My SPOILER ALERT Book Reviews!

⭐ 4.5/5 STARS: Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippman — A Hilarious, Heartfelt, and Dangerously Fun Cruise Down the Seine 🛳️💎💋 📖 Buy Murder Takes a Vacation on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Substance use Emotional and physical abuse Disordered eating Gender discrimination & ageism Death and murder 💬 My Reading Experience Here’s something you probably didn’t know about me — I love to travel. 🌍✈️ So when I find a mystery that also lets me travel vicariously? I’m ALL IN. Murder Takes a Vacation checks every single box: a European setting, eccentric fellow travelers, a touch of romance, and of course… murder. I laughed out loud so many times thanks to Mrs. Muriel Blossom , the 68-year-old widow at the heart of this story. She’s charmingly clueless in one moment and sharply observant the next. I’d 100% share a cruise cabin (and a cocktail) with her. 🍸 The mystery is layered and genuinely interesting, but what kept me turning pages w...

⭐ 4/5 STARS: The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell — Cozy, Clever, and Deliciously Devious 🍰🔪 📖 Buy The Golden Spoon on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Sexual harassment and assault (off-page but discussed) Murder and violence Infidelity and family secrets Mental health issues (panic attacks, trauma) 💬 My Reading Experience Okay, let’s start with the obvious: a murder mystery set during a Great British Bake Off -style competition? YES PLEASE. 👩‍🍳 I absolutely loved the premise of The Golden Spoon . Six bakers competing for glory under a big white tent at a Vermont estate — what could go wrong? (Answer: everything. Everything can go wrong. 😂) The vibes are cozy, the pacing is steady, and the mystery bakes slowly but evenly. This one’s not about heart-pounding suspense — it’s about letting the drama simmer while you get to know the bakers, the judges, and the people who definitely have something to hide. Also: I love that the author pokes fun a...

⭐ 3.5/5 STARS: The Long Walk by Stephen King — The Book That Walked Me Into Existential Despair 🚶‍♂️💀 📖 Buy The Long Walk on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Graphic violence & execution-style deaths Starvation, exhaustion, and physical suffering Misogyny & anti-gay bias (minor but present) Descriptions of mental breakdown and trauma Dystopian government violence 💬 My Reading Experience This one’s a hard one to rate. 🤔 I’ve read Misery and Pet Sematary (and a few others) by Stephen King — and I know the man is a master storyteller. His prose? Impeccable. His atmosphere? Creepy brilliance. His pacing? Addictive. But The Long Walk ? This one feels... different. It’s deep, thought-provoking, and extremely well written — but it also feels intentionally empty. Which, I guess, is kind of the point. Honestly, I’m glad I didn’t read this one first. If I had, I might not have appreciated it for what it is: a slow-burn psychological nigh...

⭐ 4/5 STARS: The Man Made of Smoke by Alex North — The Book That Hijacked My Weekend 😱🔥 📖 Buy The Man Made of Smoke on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Graphic violence & murder Child death Suicide & suicidal ideation Child abuse Trauma & psychological distress Substance use Cursing 💬 My Reading Experience Let me start by saying this: I did not expect to devour this book like a woman possessed. This was my first time reading Alex North, and let me tell you — his writing should come with a warning label : ⚠️ May cause you to neglect all responsibilities until you finish. I’m serious. I inhaled this book. No notes, no character chart, no breaks — just pure reading adrenaline. I had that manic “must finish now” energy. You know that feeling when you’re halfway through and think, well, guess I’m not sleeping tonight ? Yeah. That. 🧠 Overview The Man Made of Smoke (2025) by Alex North is a dark, psychological thriller th...

⭐ 5/5 STARS: The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes — YA Crime Thriller That Completely Blew Me Away! 📚 Buy The Naturals on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Violence and murder (serial killer themes) Child abduction Blood and graphic crime scenes Mentions of parental death Psychological trauma 💬 First Impressions Confession time: I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. It’s marketed as YA , and sometimes YA thrillers can feel a little watered down — but this one? Nope. Jennifer Lynn Barnes went full-on Criminal Minds: Teen Edition , and it works so well. The premise is gold: a group of teens with extraordinary abilities (profiling, lie detection, emotion reading, etc.) are recruited by the FBI to help solve murders. It’s got just a sprinkle of sci-fi flavor, but it’s grounded enough to feel completely plausible. Also — the pacing? Chef’s kiss. It moves fast, the tension builds naturally, and by the halfway point, I couldn’t ...

⭐ 2/5 — James by Percival Everett: The Book Everyone Waited For (But I’m Still Trying to Digest) 📚 Get James by Percival Everett on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Racism, racial slurs (including the n-word), enslavement, anti-Black violence, sexual abuse (referenced), and systemic oppression. 🪶 Initial Thoughts Let me start by saying: I really wanted to love this book. I’d been on my Libby waitlist for what felt like an eternity — and everyone seemed to adore it. It’s one of the most acclaimed novels of 2024, and people keep calling it a modern classic. So my expectations? Sky-high. But… I didn’t love it. 😬 To be fair, I admire it. Everett’s writing is powerful, smart, and intentionally challenging. Still, I found it dense and difficult to follow , maybe because I’m not used to his style. I’ve also never read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn , so I probably missed some of the clever callbacks. I’m honestly a little nervous even admitting this (book Tw...

  ⭐ 5-Star Review: All That Life Can Afford by Emily Everett 👉 Grab All That Life Can Afford on Amazon ⚠️ Trigger Warnings: Grief / Loss of parent Deception / Manipulation Economic hardship / poverty themes Emotional abuse / gaslighting 🌟 Initial Thoughts This book, you guys… I LOVED it. Absolutely endearing. Emily Everett did something so clever here: she pulled me right into Anna Byrne’s mind and made me empathize with her—even when she was making terrible choices. It reminded me a bit of the Anna Delvey saga, though the resemblance is loose. Still, the vibe is there: ambition, reinvention, wealth, and the messy consequences of wanting more than you’ve been given. I gave this book ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5). It’s a debut novel that feels anything but—sharp writing, layered characters, and a story that’s both glitzy and heartbreaking. 📖 Spoiler-Filled Plot Summary 🚨 Spoilers ahead—turn back now if you want to go in blind! 🚨 A year after her mother’s death, Ann...

⭐ 0.5/5 — I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy: The Book Everyone Loves (Except Me) 👉 Grab I’m Glad My Mom Died on Amazon 🚨 Trigger Warnings This memoir covers: 💔 Emotional abuse 🧠 Eating disorders (anorexia, bulimia) 😢 Childhood trauma & manipulation ⚰️ Parental death 🧍‍♀️ Body image & self-harm 🍸 Substance abuse 🎭 Toxic Hollywood culture If you’re sensitive to any of those, tread gently. ⚠️ Spoiler Warning This review contains full spoilers and a lot of unpopular opinions . Proceed at your own risk (and maybe grab some popcorn 🍿). 🎬 The Setup Jennette McCurdy grows up in a chaotic household in Garden Grove, California, with her parents, grandparents, and three older brothers. Her mom — a breast cancer survivor — dreams of being an actress, and when that dream fails, she passes the torch (or spotlight 🔦) to little Jennette. At just six years old, Jennette starts acting — not because she loves it, but because she wants to keep her mom happ...

⭐⭐⭐✩✩ Review: THE WAGER by David Grann — A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny… and Too Many Names 😅 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) 📚 Buy The Wager on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Mentions of death , violence , starvation , mutiny , colonialism , animal cruelty,  and cannibalism . (It’s an 18th-century shipwreck story — let’s just say it’s not smooth sailing.) ⛵💀 🌊 Overview The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder (2023) by David Grann is one of those big, buzzy nonfiction hits that everyone seems to love — and I get why. It’s deeply researched , historically rich , and beautifully detailed . But… (and here comes my unpopular opinion 😬) …while I admired the research , I found the reading experience a little dry . There are so many names, ranks, and historical facts that it sometimes felt like reading a naval report instead of an adventure. Still, the true story is fascinating — and Grann deserves huge credit for unearthing this slice of history. 🚨 SPOI...

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Review: LOOK CLOSER by David Ellis — A Marriage Made in Lies 😈 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) 📚 Buy Look Closer on Amazon (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book contains mentions of suicide , murder , addiction , infidelity , abuse , violence , and scamming . Proceed with caution if those are sensitive topics. 🎭 Overview Look Closer by David Ellis is a psychological and legal thriller set in Chicago — and wow, is it a ride. Published in 2022 , it’s a mind-bending story about a husband and wife who look perfect on the outside … but their relationship is built on secrets, lies, and a body count. Ellis, who’s also a Chicago attorney (and occasional James Patterson co-author), uses his legal background to craft a story that’s airtight , fast-paced , and full of twists . If you love unreliable narrators, double-crosses, and a couple who are way too calm about murder , you’re in for a treat. 🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This is a full, detailed summary — including the en...

⭐ 3/5 Review: Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry — When the “Slow Burn” Nearly Burns Out 👉 Grab your copy of Great Big Beautiful Life on Amazon here (affiliate link — thank you for supporting my blog!) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings Mental illness Illness and death Sexual content 🌸 Initial Thoughts Man, this book dragged on and on and on — I was seriously starting to wonder if it was ever going to go anywhere. But here’s the good news: it does. Eventually. And when it finally does, it almost makes the wait worth it. It’s like the plot crawled for 300 pages, then finally remembered it had somewhere to be 😅. I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out — that long, slow build actually made the few exciting moments feel extra intense when they finally happened. Not sure if that makes sense, but if you’ve read it, you know what I mean. 🕵️‍♀️ Spoiler Warning — Full Plot Summary Below! If you plan to read Great Big Beautiful Life and don’t want to know the ending, sto...

  ⭐ 1.5/5 — In Five Years by Rebecca Serle 📅 “Wait… What Was the Point?” 👉 Buy In Five Years on Amazon 🛍️ (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book contains: Cancer (ovarian) and death from illness Grief and loss Infidelity / betrayal (emotional) Hospital scenes and end-of-life care 📝 Quick Take I’ll be honest — I closed this book and literally said out loud: “...so what was the point?” 😅 The premise hooked me: a hyper-organized woman sees a glimpse of her life 5 years into the future — and it’s not at all what she planned. Intriguing! But somewhere between the time-travel twist , magical realism , terminal illness storyline , and awkward almost-love triangle , the whole thing unraveled for me. Plus… there are plot holes you could drive a moving truck through 🚚💍. 📚 Overview: In Five Years by Rebecca Serle Published in March 2020 , In Five Years became a New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club pick. It’s marketed as a love st...

⭐ 5/5 — Everything Is Tuberculosis by John Green 🦠 “Who Knew TB Could Be This Riveting?” 👉 Buy Everything Is Tuberculosis on Amazon 🛍️ (affiliate link) ⚠️ Trigger Warnings This book contains: Illness (tuberculosis, Ebola) Child illness and death Medical neglect and lack of access to treatment Racism, ableism, gender and transgender discrimination Anti-gay bias Death of friends and family members Poverty and systemic injustice 📝 Quick Take Okay, let’s be honest — if you’d told me a book about tuberculosis would have me staying up way past my bedtime, I would’ve laughed. But here we are. 😅 John Green has somehow managed to make a medical history book read like a page-turning thriller. I have a distant family member who died of TB as a teen — long before I was born — and my dad talked about her often. Her story was marked by poverty, inaccessible treatment, and heartbreaking decisions. This book hit close to home. Green blends Henry’s story (a ...