ARC/ALC Book Review: Falling Like Leaves (Bramble Falls #1) by Misty Wilson

September 2, 2025August 22, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Misty Wilson
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: September 2nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Gilmore Girls meets Jenny Han in this autumnal teen rom-com about a city girl stuck in a quaint small town who must confront her future and her old flame while the town prepares for an annual fall festival.

Ellis has a lot of expectations for her senior year, but moving from Manhattan to Bramble Falls, Connecticut is not one of them. Yet in the wake of her parents’ separation, that’s exactly where she and her mother are headed.

Bramble Falls might be charming, but it’s also full of distractions. Like local barista Cooper Barnett, Ellis’s one-time best friend—and first kiss—who has not only majorly glowed up but wants nothing to do with Ellis.

Then there’s the Falling Leaves Festival, a month-long tourist attraction run by Ellis’s aunt—celebrating everything autumn. The festival seems nice and all, but Ellis doesn’t have time to be roped into her aunt’s enthusiastic planning. Dragged to each event, she can’t stop bumping into Cooper, the one person she’s hoping to avoid.

But the longer she stays in Bramble Falls, the harder it is to pretend she’s not falling for this town and the people in it. As her return to Manhattan gets pushed further and further out, Ellis is forced to confront exactly what she wants for her future—and what that means for her present.

Thank you to Simon Teen for the gifted eARC and Simon Audio for the audiobook.

JUST RIGHT.

I haven’t read a young adult contemporary romance in a hot minute because I often feel like I’ve just aged out of enjoying these stories but then I get sucked in by a super cute cover that screams FALL and I had to read it. And I genuinely enjoyed it!!

I liked that this was a true YA book. The language was low and it stayed at kisses only. And as I mentioned earlier, there were so many fall things and I loved them all. The small town atmosphere surrounded by apple picking, horse carriages, pumpkins and more, set such a beautiful scene. I could not get enough.

The romance was great. Relatable and full of growth and learning after mistakes. Ellis has been sitting in a blind spot for so long it took her a bit to come to terms about the box she’d been sitting in. I appreciated her willingness to apologize and try to do better next time attitude. It gave Ellis a sense of realism that I think is what’s needed for a younger audience too. Cooper was just super cute too which made their interactions very endearing.

I would absolutely read another book from Misty Wilson.

Overall audience notes:

Young adult contemporary romance
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: none
Content warnings: parents who are separating (with infidelity as part of the reason)

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ARC Book Review: Soulmatch by Rebecca Danzenbaker

July 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: YA Dystopian Romance
Length: 496 pages
Author: Rebecca Danzenbaker
Publisher: Simon Teen
Release Date: July 29th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two-hundred years after World War III, the world is at peace, all thanks to the soul-identification system. Every 18-year-old must report to the government to learn about their past lives, a terrifying process known as kirling. Good souls leave the institute with their inheritance, a career path, and if they’re lucky, a soulmate. Bad souls leave in handcuffs.

It’s a nerve-wracking ordeal for Sivon, who, given her uncanny ability to win every chess match, already suspects her soul isn’t normal. Turns out, she was right to worry. Sivon’s results stun not only her, but the entire world, making her the object of public scrutiny and anonymous threats.

Saddled with an infuriating and off-limits bodyguard, Sivon is thrust into a high-stakes game where souls are pawns and rules don’t exist. As deaths mount, Sivon must decipher friend from foe while protecting her heart against impossible odds. One wrong move could destroy the future lives of everyone Sivon loves, and she can’t let that happen, even if they’ll never love her back.

Thank you Simon Audio for the audiobook and Simon Teen for the ARC (gifted).

IT WAS OKAY?

I don’t know quite what to do with this one. I think if young adult dystopian is your jam then you should definitely try this. That’s a genre I’ve always been mixed on so this was leaned towards a miss for me. It wasn’t all bad, just missed a few marks.

There were many hallmark moments of the nostalgic dystopian favorites throughout. Competition and power checks and a romance woven in too. The audiobook was solid and I do recommend that format as well. I liked the growth for Sivon and how she started to learn who she was and stand up for herself as the plot kept mounting with intensity.

I wish I had felt more entranced by this book, but I think I would try another by this author.

Overall audience notes:

YA Dystopian Romance
Language: mild
Romance: kisses
Violence: moderate
Content warnings: death, loss of loved ones, su!icide, grief

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Book Review: Stay with My Heart by Tashie Bhuiyan

May 2, 2025March 14, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Tashie Bhuiyan
Publisher: Inkyard Press
Release Date: January 2nd, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

From the author of Counting Down with You and A Show for Two comes a new YA contemporary about a girl who accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band and falls for the guitarist while secretly trying to make up for her mistake.

Liana Sarkar lives and breathes music, hoping to follow in the footsteps of her A&R coordinator father. Maybe if she succeeds, he’ll finally give her the time of day instead of drowning himself in work to distract from the grief of her mother’s passing.

When Liana accidentally sabotages an up-and-coming local band, Third Eye, she makes it her mission to steer them towards success—without them discovering her role in their setback. But as she gets closer to Third Eye, especially their enigmatic leader Skyler Moon, it becomes harder to hide the truth.

With both her heart and their futures on the line, will Liana be able to undo the damage she’s caused?

ENJOYABLY MESSY.

When I read YA contemporary I can get frustrated with decisions and the attempt at problem solving. But sometimes it comes off really well and just feels human. This had that quality. I felt for the main character battling depression, an absent father and a mistake she truly didn’t mean to make. I loved the positive therapy rep and acknowledging the need for help and having the support system around you to make it to the next day. I LOOOOVED this found family with the band. They had ups and downs and you could clearly see how they came together to make it to those final pages.

I loved all of the music content and lists of songs throughout the book. There’s an obvious theme of the power of music and the effects it can have in someone’s life. The quiet moments were sweet and I loved how the romantic relationship developed. This was a solid young adult contemporary I thoroughly enjoyed.

Overall audience notes:

YA Contemporary Romance
Language: low-moderate
Romance: kisses
Trigger/Content Warnings: absent father, mentions of loss of a parent, depictions of anxiety and depression

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ARC Book Review: Brielle and Bear (Once Upon a Time Vol. 1) by Salomey Doku

April 22, 2025November 18, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: YA Magical Realism Romance
Length: 178 pages
Author: Salomey Doku
Publisher: Harper Fire
Release Date: April 22nd, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A stunningly illustrated and brilliantly told love story perfect for teen readers – the first in an exquisite full-colour graphic novel series

(This ebook is optimised for Kindle tablets and the Kindle App. It is not suitable for e-Ink kindle devices, such as the PaperWhite. We recommend you download a sample to your device before purchase if in doubt.)

Fairytale Rule No. 1: All the best fairytales start with ‘Once upon a time . . .’

First-year student Brielle, a daydreamy book lover, knows everything there is to know about fairytales. Returning to the city of Rosebridge four years after moving away, she attends Once Upon a Time University, with the intention of living her fairytale dream. And when she meets Bear, shy vice-captain of the Princes rugby team, at the bookshop where she works, Brielle’s dream is off to a good start.

Determined to forget the past, and with an unexpected new relationship blossoming, Brielle feels she’s finally living the dream. That is, until she discovers that she’s not the only one hiding something .

Thank you Get Underlined for the gifted ARC.

SO STINKIN’ CUTE.

I did not have plans to read this 5 months before release but when I picked it up, I inhaled it (my ARC copy had black/white print but the final will have full color). I can’t wait to see the full color version because I loved the artwork and set-up for this story.

It’s light-hearted and made me smile multiple times. I loved the cute flirtations and deep talks. You can see the essence of Beauty and the Beast without being a copycat. I loved the introductions to all of the characters that I hope to see in future volumes. This is an easy read and an utter delight. I can’t wait for more!

Overall audience notes: