Book Review: This Story Might Save Your Life by Tiffany Crum

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Rating: ★★★★.5
Audience: Mystery / Thriller
Length: 357 pages
Author: Tiffany Crum
Publisher: Flatiron
Release Date: March 10th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Benny Abbott and Joy Moore host one of the most beloved podcasts in the world. Each week, they delight listeners with a different “against all odds” survival story, gleefully finding the weird, life-affirming humor in near-death experiences. Since their first episode on Joy’s experience with severe narcolepsy, they’ve been the best friends everyone wants to befriend—and thanks to the meticulous management of Joy’s husband, Xander, they’ve built a lucrative empire.


The problem is, their next survival story may be their own. When Benny arrives at Joy and Xander’s one morning to record, he finds shattered glass and an empty house. The one clue shedding light on the couple’s disappearance is the incomplete, previously unseen first draft of Joy’s memoir. Benny will stop at nothing to find them, even as the police zero in on him as their prime suspect.


Millions of devoted listeners think they know the “real” Benny and Joy. But as the hours tick by, and the odds seem increasingly stacked against Joy and Xander being found alive, not even the most devoted fans could guess the terrible secrets their favorite famous BFFs have hidden from the world—and from each other.

READ THE AUDIOBOOK.

This is another one of those thrillers where I feel like the whole experience is even better listening to the audio production. I loved the narrators and the added touches to the podcast moments and phone calls, etc. that really brought everything together.

I loved the writing and how easy it was to fall into this story. I was swept from the get go and listened much faster than I anticipated. I’m a notorious picky reader about thrillers but this delivered. I thought the plot rolled out in an interesting way that kept enough back while leaving crumbs that make you want to know what happens next.

My tiny little thing was that part of the plot was evident from the get-go for me. Besides that I thought the connections and hidden pieces were shocking. I loved the complicated dynamics that formed and how all of the side characters being met influenced the timeline.

And I think the ending solidified how much I loved this book. It was a much more complete ending than I have typical found in the genre which brought that sense of peace at closing that I tend to lean towards. I’m absolutely looking forward to this author’s next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Thriller / Mystery
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: closed door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: domestic abuse, partner abuse, murder, physical altercations

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Book Review: Rose in Chains (The Evermore Trilogy #1) by Julie Soto

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 464 pages
Author: Julie Soto
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: July 8th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This beautiful DELUXE EDITION hardcover featuring gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled art is only available for a limited first print run and while supplies last. This is a stunning special edition you will want to add to your collection.

YOUR NEXT ROMANTASY OBSESSION!

The war is over, the dark forces have won, and the hero who was supposed to save them is dead.

Captured as her castle is overrun by the enemy, Briony Rosewood knows that the world as she knows it is changed forever. The dark forces of Bomard have won and her people, the Eversuns, face imminent servitude, imprisonment or death. Her brother, fated to be heir twice over and unite the warring kingdoms, is dead.

Stripped of her Mind Magic and her freedom, Briony and the other survivors are quickly auctioned off to the highest bidders in an auction – and as the heir-apparent’s sister, she fetches the highest price.

After a fierce bidding war, she’s sold to none other than Toven a high ranking Bomardsun – and her long-time and ill-fated infatuation. Scion of a family known for their cruel control of Heart Magic, the Hearsts are ruthlessly ambitious, and Briony knows they will use her however they can to further their own interests.

Yet despite the horrors of her new world and the role she must learn to play within it, all is not lost. Help – and hope – may yet arise in the most unlikely of places…

CURIOUS ENOUGH TO CONTINUE.

This wasn’t originally on my radar until a friend recommended I give it a go, and you know what? I liked it! It’s definitely a dark atmosphere but those little touches of hope woven in make me curious to see the overall plot arc over the course of the series.

And I appreciated the slow burn between Briony and Toven. It was an ACTUAL slow burn with this increasing tension that was only catered to by the flashback moments. As someone who doesn’t like flashback chapters I can say that these seemed to continually add to the plot and backstory and made for even better world building.

I think there’s a lot of depth to these characters and even though the plot was repetitive in the middle I had an easy time wanting to pick this back up.

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 1ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: mentions of non-consensual sex, sexual assault, selling humans, forced sterilization, on page deaths

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ARC Book Review: Here We Go Again (Georgia Jaguars Hockey #2) by Jenny Proctor

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Jenny Proctor
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: August 25th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He knows what it takes to make a comeback. She isn’t sure he deserves a second chance.

After a career-threatening injury, Georgia Jaguars defenseman Theo Williamson is fighting to prove he still has a future in hockey. The harder battle? Convincing Rebecca Bradley he deserves another chance at her heart.

After a career-threatening injury, Georgia Jaguars defenseman Theo Williamson is fighting to prove he still has a future in hockey. The harder battle? Convincing Becca Bradley he deserves another chance at her heart.

Eight years ago, when his father died, Theo shut Becca out instead of letting her help him through the hardest time of his life.

Becca rebuilt without him. She’s stronger now. More careful. And she definitely isn’t interested in letting him back into her life—no matter how sincere his apology sounds.

But when their meddling mothers trap them on a surprise vacation together, distance isn’t an option—and neither is ignoring the chemistry they never really lost.

Just when Becca starts to think Theo might be worth the risk, real life comes crashing in. Demanding schedules, hard days, and the uncertain shape of what a future together would even look like.

Soon, Theo realizes he isn’t just fighting to win Becca’s heart. He’s fighting to believe he deserves to keep it—before the same old doubts convince him to let her go.

Thank you to the author for an eARC.

SWEET BABY THEO.

Oh I’m down bad myself for Theo Williamson. I was hooked from this book from the beginning. This is how you do second chance romance!!

I loved seeing Theo and Becca reconnect. It is tension filled and yet soft and sweet. They both had many conversations that needed to be had and I liked that there was arguing and push and pull and getting down to the grittiness of how crappy life can be sometimes. The way that they learned to lean on each other again and the fact that this gave me that soul mate level kind of love!!!

There were also some beautifully handled conversations around first loves, grief, and pain. As someone who personally deals with chronic pain I found a lot of what Theo was going through to be highly relatable. And I also just adored Becca too. She’s independent, a good friend, and works hard. I love when romantic characters stand as well on their own as they do together.

I could fawn over a dozen scenes in here. And getting to see other teammates and future set ups!! There’s not one weak moment in this entire book. I am head over heels smitten with these two.

Overall audience notes:

  • Sports romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: kisses
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: loss of loves ones (recounted), sports injury

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ARC Book Review: Rebel Season (Hockey Boys of Loft 3B #3) by Katie Bailey and Leah Brunner

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Sports Romance
Length: 324 pages
Author: Katie Bailey & Leah Brunner
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: August 27th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He wants to prove he’s more than a pretty face with a trust fund…

NHL rookie Archibald Fisher is wealthy, handsome, and appears to live a charmed life without a care in the world.

But behind closed doors, Fisher’s pretentious family treats him like a liability. A problem to fix rather than a person. And when his granddad passes away, he’s given an ultimatum: Get married, or say goodbye to every penny of his inheritance.

His family thinks it’s a foolproof plan to control their rebellious youngest son…but they clearly don’t know him very well.

…She’s fighting to save everything she loves

Lila Chen practically grew up in San Francisco’s historic firehouse turned art collective. Her fellow artists are like family to her, especially since her mom passed away.

So when she discovers the firehouse is going to be destroyed by Fisher Group, Lila is desperate to save the only home she has left. But after multiple dead-end attempts, she’s running out of hope.

Until Archibald Fisher shows up with a proposal she can’t refuse…

Their marriage was meant to be on paper only, until real feelings creep in. But new love is fragile, and between Lila’s secrets and threats from the Fisher family, there might be no way to stop it from shattering…

(This is a new adult hockey romance with moderate language, frequent innuendo, and references to sex. Though the romance fades to black, there are themes of grief and emotional/verbal abuse. If you are sensitive to these subjects, please use this content warning to make an informed decision before reading this book.)

Thank you Leah Brunner for the eARC.

Y’ALL KNOW I LOVED THIS.

Marriage of convenience is my kryptonite and I am down bad. JUST LIKE FISHER. I was obsessed with this book from the get go and it did not let up on the swoon and banter and chemistry and all the things.

I loved the way Fisher and Lila met. I loved every single interaction. I loved them on their own. I just ate up all of the moments together. What really makes for my favorite romances are when I feel like every scene serves the romance. AND SERVE IT DID. And Fisher and Lila stood strongly on their own which only made me love their arcs too.

And of course I loved seeing the previous couples too. This mish-mashed found family and how well they take care of each other in endearing and HILARIOUS and New Girl coded in all the best ways.

There’s plenty of hockey content, a lot of good conversations about privilege and grief, beautiful paintings that I wish I could see in real life and more. It is so hard to pick a favorite from this series because I love them all but this might have squeaked out on top.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Sports romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: fade to black
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: loss of a parent (recounted but brought up throughout), toxic family relationships, emotional abuse

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