Tag Archive for: Book of the Month

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My Friends

My FriendsTitle: My Friends
Author: Fredrik Backman
Genre: Contemporary
Format: Audio
Pages: 436
Length: 13h 7m
Narrator: Marin Ireland
Source: Owned
Reason: Book Club, Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I don’t know what it is about Fredrik Backman, but he has the ability to tell a story with so much feeling and depth without it being boring or seeming contrived. He writes characters, situations, and the feelings of both better than any other author I’ve read. I love his ability to tell his stories in parts.

MY FRIENDS was a beautiful story about growing up, found family, resilience, and finding the silver lining in really shitty circumstances. It deals with hard topics like bullying, immigration, abuse, sickness, and grief. Even though the story is sad, it’s interspersed with laughter and happiness, and ends with a feeling of hope. There are also a lot of farts (iykyk). This one kept me guessing until the end and I loved taking the journey with the characters.

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The Paradise Problem

The Paradise ProblemTitle: The Paradise Problem
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 340
Length: 11h 43m
Narrator: Patti Murin, Jon Root
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I enjoyed THE PARADISE PROBLEM a lot. I loved the banter and chemistry between Anna and Liam. I loved seeing their marriage of convenience turn into a real marriage.

I found myself laughing out loud and sniggering quite a bit while I listened to the audio. I loved the setting and wished I could be on the same island with them, minus the family drama of course. I loved the ending, especially the epilogue, and I loved that a certain narcissistic bastard got what he deserved.

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Dark Corners

Dark CornersTitle: Dark Corners
Author: Megan Goldin
Series: Rachel Krall #2
Genre: Thriller
Format: Audio
Pages: 341
Length: 10h 46m
Narrator: January LaVoy, and more
Source: Owned
Reason: BotM Backlist
Rating:

My Thoughts

I thought DARK CORNERS was very interesting. I liked the little bit of romance between Rachel and Special Agent Martinez.

DARK CORNERS definitely felt much more thriller-y than THE NIGHT SWIM. I thought the mystery and thriller were fun to figure out and kept me guessing about certain aspects until the end. I’ll definitely read another installment if there are any in the future.

Additional Narrators: Samantha Desz, André Santana

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First-Time Caller

First-Time CallerTitle: First-Time Caller
Author: B.K. Borison
Series: Heartstrings #1
Genre: Romance
Format: Audio
Pages: 437
Length: 11h 55m
Narrator: E.J. Bingham, Hathaway Lee
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

FIRST-TIME CALLER was such a cute Sleepless in Seattle type romance. I adored everything about it. I loved both Lucie and Aiden, and Lucie’s make-shift family. I loved the banter, the spice, and even the parts where I cried. I’m so glad I chose this as my February Book of the Month pick.

I listened to the audiobook, even though I have the physical book. I loved the audio! E.J. Bingham, who voices Aiden, sounds so much like Neil Patrick Harris.

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Phantasma

PhantasmaTitle: Phantasma
Author: Kaylie Smith
Series: Wicked Games #1
Genre: Romantasy
Format: Audio, Hard Cover
Pages: 497
Length: 13h 14m
Narrator: Laura Horowitz
Source: Owned
Reason: Book of the Month
Rating:

My Thoughts

I absolutely adored PHANTASMA. It read as a dark gothic romantasy. Yum! I thought the levels of Phantasma were a creative nod to Dante’s Inferno and the nine circles of Hell.

I loved the characters, especially Blackwell and Poe (even though Poe’s just a cat). I thought Smith’s depiction of Ophelia’s struggle with OCD was very realistic and enlightening of how true OCD affects its victims.

While some of the spicier scenes made me roll my eyes, I really adored the banter and tension between Ophelia and Blackwell. (I’m sorry but no guy’s penis is so big around that a 5’9” woman can’t grab it without encircling it completely. Well, unless she has such small hands that that’s all people would notice about her.)

Anyway, I’m definitely looking forward to the next installment.