ALC Book Review: In Time with You by Kristin Dwyer

March 8, 2026March 3, 2026 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kristin Dwyer
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: March 3rd, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A gripping speculative romance about one girl saving her first love’s life by falling for the last person she ever should – his best friend.

Nieve Monroe is devastated after her boyfriend Carter dies saving her from drowning. Even worse she blames herself for his death… and so does his best friend, Max. He was there with them on that fateful day, and he’s never liked Nieve.

Unable to pull herself from her grief and wanting to hide from the accusation in his eyes, Nieve goes to stay with her grandmother, who has always had strange stories to tell of uncanny happenings, of magic and make believe. The next morning, Nieve wakes up on the first day of college, the year before.

This time she plans to make sure Carter never follows her into that river. She’ll do everything in her power to keep him safe, even if it means losing him in other ways. But the more distance she puts between her and Carter, the closer she gets to Max, drawn to him in ways she never expected.

But is she betraying Carter if the only way she can save him is to move on? And can she ever forget her past to embrace her future?

Kristin Dwyer’s In Time With You is a heartbreaking story of first love, loss, and one chance to change everything.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

YEAH I HAVE THOUGHTS.

What did work for me was the general idea of the plot. I’m not really a magical realism fan but the idea of how this operated? It was fine. And I liked the directional shift of the romance.

Now moving on to the struggles.

I’m not sure the time slip worked on audiobook. I’m sitting here writing this wondering if I got the present vs. past vs. other timelines in the correct order because there’s no delineation on the audio. And switches were happening with chapters. I’m wondering if this is easier to follow on an ebook/physical book format?

And for the romance. This book was heavy with grief and anger and trying to change fate vibes. And while valid and necessary for the story, it also overwhelmed it too. SO much of the book was focused on Nieve looking back, trying to fix things, being angry or upset about different situations that I hardly felt the hope that showed up right at the end.

I also thought the scape goat for the final moments seemed tossed in? Like how can I make this work, oh, I’ll just do this, and it didn’t work.

Unfortunately this is my least favorite of KD books but I still plan to read what she writes next.

Overall audience notes:

Magical realism romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 2ish open door
Violence: mild
Content warnings: loss of a loved one, grief depiciton

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Book Review: A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

January 23, 2026January 15, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Magical Realism Mystery
Length: 275 pages
Author: Adrienne Young
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Release Date: January 7th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A woman investigates her brother’s mysterious death while coming to terms with her own haunting past in this atmospheric novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Unmaking of June Farrow

The only thing James and Johnny Golden have ever had is each other. For as long as she can remember, James’s deep connection with her twin brother, Johnny, has gone beyond intuition—she can feel what he feels. So, when Johnny is killed in a tragic accident, James knows before her phone even rings that her brother is gone and that she’s alone—truly alone—for the first time in her life.

When James arrives in the rural town of Hawthorne, California to settle her brother’s affairs, she’s forced to rehash the ominous past she and Johnny shared and finally face Micah, the only person who knows about it. He’s also the only man she’s ever loved.

But James soon discovers that the strange connection she had with Johnny isn’t quite gone, and the more she immerses herself into his world, the more questions she has about the brother she thought she knew. Johnny was keeping secrets, and he’s not the only one. What she uncovers will push her to unravel what happened in the days before Johnny’s death, but in the end, she’ll have to decide which truths should come to light, and which should stay buried forever.

I WAS BORED.

I miss the YA fantasy days of Adrienne Young. There’s nothing wrong with trying out new genres and whatnot, but I am just not connecting as well with these adult mysteries as I was with her fantasy books.

And also, THIS IS NOT A FANTASY BOOK. I don’t know why it’s getting tagged as such but at most this is a mystery with a touch of magical realism. That is it. And while some of the aspects were intriguing and the mystery was somewhat engaging, I just never got INTO the book.

I loved the audiobook narrator and it is a short read so time wasn’t totally wasted. The atmosphere is good and haunting too which fits well. I can’t decide if I will keep reading these though.

Overall audience notes:

Magical realism mystery
Language: mild
Romance: closed door
Violence: moderate
Content Warnings: gun violence, murder, loss of life, loss of a loved one

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Book Review: The Backtrack by Erin La Rosa

August 15, 2025July 19, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Length: 304 pages
Author: Erin La Rosa
Publisher: Canary Street Press
Release Date: July 16th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Life, rewound …

Nearly twenty years ago, Sam Leto left her small hometown of Tybee Island, Georgia, to pursue her dreams of becoming a pilot. While she’d prefer to keep flying away from her painful childhood memories, her beloved grandmother Pearl decides it’s time to sell the family home. Reluctantly, Sam is summoned back to pack up the house.

The 2000s nostalgia from Sam’s old bedroom hits Fall Out Boy posters, drawers of roll-on body glitter and even her favorite CD player with a mixtape from her best friend, Damon Rocha. Damon was always a safe place and Sam often wonders what if her teenage self admitted her feelings for him back then…

Mysteriously, the CD player still works all these years later. And somehow it has the power to show Sam an alternate version of her life.

Song by song, Sam receives flashbacks from her past—senior prom, graduation, leaving home. But the memories aren’t as she remembers them; they show what could have been. Suddenly, Sam knows exactly what would have happened if she’d taken a chance with Damon—and she can’t help feeling she made a terrible mistake leaving Tybee all those years ago.

I TRIED.

I really wanted to enjoy this one, but it felt very lackluster in the romance department. I thought the idea was clever and wasn’t bugged by the magical realism aspects (like I am known to be at times). I loved the nostalgic vibes this gave me and how seeing the flashbacks of what could have been didn’t show a “better” path, just a different one. I loved that message and theme throughout.

The romance was missing something. I didn’t feel that swoon and chemistry between Sam and Damon. They had this chance for reconnection, and did take it and I thought that would create some more heat.

The audiobook production was good and I liked that it was a quick listen. I also enjoyed that this was less spicy than the author’s previous books (personal preference). But I do find myself on the fence now about reading whatever’s next. I’m starting to have more misses than hits.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance + Magical Realism
Language: moderate
Romance: 1 open door
Content Warnings: brief mention of miscarriage, depression, parental abandonment

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ARC Book Review: The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater

June 1, 2025May 29, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Fiction
Length: 400 pages
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Viking
Release Date: June 3rd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel—and a world—in peril.

January 1942. The Avallon Hotel & Spa has always offered elegant luxury in the wilds of West Virginia, its mountain sweetwater washing away all of high society’s troubles.

Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.

Meanwhile FBI Agent Tucker Minnick, whose coal tattoo hints at an Appalachian past, presses his ears to the hotel’s walls, listening for the diplomats’ secrets. He has one of his own, which is how he knows that June’s balancing act can have dangerous consequences: the sweetwater beneath the hotel can threaten as well as heal.

June has never met a guest she couldn’t delight, but the diplomats are different. Without firing a single shot, they have brought the war directly to her. As clashing loyalties crack the Avallon’s polished veneer, June must calculate the true cost of luxury.

Thank you to Viking for the gifted ARC.

WHERE WAS THE PLOT?

Oh y’all, this book tested my will to live. I have a very hard time DNFing ARC’s because I feel obligated to get it done (and I secretly think, maybe the next chapter will be better!!). I have read and enjoyed multiple books for MS and was looking forward to her adult debut. ALAS, what in the world was this???

The general concept of following a hotel overrun by FBI agents during WWII is interesting. It did make me feel curious to know about more hotels and situations that happened in this time period.

BUT. This book lacked any sort of direction or true story line. And I think there’s supposed to be some kind of magical realism component? It was so faint that I hesitate to call it that. AND, the romance takes up approximately 3% of the book so please don’t pick it up thinking it’s even a sub-plot. I almost would have rather just taken that piece all of the way out.

At around 80% or so things picked up marginally but at that point I had checked out.

Overall audience notes: