My SPOILER ALERT Book Reviews!

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  THE FIRST GENTLEMAN : Murder, Politics, and Presidential Chaos (and Somehow Fun) Okay, y’all, let’s talk about the third collaboration between former President Bill Clinton and James Patterson . I haven’t read the first two (yet), but this one? I enjoyed it. Pretty much every Patterson I’ve read hits that sweet spot of bingeable chaos. ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS • Murder & homicide investigations • Rape & sexual assault • Substance abuse • Violence • Death • Conspiracies & political sabotage • Cursing 🚨 FULL SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This is a spoiler blog . 🧠 Overview The First Gentleman (2025) is a political thriller centered on President Madeline Wright , the first female president of the U.S., and her husband, Cole Wright , the First Gentleman. Cole is accused of murdering his college girlfriend, Suzanne Bonanno, a case from 17 years ago. Investigative journalists Brea Cooke and Garrett Wilson dig into his past, uncovering conspiracies that threaten the Wri...

 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ MY OXFORD YEAR : Yes, I Cried Over a Cheesy Romance (And I’m Not Even Mad About It) Let me confess something up front: my comfort zone is dark, twisty psychological thrillers . Murder. Manipulation. Trauma. The works. And yet… every once in a while… a soft, predictable, emotionally devastating romance sneaks up behind me and emotionally drop-kicks me while whispering poetry . Friends, My Oxford Year did exactly that. This book is basically a greatest-hits album of romance tropes I normally side-eye: • The charming British man who initially reads as a walking red flag 🚩😒 • The terminal illness trope (which I openly despise) • Poem quotes at the start of every chapter (I wish I were exaggerating) And still??? I loved it. Fully. Unashamedly. Ugly-cry-in-my-kitchen levels. 💔 ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS — PLEASE READ This book contains: • Terminal illness • Death • Death by suicide (discussed) • Grief & loss • Sexual content • Substance use Proceed with tissues and emotiona...

🔪 GUESS AGAIN: When a Thriller Actually Delivers (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️) Every once in a while, a book comes along that makes me sit back and think: “Wow. I did not see that coming. At all. And I am thrilled to be wrong.” GUESS AGAIN by Charlie Donlea is one of those rare, beautiful surprises. I went in with moderate expectations at best (thanks, Those Empty Eyes ), and this book didn’t just clear the bar — it pole-vaulted over it and kept running . This is what a psychological thriller is supposed to feel like. ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS (PLEASE READ) This book contains depictions of: Child abuse & child sexual abuse Sexual violence & rape Child death Kidnapping Graphic violence Death by suicide Pregnancy termination Substance use Illness & death Strong language 🚨 Proceed carefully. 🧠 Quick Setup (Minimal, I Promise) At the center of GUESS AGAIN is Ethan Hall , a former investigator for crimes against children who has since retired and become an ER physician. He’s brilliant, haunted,...

🦁 THE LIONESS: Glamour, Guns, and a Safari from Hell (⭐️⭐️⭐️) A luxury African safari. A newlywed Hollywood actress. A hand-picked group of famous friends. And — because this is a novel and not a brochure — multiple violent deaths, betrayals, and at least one extremely unfortunate leopard encounter . Chris Bohjalian’s THE LIONESS is an ambitious, blood-soaked historical thriller that looks like it should emotionally destroy me. Instead, I found myself admiring it from a distance… like a very well-written nature documentary where I somehow forgot to bond with the animals. ⚠️ Trigger Warnings (Seriously, Read This First) This book includes: Graphic violence & death Kidnapping Animal attacks & animal death Pregnancy loss Child abuse & physical abuse Racism & colonialist themes Sexual content Substance abuse & addiction Mental illness Suicide This is not a cozy safari. 🗺️ The Setup (Very Brief, I Promise) THE LIONESS is set in 1964 and follows Katie Barstow , a f...

THE CLINIC ⭐⭐✨ (2.5 out of 5 stars) Great premise. Missed execution. Luxury rehab, but make it boring. ⚠️ TRIGGER WARNINGS (Read Before Continuing) Addiction & substance abuse Drug withdrawal Death & suicide (on-page and referenced) Mental illness Physical abuse Child abuse & child sexual abuse (recalled memories) Sexual violence Graphic violence Medical abuse & unethical treatment Cursing 🚨 SPOILER WARNING 🚨 This review includes FULL spoilers , including the ending and major twists . If you don’t want to know who dies, who fakes their death, and who gets electrocuted with a cable… turn back now 😬⚡ 🧠 Quick Thoughts / Vibes Check This is one of those books that should have been incredible . A luxury rehab clinic? Addicts as unreliable narrators? A mysterious death? Sign me UP. Unfortunately… THE CLINIC just never gets there . Yes, the chapters are short (love that). Yes, the premise is solid. But the writing style isn’t immersive , the tension fizzles out, and by th...

Finlay Donovan Knocks ’Em Dead Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐✨ (4.5 Stars) | Chaos, Crime, and One Very Complicated Family Tree If you loved Finlay Donovan Is Killing It , good news: book two absolutely delivers. 🎉 Finlay Donovan Knocks ’Em Dead is just as funny, just as chaotic, and somehow even more unhinged. The humor is still doing the heavy lifting here—and honestly? I didn’t mind one bit. I laughed, I gasped, I got mildly confused about who was related to whom, and I still couldn’t put it down. 😂 ⚠️ Spoiler Warning This review contains FULL AND COMPLETE SPOILERS , including the ending. Read at your own risk. 🛑 🚨 Trigger / Content Warnings Murder Gun violence Dismembered corpse Organized crime Threats against children Arson 🕵️‍♀️ What Is Finlay Donovan Knocks ’Em Dead About? This is the second book in the Finlay Donovan Mysteries series by Elle Cosimano , and it picks up right after the events of book one. Finlay Donovan is a struggling mystery writer who keeps accidentally getting tangled u...

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ | ACOTAR Made a Romantasy Believer Out of Me I’ll admit it: this is one of those wildly popular books I somehow skipped for years. I’m not a big fantasy reader, and the whole romantasy thing? Never quite clicked. UNTIL NOW. Wow. ACOTAR didn’t just win me over—it fully converted me. When a book is so famous people casually refer to it by an acronym , you know it’s doing something right. 😏 ⚠️ Spoiler Warning This review contains FULL AND COMPLETE SPOILERS , including the ending. Proceed only if you’ve read ACOTAR or don’t mind knowing everything . 🧚‍♀️⚔️ 🚨 Trigger / Content Warnings Graphic violence Torture Sexual coercion Death Emotional abuse War themes 🌹 What Is A Court of Thorns and Roses About? A Court of Thorns and Roses (2015) by Sarah J. Maas is the first book in her iconic adult fantasy series. It’s a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast , infused with Celtic fae folklore , political intrigue, and slow-burn romance. The story...

ONE PLUS ONE by Jojo Moyes ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) Sometimes one plus one equals chaos… and then somehow equals everything. 💛🚗➕➕ This was my first Jojo Moyes novel , and yes—consider me officially converted. One Plus One completely surprised me with how unique , warm , and emotionally real it felt. This is very much a “when it rains, it absolutely pours” story—but written with heart, humor, and characters that feel so real it’s honestly unreal. ⚠️ Content / Trigger Warnings Bullying (including anti-gay harassment) Physical & emotional abuse Financial hardship & poverty Substance use (alcohol, marijuana) Illness & hospitalization Sexual content Violence (non-graphic) Homophobia 📖 What This Book Is About (Spoiler-Free Setup) Jess is a struggling single mom barely holding things together. Ed is a wealthy but disgraced tech millionaire hiding from his imploding life. When fate (and a very illegal Rolls-Royce) throws them together, they embark on a chaotic road trip to Scotland...

MADWOMAN by Chelsea Bieker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars) Survival over twists. Trauma over thrill. And a book I could not stop thinking about. ⚠️ SPOILER WARNING ⚠️ This review contains FULL PLOT DETAILS AND THE ENDING . Proceed only if you’re okay with knowing everything . 🚨 Trigger Warnings (Read Before Continuing) This book is heavy . Please take care. Spousal abuse Child abuse Graphic violence Sexual assault Emotional abuse Mental illness Addiction & substance use Suicidal ideation Death Gender-based violence Cursing 📖 Overview: What Is Madwoman About? With a Goodreads rating hovering around 3.7 , I honestly did not expect to love this book as much as I did — but here we are. 😌 Madwoman (2024) by Chelsea Bieker is a deeply unsettling psychological thriller / survival story centered on Clove , a woman who has spent her entire adult life carefully outrunning her past. That past comes crashing back when she receives a letter from her estranged mother — a woman serving a life sentence ...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ THE POWER BROKER — WHY DID I DO THIS TO MYSELF (AND WHY IT WAS WORTH IT) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐ Man… why did I even do this to myself. 😩📚 This book is LONG . Like, 1246-pages-long . The longest book I have ever read in my life. I picked it up fully aware of its reputation and still thought, Sure, how bad could it be? Reader, it was a COMMITMENT. And yet — here’s the annoying part — it’s really, really good . Robert Caro somehow writes a book with nearly 50 chapters about infrastructure, bureaucracy, and power… and makes almost all of it interesting. If you enjoy long biographies , political history , or books that explain how power actually works , this is honestly not a bad way to spend a ridiculous amount of reading time. ⚠️ Content & Trigger Warnings This book includes discussions of: Political corruption & abuse of power ⚖️ Racism & systemic discrimination Forced displacement of communities Urban destruction & slum clearance Classism Death (histo...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ SHOE DOG — JUST READ IT Rating: 5 out of 5 stars ⭐ This memoir is SOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOD . And no, that is not an exaggeration. 🏃‍♂️🔥 Yes, I knew Phil Knight was the Nike guy. Yes, I knew he was a runner. Yes, I knew Nike became huge. What I did not know was that Phil Knight is an incredible storyteller . Honestly? If he’d decided to be a writer instead of building a shoe empire, I think he would’ve been just as successful. This book is exciting. Every chapter. Every year. Every setback. Every wildly ballsy decision that somehow works out (or spectacularly doesn’t). It’s open, honest, funny, stressful, inspiring — and easily one of the best books I’ve ever read . ⚠️ Content & Trigger Warnings This memoir includes: Business stress & financial anxiety 💸 Legal disputes & lawsuits ⚖️ Death (including accidental death) Grief & loss High-pressure work culture 🚨 Spoiler Warning 🚨 This is a memoir, so… the spoiler is technically that Nike succeeds 😅 — but belo...

  ⭐⭐⭐⭐½ WHAT MOVES THE DEAD — A Delightfully Rotting Nightmare Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars ⭐ My oh my. What a book. 😳🪦 Going into WHAT MOVES THE DEAD , I was skeptical. I’d previously read A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher and… yeah, that one did not work for me. It was weird in a way that just didn’t click. But here’s the thing — this book is also weird as hell , and yet I loved it. Which really proves that I cannot, in fact, define why some books work for me and others absolutely do not. This novella is short, but it is dense — packed with atmosphere, dread, decay, and creeping unease. The eerie, claustrophobic Gothic horror vibes seep off the page, and I genuinely felt chills crawling up my spine more than once. And I don’t scare easily. 🫠 Also: fungus horror ? YES PLEASE. 🍄 ⚠️ Content & Trigger Warnings Read with care if you’re sensitive to: Death Suicide Body horror Fungal / parasitic infection Mental illness & isolation Graphic decay Animal harm 🕯️ Sp...

Love and Other Words Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5 Stars) When beautiful writing carries a weaker plot… but still makes you feel things. ⚠️ Content / Trigger Warnings Explicit sex scenes Brief discussions of drug addiction Reference to sexual assault Grief and parental death 🚨 Spoiler Warning This review includes a FULL plot summary and ending spoilers . Proceed with caution (and emotional preparedness). Why I Picked Up Love and Other Words Let’s get this out of the way first: I love Christina Lauren . Truly. Deeply. Devotedly. (And yes, I know Christina Lauren is the pen name for Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings —two brilliant humans.) That said… out of all the Christina Lauren books I’ve read, this storyline is one of the weaker ones for me. 😬 Still good? Absolutely. Flawless? Not quite. The Big Issue: Miscommunication, My Old Enemy If you and I are bookish friends, you already know this about me: I. Do. Not. Love. The miscommunication trope —especially when ...