Book Review: The Quit List by Katie Bailey

November 5, 2025November 2, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 346 pages
Author: Katie Bailey
Publisher: Eleventh Avenue Publishing
Release Date: April 5th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

He quit believing in love a long time ago. She won’t quit until she finds The One… and he’s everything she’s NOT looking for.

Holly Greene is on a mission to find her happily ever after. And her journey to love does not include a detour to Bad Boy Bartenderville, population Jax Grainger.

Jax may be witty, smart-mouthed, and handsome, but he’s the kind of guy who views love as a four-letter word… and the last thing Holly needs is to waste any more time.

She’s in her seeking Prince Charming era, not her playboy villain era.

But after he saves her from the world’s worst date, Holly sees an opportunity: Jax may not check any of the boxes on her list, but he’s the perfect person to help her find a man who does.

All she has to do is stick to the plan—and stay out of the sexy bartender’s arms.

Easy peasy lemon sque… Oops.

AM I A FAN NOW?

This just goes to show you that just because you didn’t like one of the author’s first books doesn’t mean that you won’t love future books. Because I can easily say I want to continue ready KB books and I’m happy with that.

The Quit List was clever and fun and filled with such great banter. I loved the dynamic between Jax and Holly. It was a really sweet slow burn and even with the plot pieces didn’t overwhelm the relationship that was building. All of the outdoor content was great and I was charmed by it all.

It’s also a great audiobook if you’re interest in that avenue!

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: heated kisses
Violence: low

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Monthly Reading Wrap-Up: October 2025

November 4, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

I had to amp up the reading to combat the fact that I had EIGHT arcs coming out on November 4th. But all is good, all has been read. Reviews will be out over the next few months!

Town of Shadows (Slanted London #1) by Jessica Scarlet
The Weaver Bride (The Weaver Bride #1) by Lydia Gregovic
[ARC] Marriage is Shore Thing (Wilks Beach #2) by Laura Langa
Throne in the Dark (Villains & Virtues #1) by A.K. Caggiano
Unending (The Unseelie Duology #2) by Ivelisse Housman
Our Beautiful Mess by B.K. Clark
The Mummy Snatcher Curse (The Wand Keepers #2) by Tiffany McDaniel
Grave Flowers by Autumn Krause
[ARC/ALC] Secret Haven (Sparrow Falls #6) by Catherine Cowles
Ghost Business (Boneyard Key #2) by Jen DeLuca
A Steeping of Blood (A Tempest of Tea Duology #2) by Hafsah Faizal
The Sound of Summer (The House on Harrison Blvd #1) by Meagan Williamson
[ALC] Red City (The New Alchemists #1) by Marie Lu
[ARC]The Demon and the Light (The Floating World #2) by Axie Oh
House of Dragons (Royal Houses #1) by K.A. Linde
[ARC/ALC] An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew
Summoned to the Wilds (Villains & Virtues #1) by A.K. Caggiano
Kill the Beast by Serra Swift
The Arrow and the Alder by Barbara Kloss
The Last Tiger by Julia Riew & Brad Riew
[ALC] The Heir (Crownhaven #1) by Sophia Travers
[ALC] Never Ever After (Never Ever After #1) by Sue Lynn Tan
Sonnets and Serpents (Casters & Crowns #2) by Elizabeth Lowham
[ARC] Against a Crescent Storm (The Balkan Legends #3) by A.L. Sowards
For No Mortal Creature by Kenshe Chow
[ALC] The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow
[ARC] The Prince of Mourning by Jenn Bennett
[ARC] The Maid of Sherwood Forest (A McQuivey’s Costume Shop Romance #2) by Sian Ann Bessey
Every Spiral of Fate (This Woven Kingdom #4) by Tahereh Mafi
[ALC] Fallen City (Fallen City Duology #1) by Adrienne Young
[ARC] Through Each Tomorrow (Timeless #6) by Gabrielle Meyer
A Land So Wide by Erin A. Craig
[Novella] A Very Merry Matchup by Becca Kinzer
[ARC/ALC] A Queen’s Match (A Queen’s Duet #2) by Katharine McGee
[ARC] Ship of Spells by H. Leighton Dickson
[Novella] Holly (Belladonna #3.5) by Adalyn Grace

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Book Review: Perfect Distraction by Allison Ashley

November 3, 2025November 2, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 254 pages
Author: Allison Ashley
Publisher: Entangled: Amara
Release Date: March 23rd, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Lauren Taylor isn’t thinking about love, especially not with the impossibly attractive man she accidentally spilled coffee all over. He’s out of her league and she’s focused on finishing her oncology pharmacy residency. She’s sworn off men who are too handsome for their own good, anyway.

Andrew Bishop can’t stop thinking about the gorgeous redhead who crashed into him and then disappeared, even though he should have way more on his mind – like dealing with his Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis and finishing out his last year in law school. When Andrew and Lauren run into each other at the cancer center where she’s working and he’s being treated, they try to keep it professional. They can be friends, and nothing more.

But sometimes life has other plans…

MY HEART.

This admittedly had much heavier subject matter than I like to pick up. And I didn’t read the summary which means I was a little blindsided, but that’s okay because this book took over my entire day.

I loved loved loved the swoon. Good heavens the quotable moments melted me. I loved the relationship between Lauren and Andrew. Gosh it was so sweet. I was obsessed with every interaction, every call, text and passing glance. The forbidden love characteristics were perfect and the way Andrew could NOT do anything but love Lauren was amazing.

The banter and tension are top tier and the audiobook was incredible. It’s fast paced and easy to love every moment. I could love on this book all day.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: low
Romance: fade to black
Violence: low
Content Warnings: cancer is the main theme throughout

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ALC Book Review: The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow

October 31, 2025October 27, 2025 GoodeyReads1 Comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Fantasy Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Alix E. Harrow
Publisher: Tor Books
Release Date: October 28th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From Alix E. Harrow, the New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, comes a moving and genre-defying quest about the lady-knight whose legend built a nation, and the cowardly historian sent back through time to make sure she plays her part–even if it breaks his heart.

Sir Una Everlasting was Dominion’s greatest the orphaned girl who became a knight, who died for queen and country. Her legend lives on in songs and stories, in children’s books and recruiting posters—but her life as it truly happened has been forgotten.

Centuries later, Owen Mallory—failed soldier, struggling scholar—falls in love with the tale of Una Everlasting. Her story takes him to war, to the archives—and then into the past itself. Una and Owen are tangled together in time, bound to retell the same story over and over again, no matter what it costs.

But that story always ends the same way. If they want to rewrite Una’s legend—if they want to tell a different story–they’ll have to rewrite history itself.

Thank you MacMillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

OH THIS WAS IMMACULATE.

I never know quite what I’m getting when I pick up a book from Alix E. Harrow. Her books have taken me on many journeys and I’m still throwing five stars at them. THEY ARE ALL SO GOOD.

This romantic story was full of tender longing, angst, a will they/won’t they, OH MY GOSH JUST LET THEM BE HAPPY, and finding peace all in one. I was glued to my headphones (incredible audiobook production). I love that you can’t pin down where things are going and then watching it all unfold becomes this magnificent fanciful tale of two people who love each other DEEPLY.

I was astonished at the depth of my own emotions as things progressed. It is nuanced and delicate and the interweaving of the plot lines was never confusing. The pacing was never at fault. I am shocked this was only 320 pages because I felt like I lived a few lifetimes [as a compliment] reading The Everlasting.

Overall audience notes: