Category: Book Review

Book Review: Better Luck Next Time by Cara Bastone

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 4.5 hour audiobook
Author: Cara Bastone
Publisher: Audible Originals
Release Date: May 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two frenemies find a surprising second chance in this timeslip rom-com, starring Mae Whitman ( Parenthood ), Colin Woodell ( The Flight Attendant ), and a full cast.

Mona and Duncan used to be best friends. Now they can’t stand each other. Too bad that’s not a good enough excuse to miss their two families’ annual trip to the cabin. But things get really complicated when they accidentally drive through a wormhole together on the way. Look what playing nice and carpooling gets you.

Now they’re stranded indoors by an epic storm and stuck in an alternate timeline where things are just slightly … off. Duncan and his dad aren’t speaking for reasons no one knows, Mona’s mom doesn’t like her hair or her career choices, and their siblings are meddlesome as ever.

Oh, yeah, and apparently they’re going through a divorce. Which means that in this universe they are married. To each other.

All they can really do is play along until they figure out how to get back to the real timeline. How hard can it be—they already hate each other, don’t they? But figuring out how exactly Mona and Duncan managed to fall epically in love with one another—and then break each other’s hearts—is easier said than done. Navigating all these big feelings is leading to new ones, but are they destined to hurt each other in any universe? And what happens to this new relationship when they’re back to their old lives?

YEAH, NO.

This was one of those short romances where I am convinced that there is no way the couple made it past the epilogue. You can not make me think otherwise.

The magical realism/sci-fi-ish element didn’t bug me. It’s a quirk to the story that was fine. I thought that helped both of the leads have some growth and acknowledgement of feelings. There were some banter moments that were cute.

But, the love scenes were super cringey and I honestly thought that Mona and Duncan hated each other. And not in the cute enemies to lovers way. Unfortunately not my favorite Bastone book.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance / Magical realism
  • Language: low
  • Romance: vague open door
  • Violence: low

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Book Review: The Dungeon Anarchist’s Cook (Dungeon Crawler Carl #3) by Matt Dinniman

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Dystopian/Sci-Fi
Length: 532 pages
Author: Matt Dinniman
Publisher: Ace
Release Date: October 22nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Welcome to the Gun Show!

The top ten list is populated. The sponsorship program is open. The difficulty is ramping up. The first three floors were nothing compared to what Carl and Donut now face.

The Iron Tangle. An impossibly-complicated subway system built out of the world’s subterranean railway systems, all combined and then tied together into a knot. Up is down. Down is up. Close is far. The cars are filled with monsters, the railway stations are less than safe, and the exit is always just a few stops away.

But there is hope. For the first time, the crawlers are all working together. The loot is better than ever. And the secret to unraveling it all may be hidden in the pages of a seemingly-useless book. Welcome, crawlers. Welcome to the fourth floor of the dungeon.

THIS COOKED.

Am I cool now? Did I use that right?

Anyways. I finally swung back around to reading the next book in this series and very much enjoyed the journey! I loved the train level dynamic and the chaos that ensued. And I am obsessed with the audiobook narrator who does such an incredible job on all of these voices and bringing this story to life. It is such an easy book to pick up and continue and feel invested.

I liked that this added a relationship to Carl that wasn’t Donut. NO, it is not romantic (and that’s totally fine, I’m not expecting one), but it was nice to get some more relations to their motley crew and see those bonds develop. I hope to see more of them and how they fit into the larger plot. I’m heavily attached to this quirky found family.

Great read, I liked the continuation of the plot and I’m looking forward to the next book!

Overall audience notes:

  • Dystopian/Sci-fi
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: none
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Fallen & the Kiss of Dusk (Crowns of Nyaxia #4) by Carissa Broadbent

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 557 pages
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Publisher: Bramble
Release Date: August 5th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Mische made the ultimate sacrifice to save those she loves – and plunged the world into an eternal night. Now, imprisoned by the gods and obsessed with revenge, Asar is desperate to find her again.

When a goddess offers them a final path to redemption – and back to each other – Asar and Mische embark on an extraordinary mission. Together, they must seize the power of the god of death so Asar may do the ascend to true divinity.

Their journey will take them through mortal and immortal realms, alongside both old friends and ruthless enemies. But as the underworld teeters on the brink of collapse and the gods prepare for a war, Asar and Mische must decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the power to defy death. In a game of vengeful gods and ancient betrayals, there are some debts that even love may not be able to repay.

AUDIOBOOK IS KEY.

I LOVE the first two books in this series, big fan, reread them, loved them. I struggled with book three and didn’t feel compelled to get to book four IMMEDIATELY.

And then I decided to go with the audiobook and let me tell y’all, that’s the way to go. The narrators executed that beautifully and I found it much easier to pick and listen to rather than trying to read my physical copy.

I ended up liking this journey a lot. I do think it gets a bit scattered and dragged out but overall, there’s many good things here. I love the dynamic between Asar and Mische. The brightest of sunshine vs. the grumpiest of grumps. Filled with banter and tension, and the foreboding sense of wondering who will make it out alive and if that HEA will ever come.

I am looking forward to the next duet though!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 4ish open door
  • Violence: high

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Book Review: The Romance Revival by Christina Lauren

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Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance/Sci-Fi
Length: 352 pages
Author: Christina Lauren
Publisher: Simon Audio
Release Date: July 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory—and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

Three years ago, Emery Finch did something completely out of character: She got married. To Luca—the impossibly charming landscaper she met on one blistering night in Vegas who made her laugh, made her dance, made her feel.

But now, Emery is consumed by her top-secret job, missing dinners, forgetting anniversaries, and promising herself Luca will understand once her cutting-edge research comes to light. Until the unthinkable happens: A tragic accident takes Luca from her.

Desperate not to lose him, Emery breaks every rule to bring him back. And Luca would probably thank her for it, if only he could remember her. Their first kiss, their Sunny Sundays at the beach, the life they built together…all of it is gone.

It may be a miracle of science, but for Emery it’s her one shot at a second chance. And this time, she won’t waste it—because true love is always worth reviving.

Thank you to Simon Audio for the gifted audiobook.

WHAT IN THE SCI-FI?

I think I would have liked this book so much better if the COVER MATCHED ANYTHING ABOUT THIS STORY. At least the title had some nods to it. I didn’t read the summary, because I usually don’t, and man, was I thrown for a loop in the first few chapters.

This felt like a loose sci-fi romance more than anything. With some stretched scientific concepts and an amnesia plot to rule the story. There was even a secret villain and a whole villain monologue to go along with it. I just don’t understand why marketing went this way??

I wanted to like this. I tried. But the whole time I was too focused on the revival plot and the romance started to get lusty rather than actually working out their problems. That eventually came, but further down the line. I did like the communication when it happened and it was an interesting take on the *second chance* concept.

🎧: I did love the audiobook! Duel narrators. Great read. An easy listen and I would recommend that format.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: multiple open door
  • Violence: moderate+
  • Content warnings: near death experiences, being hit by a car, gun violence, kidnapping

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