Book Review: Not Like Other Girls by Meredith Adamo

October 24, 2025October 28, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★☆
Audience: Mystery/Thriller
Length: 448 pages
Author: Meredith Adamo
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Release Date: April 30th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A girl risks everything to find her former best friend in this powerful debut mystery about trauma, girlhood, and what we deserve.

When Jo-Lynn Kirby’s former best friend—pretty, nice Maddie Price—comes to her claiming to be in trouble, Jo assumes it’s some kind of joke. After all, Jo has been an outcast ever since her nude photos were leaked—and since everyone decided she deserved it. There’s no way Maddie would actually come to her for help.

But then Maddie is gone.

Everyone is quick to write off Maddie as a runaway, but Jo can’t shake the feeling there’s more to the story. To find out the truth, Jo needs to get back in with the people who left her behind—and the only way back in is through Hudson Harper-Moore. An old fling of Jo’s with his own reasons for wanting to find Maddie, Hudson hatches a fake dating scheme to get Jo back into their clique. But being back on the inside means Jo must confront everything she’d rather forget: the boys who betrayed her, the whispers that she had it coming, and the secrets that tore her and Maddie apart. As Jo digs deeper into Maddie’s disappearance, she’s left to wonder who she’s really searching for: Maddie, or the girl she used to be.

Not Like Other Girls is a stunning debut that takes a hard look at how we treat young women and their trauma, through the lens of a missing girl and a girl trying to find herself again.

Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook.

WHAT A RIDE.

I honestly had no idea what I was getting when I picked this up. I didn’t read the synopsis and had seen a few friends love it so hey, why not? And it shocked me in so many ways. I feel a bit iffy on some of the writing/small plot moments but the big themes and story were incredibly hard hitting and made for an intense read.

This made me feel a range of emotions from the momma bear, I just want to hug this girl, to anger and devastation at how these situations occur and those who look the other way. Jo was hurting and struggling and I loved her story so much.

The pace was a little slow for me but I added that extra half star because I kept getting blindsided by the reveals towards the end. They were handled well and I was invested in needing to know how everything was going to come together.

Overall audience notes:

YA/NA Mystery with some romance
Language: moderate
Romance: vague open door/fade to black
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: rap3 (alluded to multiple times), assault, kidnapping

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Book Review: An Ocean Apart by Jill Tew

October 23, 2025October 18, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Dystopian Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Jill Tew
Publisher: Joy Revolution
Release Date: October 14th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

An electrifying dystopian novel packed with a tantalizing love triangle, gripping political intrigue, and a Bachelor-style competition from the critically acclaimed author of The Dividing Sky, Jill Tew.

Eden Lowell has plenty to be frustrated about. In the flooded Marshes of former Miami, each day is about survival. Even her feelings for her best friend Henry are more complicated than they should be. Luckily, Eden knows exactly who to blame: the Cruisers, corporate elite who sail the world on massive ships instead of facing the environmental crimes they’ve committed on land.

When Eden learns that a Cruiser family is hosting a dating competition for their heir, Theo Desjardins, she seizes an opportunity. Aided by a political agitator known as the Ringmaster, she’ll infiltrate the competition, break Theo’s heart, and then steal his money for the Marshes. A perfect plan…

Until she gets to know Theo, who’s not only handsome but surprisingly kind…

As Eden drifts deeper down into the Cruisers’ world, the line separating truth and lies becomes murky. Torn between two identities, two loves, and two futures, will she choose the mission, or her heart?

PROGRESSIVELY GOOD.

The second half of this book showed off the best. I found myself much more invested and intrigued by waiting to see how things were going to play out. I’m not generally a fan of dystopian novels but Jill Tew has written another great one that holds my attention with a unique idea and characters you want to root for.

This feels love triangle adjacent and worked well because it’s clear from the get-go how that line was going to progress. I thought the romance was sweet and had a lot of those quiet moments where they genuinely got to know each other better. And I love seeing characters show growth as they learn new things about the world around them.

What I didn’t like was the competition. This one was just too catty for me and I didn’t click with it as well.

Overall though I liked it and the audiobook was a great production. I will continue to look forward to the next release from this author.

Overall audience notes:

YA Dystopian Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: low

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ARC Book Review: The Demon and the Light (The Floating World #2) by Axie Oh

October 22, 2025October 12, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Fantasy Romance
Length: 400 pages
Author: Axie Oh
Publisher: Fierce Reads
Release Date: October 21st, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Final Fantasy meets Shadow and Bone in The Demon and the Light, the hotly anticipated follow-up to Axie Oh’s The Floating World.

The battle is over, but the war is just beginning…

With the help of her friends and allies, Ren managed to topple the General’s insurrection, but the Floating World and its territories are still under threat of attack from the rival Volmaran Empire. And far worse, she was powerless to save Sunho from being overcome by the monstrous power in his blood. Now he’s gone, transformed into a feral, deadly creature that doesn’t even recognize her anymore, and her heart aches for the sweet boy she’s grown to love.

But the escalating war will not pause for her grief. Seen by some as a heavenly savior and others merely a figurehead to be manipulated, Ren must use all her courage and cunning to survive the royal court’s game long enough to find Sunho and bring him home before he loses himself to the Demon forever.

Thank you to Colored Pages Book Tours and Fierce Reads for the gifted copy.

SOLID CONCLUSION.

Note, I eyeball read this on vs. audiobook (I did the audiobook for book one) and felt like eyeball reading was the better option this round. I was much more connected to the story and characters and enjoyed this conclusion.

Any who, this was a fast paced, well built fantasy that had me hoping for a HEA before the closing pages came into view. I enjoyed the multiple POV style (there were three) and the romances too. I adored Sunho and Ren. They were each other’s compliment and I thought they had many sweet moments together. I loved the way they loved.

Jaheil also showed a lot of growth and I fell in love with his POV (and little romance) too. Having his viewpoint helped balance out more sides of this world and political system. All of the emotions and growth and seeing everyone work together to solve the final trial was beautifully crafted. This found family was incredible.

I am a continual fan of Axie Oh’s books and I can’ wait for whatever is next!!

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy Romance
Language: low
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild

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Book Review: Fighting for You (Veterans of the Silver Ridge #4) by Claire Cain

October 22, 2025October 26, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 326 pages
Author: Claire Cain
Publisher: Self Published
Release Date: September 18th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

I’d always thought having a mortal enemy was for dramatic novels and movies, right up until my so-called friend Jude “Beast” Rawlins did the unthinkable and became just that—my enemy.

Five years later, we’ve both retired from the Army, and fate has landed us in a town too small to avoid each other. We steer clear when we can and butt heads when we can’t… until the day our jobs at Saint Security rope us into an assignment together posing as husband and wife.

Staying apart is impossible, and staying silent even more so. Everything inside me erupts, and I’m ready to finally put this beast of a man in his place for what he did.

Except, it turns out now I do the unthinkable and see Beast in a new way. In fact, I also get to know Jude, the man he is behind it all, the man I’d forbidden myself to ever notice. And I discover maybe this man never had to be my enemy.

What’s a woman to do when the one she’s always considered her enemy turns out to be just a man, one with a soft heart and an even softer touch? I’ve made so many mistakes in my past, I’m not sure I can trust myself, or Jude.

Can former enemies really have a chance at love?

MY FIRST CLAIRE CAIN BOOK!

And not my last. I enjoyed this quite a bit and I loved that this had veterans and a little bit of suspense and a good enemies to lovers romance to boot. I thought it all came together well and I loved the vibes of the whole book.

I adored Beast. I loved how soft and tender he was at his core. And I love an outpouring of the soul moments and the strength it took to do so. It was great getting lots of forced proximity and small town goodness is always my jam.

I haven’t read the previous books in this series and I don’t know if that hindered me a little bit. I was missing some context for the business Jude and Jess were involved in, but as things went a long I felt caught up enough to enjoy the story.

Overall audience notes: