abuse Violence & bullying ✨ First Impressions I tore through this book like it was a Netflix binge. 🍿 The premise of a compulsive liar as a main character is just so juicy, and Sophie Stava’s writing is fun, sharp, and relatable. Did I see some twists coming? Absolutely. This story gave me strong vibes of The Housemaid (Freida McFadden), Behind Closed Doors (B.A. Paris), and The Drowning Woman (Robyn Harding). Still, it manages its own spin. Jay, the “perfect” husband, isn’t quite as monstrous as Andrew (Housemaid), Jack (Behind Closed Doors), or Benjamin (Drowning Woman)… but let’s be real: in a psychological thriller...

⭐ 4/5: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon — A Chilling Historical Mystery You’ll Want to Thaw Out Slowly 👉 Grab your copy here: The Frozen River on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book contains: Rape & sexual assault Domestic abuse & misogyny Murder & violence Pregnancy loss & child loss Historical execution practices Racism If any of these are tough subjects for you, proceed with care. ❄️ First Thoughts What a story . Honestly, I still can’t believe this novel is based (loosely) on real-life events . It’s wild to think there was a time when women could be punished for premarital sex , and when men with power could manipulate the courts so brazenly. Ariel Lawhon takes those fragments of history and spins them into a gripping mystery I literally could not put down. The only downside? A few too many sex scenes between Martha and her husband Ephraim that felt… let’s just say out of place. 😅 Otherwise, this book was a total ...

🌦️ Promise Me Sunshine by Cara Bastone ⭐⭐ (2/5 Stars) 👉 Grab Promise Me Sunshine on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book includes: Grief & death of a loved one Cancer Suicidal ideation Mental illness & depression Substance use Awkward sex scene(s) 🙃 Cursing My Take (Spoiler-Free Section First 🚪) Okay, I have to ask— did we all read the same book?? Because this one… whew. 😬 I found Promise Me Sunshine boring . The writing felt WEIRD (seriously, who says “rewarded with a slicing smile” ??), and while there were flashes of funny or romantic moments, it mostly landed in snoozefest territory. Lenny was quirky… but like, too quirky. Quirky to the point of please-stop . The only saving grace? 🎧 The audiobook narrator . She somehow made Lenny’s quirkiness sound believable. Honestly, she deserves a medal. Without her performance, I might have DNF’d this one. ⭐ Final verdict: 2/5 stars . One star for the narrator, one star ...

⭐ 5/5 Book Review: The Troop by Nick Cutter — The Grossest, Scariest, Most Perfect Horror Novel 👉 Grab your copy of The Troop  here: Amazon Affiliate Link ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book is not  for the faint of heart. Expect: Extreme body horror 🪱 Graphic violence and gore 🔪 Animal cruelty 🐢 (the turtle scene lives rent-free in my brain) Child death 👦 Psychological horror and torture 🧠 📖 Overview Published in 2014, The Troop  by Nick Cutter is one of those rare horror novels that made me go: “Oh wow, THIS is why people love horror.” Five Boy Scouts + one Scoutmaster + a deserted island + a human science experiment gone very, very wrong = the most disgusting and terrifying story I’ve ever devoured. It’s bloody, it’s disturbing, it’s brilliantly written — and I gave it ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ without hesitation. 🚨 Spoiler Warning If you haven’t read this yet and want to keep your lunch down, maybe stop here. Because I’m diving into all the details , w...

⭐ 1.5/5 – What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty 👉 Grab What Alice Forgot on Amazon ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Infertility / Miscarriage Divorce & Marital Conflict Grief Gaslighting-ish behavior from a husband 📚 My Take (aka Why I’m Side-Eyeing This Book) If I had read this 20 years ago, I might’ve swooned at the “love conquers all” vibe. But reading it now, post-divorce and happily beyond it, this book rubbed me the wrong way. It felt like an anti-divorce PSA dressed up as a feel-good rom-com . Nick treated Alice terribly, while Dominick was respectful and kind… yet we’re supposed to root for Alice and Nick to work it out? Sorry, nope. The only part I genuinely appreciated was Elisabeth’s infertility storyline —raw, emotional, and very well done. Everything else? Too long, too saccharine, and frustrating. 📖 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary Alice Love wakes up after a head injury at the gym, thinking she’s 29, pregnant, and happily married to Nick. Plot twist: she’...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See – A Historical Fiction Masterpiece Buy Lady Tan’s Circle of Women on Amazon 🚨 Trigger Warnings: Misogyny & gender inequality Foot binding Childbirth complications & infant mortality Smallpox & infectious disease Death & violence within families 🧾 Spoiler Warning ⚠️ This review contains full spoilers , including plot twists and the ending. Proceed only if you want the whole story! 🏮 First Impressions: Skeptical but Intrigued I came into Lady Tan’s Circle of Women with high suspicion . My first Lisa See novel, and I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a white-passing American author (her great-grandfather is Chinese), who doesn’t speak Chinese, writing an entire novel about Ming Dynasty China. Could she do justice to this history and culture? Well… she nailed it . 👏 Yes, some historical stats felt exaggerated (like the oft-quoted “1 in 10 women died from foot binding” – nope). But See’s writing, ...

📖 A Million Little Pieces by James Frey ⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5 Stars) 👉 Grab A Million Little Pieces on Amazon 🚨 Trigger Warnings This book contains: Addiction (alcohol, crack cocaine, other substances) Self-harm & suicidal ideation Physical abuse / assault Graphic medical detail (including dentistry without anesthesia 🤢) Childhood trauma Sex work (underage exploitation mentioned) Suicide 📝 First Impressions How do you even review a book that’s basically one of the biggest literary frauds ever written? 😂 When I picked up A Million Little Pieces , I already knew the history: once hailed as a raw, gut-wrenching memoir, later exposed as a work of heavily fabricated “nonfiction.” Oprah picked it for her book club. Readers devoured it. Then the truth came out—and it became infamous. So, do I dock stars because James Frey lied? Yeah, I do. I’m petty like that. 🤷‍♀️ Minus 1 ⭐ for deception. Minus 0.5 ⭐ because the dude writes like he thinks he’s a pro...

⭐ 5-Star Book Review: Life Is Hard: Marriage Is Easy by Kerry Michael St. Martin 💍 Amazon Affiliate Link: 📘 Grab your copy here! 🚨 Trigger Warnings None — unless, of course, you’re triggered by common sense . 😉 🕊️ Spoiler Alert This review discusses key lessons and chapter details from the book. 💡 First Impressions First of all, what a fantastic title . We always hear people say “marriage is hard” , right? So when I saw Life Is Hard: Marriage Is Easy , I thought, Wait, what? You’ve got my attention, Mr. St. Martin. And you know what? The book absolutely delivers. You start reading, nodding along, thinking, Well, yeah, that’s obvious… — and by the end you realize: Exactly! Marriage is easy when we stop overcomplicating it. 💬 What This Book Is Really About This isn’t your typical sugar-coated marriage manual. Kerry Michael St. Martin goes straight for the myths and misunderstandings that mess up so many relationships. He dismantles the cultural noise — the mov...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review: The Terror by Dan Simmons — A Sweeping, Chilling Saga You’ll Never Forget 👉 Grab The Terror on Amazon 👈 🚨 Trigger Warnings Cannibalism 🥩 Gore & body mutilation 💀 Starvation & illness 🤢 Animal attacks (polar bear mauling) 🐻‍❄️ Childbirth trauma & miscarriage ⚠️ Alcoholism & addiction 🍷 Death (lots and lots of death) ❄️ First Impressions How does someone even write a book like this?? I mean, is it perfect? Nope. But is it an epic saga that makes you feel like you’ve been stranded in the Arctic for 900 pages yourself? Absolutely. It’s long, repetitive, brutal, and completely insane — yet somehow also brilliant. I finished and just sat there like, “what did I even just experience?” This is not a quick, cozy read. This is a saga , capital S. If you can withstand the page count (and the horror), The Terror will reward you with one of the most unforgettable journeys into ice, madness, and monsters. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) 📚 ...

⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) Book Review: Five Survive by Holly Jackson 📖 Grab your copy of Five Survive here 👉 Amazon link 🚨 Trigger Warnings This book includes: Murder & gun violence 🔫 Blood & gore 💉 Alcoholism 🍺 PTSD references Death of a parent 💔 🌀 My Thoughts Okay, so first off — this was twisty, suspenseful, and unputdownable . 🙌 Yes, Red obsessing over that curtain pattern was a bit much (girl, we get it 😅), but otherwise, I was hooked. I had to know: Who is the sniper? What’s the secret? And why does everyone suddenly hate each other when bullets start flying? The ending got a little cheesy (YA tends to do that), but the reveal about Catherine being the one who killed Grace ? 👀 I did not see that coming. That twist alone made me forgive the melodrama. Final verdict: 4 out of 5 stars — messy in parts, but gripping, wild, and satisfying. 📚 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary (Buckle up 🚐💥) Six friends pile into an RV for spring break: Red Ken...

📚 How to Read a Book by Monica Wood ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) 👉 Grab How to Read a Book on Amazon ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Mentions of sexual assault Child abuse references Grief, death, and incarceration First Impressions 💭 When I first cracked this book open, I thought: a novel called How to Read a Book? Sounds like it might be…dry. But Monica Wood could probably write about watching paint dry and make it fascinating. Her writing is that good. I was pulled in before I even realized it. My only gripe (and the reason this is a 4-star instead of 5-star) is the amount of detail about training birds. Don’t get me wrong — it was interesting! But it sometimes felt like I accidentally wandered into another novel called How to Train a Parrot . 🦜 📖 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary The story weaves together three POVs: Violet 👩‍🦰 A 22-year-old serving time for vehicular manslaughter after a tragic, drug-fueled crash killed Lorraine Daigle. In prison, she joins a Book Club led ...

🍋 As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) 👉 Grab your copy of As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow on Amazon This is one of those books that doesn’t just tell a story—it stays with you. Heartbreaking, tender, suspenseful, and even laced with moments of hope. I couldn’t put it down because I was too invested in every single life on the page. ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Violence (bombings, shootings, chemical attacks) War trauma Death of family members Sexual assault (attempted and discussed) PTSD and mental health struggles Self-harm and grief 🌟 Spoiler-Free Thoughts This book wrecked me in the best way. It’s both a sweet love story and a devastating portrayal of war. I went in knowing very little about Syrian lives, and I came out with my heart cracked open. The magical realism (with Khawf and Layla) was handled beautifully—it gave the grief a shape and a voice. And let’s be honest, I was clutching the pages, whispering “please let them make it”...

💌 P.S. I Hate You by Lauren Connolly ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars) 👉 Grab your copy of P.S. I Hate You on Amazon 🚨 Trigger Warnings 💔 Death of a sibling (off-page, but central to the story) 😢 Grief / Loss ✈️ Anxiety & panic attacks 💔 Divorce / heartbreak ⚡ Sexual content 😂 My Quick Take Oh my gosh, what a sweet and funny romantic story !! This book had everything I love — travel adventures , puzzle-solving, bickering, tension, laughter, AND that swoony enemies-to-lovers slow-burn payoff. And that ending twist?! Rosaline being in love with Josh??? I literally gasped. Did anyone else see that coming? I didn’t! This was such a heartfelt, emotional yet hilarious read, and I was hooked the entire time. Easily 5 out of 5 stars. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 📖 Overview P.S. I Hate You (2024) by Lauren Connolly is a romantic comedy with heart that balances grief, rediscovery, and vulnerability with laugh-out-loud banter and road trip charm. Maddie Sanderson, still grieving the ...

🏔 Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 stars) 👉 Grab your copy of Into Thin Air on Amazon 📚 🚨 Trigger Warnings ❄️ Death / Dying (multiple fatalities on Everest) 😢 Survivor’s guilt / trauma 🧊 Severe frostbite & amputation 🌀 Natural disaster (blizzard) 💔 Emotional distress & grief 😱 My Quick Take What. A. Book. I already loved Jon Krakauer after reading Under the Banner of Heaven , but Into Thin Air took my admiration to a whole new level. I mean — the guy didn’t just write about Everest, he actually summited it . And somehow survived one of the deadliest expeditions in the mountain’s history. This book made me laugh nervously, clutch my chest, and at times, set it down because it was too devastating. (That almost NEVER happens to me!) And the fact that some people criticized Krakauer for not “saving” others? 🤦‍♀️ Let’s be real — it’s a miracle he made it down alive at all. The conditions on that mountain strip you of oxygen, clarity, ...

  🌊 Beach Read by Emily Henry ⭐⭐⭐1/2 (3.5/5 stars) Affiliate link: Grab your copy of Beach Read on Amazon 📚 🚨 Trigger Warnings 💔 Death of a parent (father) 🍷 Drinking 💔 Breakup / heartbreak 😢 Emotional distress ⚡ Mild sexual content 😏 My Quick Take I went into Beach Read expecting to adore it because I LOVED Funny Story . Spoiler: I didn’t love this one quite as much. There’s still the cute, swoony Emily Henry vibe we all love, but some things got on my nerves. First, the name January… I get it, it’s a name, but it’s a word, but when I speed the audiobook narration up, I kept getting confused: “It’s April. January and Gus…” 🤦‍♀️ You see what I mean? Second, January herself. Girl was immature . She got ridiculously jealous of Gus’s ex for… basically nothing. Not a great look. 😬 Still, I loved the premise and the feel-good summer romance vibes. It’s just not my favorite Emily Henry . 📖 Overview Beach Read follows 29-year-old January Andrews , a rom...

⭐ 5/5 Stars — The House of God by Samuel Shem: Medical Madness at Its Finest 😵‍💉 Amazon Affiliate Link: Grab your copy of The House of God here → 📚 [ Amazon Link ] ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Medical trauma & death Suicide Substance abuse (alcohol & prescription drugs) 🍷💊 Sex & sexual relationships Dark humor & graphic content 😳 😎 My Quick Take I’ve read some crazy books , but The House of God … oh, this one is OUT THERE . It’s wild, it’s raunchy, it’s hilarious, and it’s thrilling. If you go in expecting a realistic medical drama — nope. This is satire , a total parody of the medical world that’s so good I wanted to take notes… and then maybe hide under my bed. Samuel Shem basically took his own med school nightmares and turned them into golden, twisted comedy . The sheer audacity of this story had me laughing, gasping, and occasionally thinking, “No way someone actually wrote this!” 📢 Spoiler Warning This review contains full plot spoiler...

📚 Book Review: Killing Mr. Griffin by Lois Duncan ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5 stars) 💌 Amazon Affiliate Link Grab your copy of Killing Mr. Griffin here → [📖 Amazon Affiliate Link ] 🛑 Trigger Warnings Murder (by teens 😬) Teacher abuse / peer pressure Violence against elderly (yes, it gets dark) Fire / arson Guilt, manipulation & psychological abuse 😏 My Take Okay, am I the only one who got Teaching Mrs. Tingle vibes here?! I literally paused mid-read to Google if they were connected. (Spoiler: apparently not. But the energy? IDENTICAL.) I actually loved this book — funny, fast-paced, totally page-turning. Yes, it’s YA, but I don’t mind that. Honestly, it transported me back to high school, and I’ll admit it: didn’t we all occasionally fantasize about killing our teachers? 🙃 (Don’t @ me… I had some strict ones who made life miserable. ) It’s wild to me that this was published back in 1978 — no wonder it’s been banned in schools left and right. 🚨 Spoiler Warn...