Welcome Home, Caroline Kline Review


9780593715413Summary (from the publisher): In New York City, newly single Caroline Kline is stumbling her way through the recent implosion of her life. After a surprise breakup leaves her with no job, no apartment, and no backup plan, she’s unsure what to do next. That is, until her father, Leo, injures himself in a bad fall and asks her to move home to the Jersey Shore suburb she was always desperate to escape. But Leo doesn’t want his daughter to be his caretaker; he needs her to replace him as third baseman in his local men’s softball league. This isn’t just any season, he claims. This is the year they have a real shot at the World Series, the pride and joy of Glen Brook, New Jersey.

Caroline agrees to move home, concerned that Leo is hiding a more serious health condition than he’s willing to admit. As the first female player in a league full of old-school men, she’s up against more than a few challenges. And when a night gone wrong lands her in the path of her hometown crush—and first love—Caroline struggles to reconcile the life she thought she’d have with the life she might actually want.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Courtney Preiss’s debut novel, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline, instantly caught my attention because it not only takes place in my home state, New Jersey, but also the area of the shore I’m from! Between the setting and synopsis, I knew I was in for a treat with this book following a woman whose’s forced to return to her hometown & gets a fresh start in return. 

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline follows Caroline Kline, who quit her job to move across the country with her boyfriend…only for her boyfriend to break-up with her right before the move. Between these two losses, Caroline is already down when her stepmother calls her to come home after her father injures himself and needs help at home. The most important part of this role, at least according to her father? Caroline needs to take his place in his beloved men’s softball league. 

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January – March 2024 Favorites

I typically have a slower start to the year when it comes to discovering some of my favorite books of the year, but there were so many new releases over the past three months and some backlist titles I loved!! Between January and March, I read 34 books and 7 novellas.

If I had to choose, House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas is its own kind of top fave because any SJM is an automatic 5/5, but I think Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey is my absolute fave.

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March 2024 Wrap Up

March was a good reading month, not just because I read 11 books and 1 novella, but because I read one of my favorite romance books of the year AND got totally captured by a very popular romance author’s series.

March Reads

My reading was overtaken by Ana Huang in March, between finishing up the Twisted series with Twisted Games, Twisted Hate, & Twisted Lies. I then transitioned to what’s been published of the spinoff series, Kings of Sins, so far (imagine my HAPPINESS when I found out that there’s going to be seven total Kings of Sins books) with King of Wrath, King of Pride, and King of Greed. I feel like what I went through with Ana Huang this book, i.e. the chokehold her books had on me, is what people similarly go through with Colleen Hoover’s books. I knew the exact set-up of each book (wealthy, morally grey male MC falls in love with their opposite female MC), but I cannot get enough. I overall had very similar feelings with each book, but Twisted Games and King of Wrath are my faves. I’m so happy that the next King of Sins book, King of Sloth, is coming out on April 30th, AND that Ana Huang has a new sports romance series coming out in the fall.

The BEST book that I read in March was Kennedy Ryan’s latest Skyland installment, This Could Be Us. This was such a well-written romance book, and had such a good balance of the romance with family and friendship amidst its drama. I read Color Me In for a grad class I’m taking right now for a free choice reading review, Ready Or Not is definitely worth checking out, and I felt medium on my other three reads this month. I knew going into reading Royal Valentine that the last Impossible Meet Cute novella had gotten mixed reviews, and I definitely agree with the side that said this one was a miss. I read Anita de Monte Laughs Last because it was the Bad on Paper Podcast Book Club pick for March and it was a miss for me because I had a lot of trouble getting into each of the perspectives and the writing style overall. I liked The Breakup Tour, but it’s not the most memorable read for me.

What did you read in March? Have you read any of the books that I shared? Share in the comments!

February 2024 Wrap Up

February was SUCH a fantastic reading month! February wasn’t the most calmest of months IRL, so my top go-to comfort was reading as always. 

February Reads

I read 11 books and 1 novella from the Improbable Meet Cute series in February. My FAVORITES of the month were Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas, and Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey. I also REALLY enjoyed Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino and Canadian Boyfriend by Jenny Holiday.  

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey Fangirl Down might be my favorite sports romance ever! This one follows the fangirl of a professional golf player who’s at a low point in his career and circumstances lead her into becoming his caddy. I’m totally ready to eat up Tessa Bailey’s backlist now. My Rating: 5/5 Stars

House of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3)by Sarah J. Maas – We all know basically any Sarah J.Maas book is a guaranteed five stars for me. I loved the way this story ends (& leaves room for more). My Rating: 5/5 Stars

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Bride by Ali Hazelwood Review


71IK1aka8GL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_Summary (from the publisher): A dangerous alliance between a Vampyre bride and an Alpha Werewolf becomes a love deep enough to sink your teeth into in this new paranormal romance.

Misery Lark, the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest, is an outcast—again. Her days of living in anonymity among the Humans are over: she has been called upon to uphold a historic peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their mortal enemies, the Weres, and she sees little choice but to surrender herself in the exchange—again…

Weres are ruthless and unpredictable, and their Alpha, Lowe Moreland, is no exception. He rules his pack with absolute authority, but not without justice. And, unlike the Vampyre Council, not without feeling. It’s clear from the way he tracks Misery’s every movement that he doesn’t trust her. If only he knew how right he was….

Because Misery has her own reasons to agree to this marriage of convenience, reasons that have nothing to do with politics or alliances, and everything to do with the only thing she’s ever cared about. And she is willing to do whatever it takes to get back what’s hers, even if it means a life alone in Were territory…alone with the wolf.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

I LOVE most of Ali Hazelwood’s work and while I am not a paranormal romance reader, if it has Ali Hazelwood’s name on it, I am there. 

Enter her first paranormal romance, Bride, following vampire, Misery, the daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman. Misery has literally been using as collateral in the human world before, and while doing so brought her best friend in the world, Serena, she is done being the sacrificial figure and is done with the Vampyre world, including its on-going conflict with the Were (werewolves)….until she’s forced to marry the new heard of the Weres, Lowe. Misery is ready to put her foot down, but Lowe is involved in a matter very close to her heart and is willing to be married to him for a year to help her own investigation. 

I know NOTHING about vampires – I was not and have never been a Twilight girlie in middle school – or werewolves (iykyk what word I was introduced to in this book…), but Ali Hazelwood made this word very accessible. I appreciated this especially as a SJM and Rebecca Yarros kind of fantasy reader. I liked Ali Hazelwood’s interpretation of the lifestyles of vampires & werewolves. You honestly don’t need to know anything going into this book & I highly recommend doing so because there was so much mystery. While a tad predictable, I did love the twists. 

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Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey Review


Summary (from the publisher):
9780063308367Wells Whitaker was once golf’s hottest rising star, but lately, all he has to show for his “promising” career is a killer hangover, a collection of broken clubs, and one remaining supporter. No matter how bad he plays, the beautiful, sunny redhead is always on the sidelines. He curses, she cheers. He scowls, she smiles. But when Wells quits in a blaze of glory and his fangirl finally goes home, he knows he made the greatest mistake of his life.

Josephine Doyle believed in the gorgeous, grumpy golfer, even when he didn’t believe in himself. Yet after he throws in the towel, she begins to wonder if her faith was misplaced. Then a determined Wells shows up at her door with a wild proposal: be his new caddy, help him turn his game around, and split the prize money. And considering Josephine’s professional and personal life is in shambles, she could really use the cash…

As they travel together, spending days on the green and nights in neighboring hotel rooms, sparks fly. Before long, they’re inseparable, Wells starts winning again, and Josephine is surprised to find a sweet, thoughtful guy underneath his gruff, growly exterior. This hot man wants to brush her hair, feed her snacks, and take bubble baths together? Is this real life? But Wells is technically her boss and an athlete falling for his fangirl would be ridiculous… right?

My Rating: 5/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

We are in a sports romance surge right now, and Tessa Bailey’s latest book, Fangirl Down, got my attention for its golf premise. I’m admittedly not the biggest Tessa Bailey reader, as previously, I’d only read Fix Her Up and didn’t finish the companion novel, Love Her or Lose Her, disliking the male protagonists in both. I know her work receives a lot of love in the romance book community, so I decided to give her work another chance & wow, I am so happy that I did because Fangirl Down is one of my favorite books of 2024 so far!

Fangirl Down follows Josephine, golf pro shop owner and mega fangirl of the pro player, Wells Whitaker. After another poor performance from Wells, which subsequently includes ripping Josephine’s “Wells’s Belle” sign, he goes to visit Josephine, only to find out that her shop has been destroyed by a hurricane, and she doesn’t exactly have the funds to repair it due to her medical expenses living with diabetes. Wells asks Josephine to become his caddie, and the two become the biggest stars on the pro circuit, with tons of chemistry building between them throughout. 

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House of Flame & Shadow by Sarah J. Maas Review

It’s time for one of my favorite posts to write: a ramble review/thoughts collection of the latest Sarah J. Maas book! I finished the third book in the Crescent City series, House of Flame and Shadow, last weekend, and I have spent some time taking in reviews – I recommend checking out The Bookish Life of Jess and Tori’s podcast episode and Jared and Lindsey’s POV reaction video. It took me about a week to finish House of Flame and Shadow, reading it from Saturday to Saturday – I thought I would take longer, as I had been reading anywhere from 50-100 pages a day, but I ended up devouring the last 200 pages in my final sitting. My post will contain spoilers for the Crescent City and A Court of Thorns and Roses series. 

Before spoilers, you should know that House of Flame and Shadow (HOFAS) is definitely a favorite book of the year. As of right now, it’s the best book I’ve read so far in 2024, even though SJM’s books are so different from what I normally read (with maybe the exception of Fourth Wing, but there’s still something so distinct about SJM’s work from other romantasy) and they’re just always five out of five stars for me because I just love the reading experience so much. My spoiler thoughts are beginning right below the picture of the Crescent City series. 

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The Catch by Amy Lea Review

Summary (from the publisher): 

814mjtL6gPL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_A grumpy lobster fisherman tosses a fashion influencer’s impeccably curated life overboard in the next romantic comedy from international bestselling author Amy Lea.

In a last-ditch effort to rescue her brand from the brink of irrelevance, Boston fashion influencer Melanie Karlsen finds herself in a rural fishing village on the east coast of Canada. The only thing scarier than nature itself? The burly and bearded bed-and-breakfast owner and fisherman, Evan Whaler—who single-handedly disproves the theory that Canadians are “nice.”

After a boating accident lands Evan unconscious in the hospital, Mel is mistaken for his fiancée by his welcoming yet quirky family, who are embroiled in a long-standing feud over the B&B. In a bold attempt to mend family fences, Mel agrees to fake their engagement for one week in exchange for Evan’s help with her social media content.

Amid long hikes and campfire chats, reeling in their budding feelings for each other proves more difficult by the day. But is Mel willing to sacrifice her picture-perfect life in the city for a chance at a true, unfiltered love in the wild?

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

I’ve really enjoyed all of Amy Lea’s books, such as Woke Up Like This (one of my FAVORITE YA reads of 2023) and her first two books in The Influencer series, Set on You and Exes and O’s. The Catch is the third & final book in The Influencer series, following fashion influencer Melanie, who finds herself stuck in a small fishing village in Canada with a grumpy inn owner. Need I say more about this one?

The Catch was a really fun rom-com that has so many of the tropes readers love: small town, fake dating, grumpy sunshine with a touch of enemies to lovers. I knew going on into The Catch that there was going to be a grumpy sunshine romance, but I did not know that it would also fake dating, which I love! Blame it on the fact that I don’t need to know anything going into Amy Lea’s books since they’re must-reads for me. The female lead, Melanie, is supposed to be at a luxurious Nova Scotia resort but due to a mistake in booking, she is left to book the only Airbnb left during fishing season at an inn that needs a lot of work, run by Evan and his family. There’s a lot of funny moments throughout, since Melanie isn’t exactly an outdoors girlie and has to acclimate to the bugs and nature in the small town. I will gladly exchange a bug or two to eat the poutine her and Evan eat after going on a hike. 

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January 2024 Wrap Up

I read 12 books and 5 novella in January – I also feel weird about counting novellas in my total book count, but I’m all about not focusing on the numbers when it comes to reading stats this year. This was a pretty solid reading month! There’s one duology that I think could come up as some of my favorite books of 2024, but there’s not really any books from my January reading that have me screaming from the rooftops. February will probably be a different story just based on my first read of the month and what I’m currently reading, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck and House of Flame and Shadow respectively. 

January Reads:

 My FAVORITE of the month was definitely Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. This is such a good YA fantasy duology and liked that it was a pretty simple fantasy world to understand.

 I also really enjoyed Meet the Benedettos, Welcome Home, Caroline Kline (out in April), and The Wishing Game. Meet the Benedettos is one of my new favorite Pride and Prejudicie retellings – it’s right up there with Curtis Sittenfeld’s Eligible for me and has a similar vibe – following a Kardashian-esque family in California. Welcome Home, Caroline is a love letter to the Jersey shore (specifically the area I live in). I read The Wishing Game for a book club and it was a very wholesome story (definitely with some somber aspects though) about a children’s book author who invites four fans to his island based on the book to win the manuscript of his unpublished work. Last Call at the Local by Sarah Grunder Ruiz is probably my new favorite in her Love, Lists, and Fancy Ships series, as this installment is set in one of my favorite places, Ireland, and follows a musician who helps a pub owner revitalize his bar. There was unique and great mental health representation in both leads. 

I finally read Colleen Hoover’s Maybe Someday series and have such mixed feelings about it, which is pretty typical for me when it comes to Colleen Hoover’s books. I liked the start of Maybe Someday, but then I just wanted it to end in its last hundred pages due to the usual third act break up aspect. I then read the sequel Maybe Now and LOVED getting Maggie’s perspectives and basically wanted nothing else except for her storyline. I read the novella, Maybe Not, following Ridge’s roommates before and as Sydney moves in with them, and it brought me back to the Slammed days where Point of Retreat was basically a repeat of the first story except from different characters’ perspectives. 

I still have to red the last two novellas in the Improbable Meet Cute Collection, but Christina Lauren and Abby Jimenez’s have been my favorites of the collection so far. I also liked the quirkiness of Sally Thorne’s novella.

Other January Reads:

What did you read in January? Have you read any of the books I mentioned? Share in the comments! 

Current Library Holds: January 2024

If you’ve been around here either a while or for a little bit, you know that I am an avid library book user. While I think I will be buying a ton of new releases in 2024 since so many fave authors are coming out with books (Elin Hilderbrand, Rainbow Rowell, Rachel Lynn Solomon, and Emily Henry, to name just a few), I’d say at least 70% (if not more) of my reads come from the library!). Here’s what I currently have on hold to check-out:

Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman – Starting off with the book that I’m most excited to read from my holds list!  I seriously don’t know how this Fall 2023 release didn’t find it’s way to me sooner (I discovered through @litbylilli on Instagram, and it’s the Matzah Book Soup pick for January), but it has rave reviews and sounds so up my alley: set in 1960,a young woman is set to her eccentric great aunt’s for the summer after being caught kissing her rabbi’s son in front of the congregation. Marilyn and her match-making Aunt Ada head to the shore for the summer. 

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