Tag: audiobook

Book Review: Mate (Bride #2) by Ali Hazelwood

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Paranormal Romance
Length: 457 pages
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: October 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…

WELL.

Uh, Bride > Mate.

Honestly, I could leave the review at that sentence but I’ll continue a bit.

I DID LIKE THIS. It just didn’t have the same punch that Bride did and I will die on that hill. I love the fated mates trope and this worked for many scenes. But others? I kind of cringed a bit. The hyper focus on Serena and being in heat was not it. I’m sorry y’all. It was practically the only thing anyone could talk about ever and I just needed something more to the plot. Toss in a cult? Sure? I guess?

I loved seeing more of the friendship between Serena and Misery. They have a genuine friendship I can’t get enough of. And like I said, there were some great scenes between Serena and Koen. I just think the bones of the plot needed a different dynamic.

Overall audience notes:

  • Paranormal Romance
  • Language: strong
  • Romance: 5+ open door
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: loss of life, loss of loved ones, a cult, kidnapping

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Book Review: Heir of Illusion (Verran Isles #1) by Madeline Taylor

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Romantasy
Length: 458 pages
Author: Madeline Taylor
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: March 31st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An alliance between enemies. A weapon of untold power. And a bond that could rewrite fate.

Fall into the viral, propulsive dark romantasy everyone is reading. A fae assassin with the power of illusion, sworn to a king she despises. An enigmatic grim reaper, searching for freedom. Enemies collide in an unlikely alliance, brimming with desire and destruction.

She is not the pet they tamed.

Blessed with the power of illusion, Iverson Pomeroy has many tricks up her sleeve. However, none of them are a match for the enchanted collar at her throat that keeps her bound as assassin and mistress to a ruthless king. Forced to play the role of his obedient pet, she plots in secret to destroy him and claim the freedom she has always been denied.

She is the beast they let inside.

When a mysterious reaper, Thorne, arrives in the city with his sights set on the same weapon Ivy needs—the only artifact that can remove her collar—she must decide how far she’s willing to go.

And she will show no mercy.

With a tenuous alliance tying them together, Ivy learns there is more to her reluctant companion than meets the eye… He sparks her curiosity and ignites dangerous desires within her. But will the secrets they harbor destroy each other? And does it even matter, when anyone who so much as touches Thorne dies?

GREAT START.

I had a lot of fun with this one. I was confused for a bit on what was happening and I do think the world building stayed murky throughout. Not enough to deter me from picking up book two though.

I loved the audiobook. It’s duet narration which really made this cat and mouse game between the leads play off well. I liked the banter and heat. There’s a forbidden nature to it that I fell in love with and I’m excited to see how the romance continues.

It was very easy to pick and continue. I liked seeing some less common romantasy themes next to the usual suspects. It kept things interesting and brought out that yearning that I love so dearly. Also, y’all know I love a wild ending which this delivered!!

Overall audience notes:

  • Fantasy romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: 2-3ish open door
  • Violence: high
  • Content warnings: mentions of self harm, intense near death experiences, loss of life, attempted sexual assault, unwanted touching, emotional and physical abuse

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ALC Book Review: Unapologetic Love Story by Elle McNicoll

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Rating: ★★★.75
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Elle McNicoll
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: October 13th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

The dazzling debut new adult romance novel from bestselling author, Elle McNicoll. For fans of Emily Henry’s Book Lovers, this is big-hearted and full of bite!

An unapologetic celebration of love, relationships, and the women who have historically been shut out of such stories, until now . . . Elle McNicoll is about to become everyone’s favorite new name in new adult romance.

Enter Raina Lewis, London’s hottest It Girl – effortlessly cool, endlessly intriguing, and beloved for her smash-hit podcast spotlighting autistic women. But not everyone’s convinced by the hype. Investigative journalist and ‘King of Cancel Culture’, Tom Branimir is sure there’s more to Raina than meets the eye. He’s determined to uncover her secret. That is… if he can just manage not to fall for her first.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

GREW ON ME.

I loved the way this story was approached. There were a lot of important themes and topics touched about for neurodiverse women. And I liked that at the forefront of the plot. The writing is good and I would be interested to read future books from this author. I also thought the audiobook narrator did a great job but I do wish there had been a separate narrator for Tom’s occasional POV’s. While I can’t speak to every thing in here there were moments where I was like YES THAT’S HOW IT FEELS and I love when a book does that. Raina was a great FMC.

As someone who is kind of tired by everyone having a podcast I didn’t love the continual conversations with podcasts, media, socials, etc. The amount of podcast content that comes across my feed already is plenty. But if you like these things, totally go for it. I think it will hit the spot.

I definitely needed a slower burn. 50%? Nah. I don’t feel like Raina and Tom actually had enough conversations and moments together to start adding spice. He’s very infatuated from the get go which felt insta-love adjacent? Though like I mentioned, it did grow on me. I did not like the third act whatsoever. The usual. BUT I did like the groveling from Tom and the grand gesture worked for me. That at least felt genuine to the plot in place.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary romance
  • Language: moderate-high
  • Romance: 3ish+ open door
  • Content warnings: ableism, misogyny, bullying, body shaming, eating disorder, toxic friendships

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Book Review: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins

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Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Non-fiction
Length: 311 pages
Author: Mel Robbins
Publisher: Hay House LLC
Release Date: December 24th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overwhelmed, or frustrated with where you are, the problem isn’t you. The problem is the power you give to other people. Two simple words—Let Them—will set you free. Free from the opinions, drama, and judgments of others. Free from the exhausting cycle of trying to manage everything and everyone around you. The Let Them Theory puts the power to create a life you love back in your hands—and this book will show you exactly how to do it.

In her latest groundbreaking book, The Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins—New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s most respected experts on motivation, confidence, and mindset—teaches you how to stop wasting energy on what you can’t control and start focusing on what truly YOU. Your happiness. Your goals. Your life.

Using the same no-nonsense, science-backed approach that’s made The Mel Robbins Podcast a global sensation, Robbins explains why The Let Them Theory is already loved by millions and how you can apply it in eight key areas of your life to make the biggest impact. Within a few pages, you’ll realize how much energy and time you’ve been wasting trying to control the wrong things—at work, in relationships, and in pursuing your goals—and how this is keeping you from the happiness and success you deserve.

Written as an easy-to-understand guide, Robbins shares relatable stories from her own life, highlights key takeaways, relevant research and introduces you to world-renowned experts in psychology, neuroscience, relationships, happiness, and ancient wisdom who champion The Let Them Theory every step of the way.

Learn how

Stop wasting energy on things you can’t control. Stop comparing yourself to other people. Break free from fear and self-doubt. Release the grip of people’s expectations. Build the best friendships of your life. Create the love you deserve. Pursue what truly matters to you with confidence. Build resilience against everyday stressors and distractions. Define your own path to success, joy, and fulfillment. . . and so much more.

The Let Them Theory will forever change the way you think about relationships, control, and personal power. Whether you want to advance your career, motivate others to change, take creative risks, find deeper connections, build better habits, start a new chapter, or simply create more happiness in your life and relationships, this book gives you the mindset and tools to unlock your full potential.

I ACTUALLY LIKED THIS A LOT.

I’m someone who doesn’t love self-help books because they rarely come off genuinely helpful. But it’s been years since I’ve read one and after I suggested my husband pick this up, I said I’d read it too, and I’m glad I did!

I think this truly had many sentiments that are applicable and realistic. I appreciated that this never made me feel like I was already failing. The stories are relatable and the science and research was laid out in an easy to understand format. There were multiple chapters that I felt like I could use the let them, let me reminder and have already used it in my life.

If you want help in feeling some peace and to stop letting everything around you dictate how you feel, I say it’s worth the read. I liked the audiobook (read by the author) but physical would have been nice to mark some passages.

Overall audience notes:

  • Non-fiction / self-help
  • Language: low

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