Kiss me at Christmas by Jennifer Baylis
Genre: Holiday Contemporary Romance

Kiss Me at Christmas is a heartwarming endearing book filled with humor and romance. It’s a wonderful happy ending holiday read. It’s sure to give readers a healthy dose of warm fuzzies.

Harriet is overworked and not in the holiday mood. Her daughter as made other plans for the holidays instead of spending time with her. However, after taking the fall for a couple students after they break into the local theater, she finds herself directing the Christmas performance.

The characters are pretty developed and solid. I liked the banter and the overall story. It’s a great cozy Christmas read. Definitely one I would recommend if you feel like getting into the holiday spirit.

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The Lost Story by Meg Shaffer
Genre: Magical Realism

The Lost Story is a wonderfully written novel with familiar fantasy elements like the Chronicles of Narnia or Alice in Wonderland. Told from two points of view, this dark enchanting tale had me hooked from the beginning.

Emilie is searching for a sister she never met. She reaches out to Jeremy who has a knack for finding lost people and things. Years before, he and his friend Rafe, disappeared in the same woods. Appearing 6 months later, Rafe has no memory of the time and Jeremy refuses to speak on the matter.  At first it seems like a clear missing person mystery but soon things twist and turn into almost some kind of psychedelic dream. As Rafe, Jeremy and Emelie enter the woods, it's discovered that not all fairytales are on paper. Eventually the truth is learned about Jeremy and Rafe's disappearance. Along the way, the three discover more about the woods, themselves, and ultimately the choices they will have to make.

The images Shaffer creates are vivid and laid out in such a way that I was fully immersed. The Lost Story is charming with even a romance, while covering harder themes such as grief, loss, abuse and more. This is definitely going to be a reread for me and certainly one I will recommend.

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Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Anna and Liam entered into a marriage of convenience order to share cheaper family housing while at UCLA. Now after three years of not seeing each other, Liam appears on Anna's door step with an offer to resume her role as wife to attend his sister's wedding. The catch is that Liam is the heir to the Weston grocery chain dynasty, is a part of a very broken and dysfunctional family, and wants to separate himself from it all.

Anna is a dynamic character. She's smart, funny, honest, and open. I really liked her character and her interactions with all the side characters. I found myself cheering for her on more than one occasion. Liam is a more serious, closed off counterpart. He's hurt and carries a lot of scars from his relationship with his parents, especially his father. I think the two of them make a good fit. Their relationships develops through the book and there is plenty of heat and tension. In addition to the main characters, there are plenty of side characters that flavor the overall story. I found myself pulled along emotionally with Anna and her interpretation of the various people in Liam's life.

Overall, this was a fun read. I read it in two days!

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The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
Genre: Science Fiction

The Kaiju Preservation Society is my first real laugh out loud book reads of 2024. Don't let the fact it is science fiction scare you off. This book is full of quotable moments and plenty of action to keep you interested. Jamie Gray's life isn't going as planned. Since COVID hit, Jamie's been out of a job, demoted to food delivery, and has no prospects. After meeting a former classmate, Tom, while delivering, they are given the offer of a lifetime. Wages are big, location is secret, and all they will have to do is 'lift things'. What Tom didn't tell Jamie, is this job is in a parallel universe filled with Kaiju (godzilla movie type creatures) and is ultra top secret. The lifting things being the only certainty of the whole job. This once in a life time opportunity quickly turns into craziness when someone has dangerous plans for the creatures. 

Seriously, this book is absolutely hillarious. The banter is probably the best part of this book. At only 264 pages, the book reads incredibly fast. Of course this makes it difficult to review without giving too much away. Just know, once you start reading, the flow of the story, characters and conversations keeps you moving through the entire of the book. The story is also very cinema in that you could easily see it translated to the big screen. It's a popcorn read of sorts that will make you laugh. Not a science fiction reader? Don't let that stop you from diving into the pages of The Kaiju Preservation Society. It's definitely a good ride.

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Funny Story by Emily Henry
Genre: Contemporary Romance

My favorite part of every Emily Henry book I've read is the dialog. Henry has a wonderful way of creating natural flowing dialog with plenty of wit, heart and depth. In this story, the main character, Daphne, is going through heartbreak after her fiancé, Peter, calls of the wedding to pursue his life long best friend Petra. Without a place to live and a closet packed full with wedding supplies, Daphne moves in with Miles, Petra's ex-boyfriend. Both are working through grief and heartbreak. When they receive an invite to Peter and Petra's wedding only a short few weeks later, the two decide to attend the wedding. Daphne even tells Peter that she and Miles are dating. Daphne is working to run away from Waning Bay, Michigan where everything reminders her of and is connected to Peter. Miles has a different idea, proving to Daphne she shouldn't run and she should make Waning Bay her home. When things begin to develop, the two learn about themselves, find acceptance in their pasts, and grow together.

I really enjoyed the book; however, I'm pretty sure a part of that is because Daphne is a children's librarian. I loved the moments where Daphne talked about her patrons, and that Henry made the library a part of the story. Miles is a great leading man. He is kind, generous, flawed, and provides a wonderful balance to Daphne. I loved the heart felt moments where both Miles and Daphne talk about their childhoods and the trauma that it brought to their adult lives. And again, that dialog. I adore how the characters interact with each other. Henry even gets a bit spicy in Funny Story. Those moments are well written as well, filled with heart. Along with Daphne and Milo, Funny Story has a good amount of unique side characters that bring plenty of flavor to the story.

As a whole, it's a solid rom com. Henry adds a lot of extras to the story. There is plenty of romance, but also themes of hope, healing, and growth. It was a quick read and one I will put on my 'to read again some day' shelf.

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The Book That Broke the World (The Library Trilogy #2) by Mark Lawrence
Genre: Fantasy

The themes and questions in book one of the Library Trilogy carry over into this next installment. Lawrence continues the action, intrigue and character development as readers will once again question knowledge and it's place in the hands of individuals. There is a lot that happens in this book.

Lawrence introduces a new character Celcha, a ganar and slave. She and her people are forced to mine the desert for books. When her brother, Hellet, opens one of those books and faces strict punishment from their master, the two find their way to the library. The book as a whole rotates through the points of view of Celcha, Evar, Livira, and the librarian and Livira's mentor, Arpix. each is located in a different time and facing various events and aftermaths of the library. Lawrence continues to strongly weave themes of knowledge, humanity and power through the book. This is very similar to the first book in the series.

While I enjoyed reading book two, at times the pacing can be a bit slow and with all the different time lines, it can get a bit confusing. There is plenty of action and connections along the way to keep the reader engaged and interested in the story. At times the plot action can be a bit vague. There isn't much explanation to some of the elements, but I'm hoping that is cleared up in the third installment of the trilogy. If that isn't enough to make me want to read the next book, book 2 ends on a cliffhanger. Once again readers and characters are left questioning power and the danger of knowledge and what it can do when emotionally charged by things live vengeance, love, and hate.

Overall, it's a solid book two while at the same time creating a transition into book three. There are new characters and plenty of the old, each unique and complicated. I look forward to reading how Lawrence ties up everything in book three.

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Louder Than Hunger by John Schu

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Louder than Hunger is a heart wrenching book written in verse. Readers are taken on a journey through the first person experiences of Jake, a young man who struggles with anorexia. Readers will follow Jake as he fights his cruel inner voice. From time with his family as he struggles, to admission into an inpatient program, to healing, Jake's journey is one of self realization and hope. Schu incorperates themes of self identity, loss, depression, and pain. Louder Than Hunger is a fictionalized account of the author's own experiences told with heart wrenching honesty and emotion. 

This book was difficult to read. Jake's inner voice is cruel and unrelenting. The honesty with which the author approaches the story really breaks through. In addition, the writing is beautiful. This novel-in-verse used various writing techniques such as changes in fonts, visually extending words and to emphasize Jake's own feelings and struggles. This book broke my heart, but in the end brought such a sense of healing and hope. I think this is one of those rare books where readers will see pieces of themselves in Jake. It's one I would recommend, but be warned, the story is heavy and emotionally difficult to read at times. 

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Murder Road by Simone St. James

Genre: Thriller

Simone St. James has mastered creepy supernatural thrillers. Murder Road is just another of her works filled with plenty of tension and mystery. Eddie and April pick up a woman whom they assume is a hitchhiker on the side of the road. When they discovered she is injured and bleeding, they rush her to the hospital, only to have her die. They discover that she is only one among several victims in Coldlake Falls and the highway. As the saying goes, no good dead goes unpunished. Eddie and April suddenly find themselves suspects in her murder. With the help of Rose, the B&B proprietor, and two teenage sisters, Beatrice and Gracie, the two work to clear their name and find the real reason behind the murders. They find that the answer is more nefarious than they realized.

I really enjoyed this book. It's full of plenty of nostalgia, intrigue, thrills, and just the right amount of creepy supernatural to excite me. I love writing and how the author navigates through a plot of turns and surprises. St. James does a wonderful of creating atmosphere. Murder Road is a chilling read and unsettling at times. It had me engaged from the very beginning. Fans of St. James will not want to miss this one!

Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum Series) by Janet Evanovich

Genre: Mystery

Fans of the Stephanie Plum series, make sure you grab and imerse yourself in this latest novel in the series. If you haven't read the series, I strongly suggest you give it a try. Each book is filled with mystery, romance and rowdy laugh out loud moments. The characters are quirky, interseting, and engaging. It's really a fun series to read and each book follows one case from beginning to end mixed in with another piece of the overarching romance and story. 

In this latest addition, Stephanie Plum is back in a new adventure. Expect a few explosions, misadventure moment, and Lulu in all her wonderfulness. I love the direction the books have taken recently. The story shifts from the ever frustrating love triangle to more mystery and mayhem. This allows some of the other characters to step forward and shine like Lulu.

For fans of the series, you will finally see some movement in the whole Ranger, Morelli, Stephanie love triangle which all cumulates in one big romantic cliff hanger. Looks like it's time for Stephanie to get her life in order and make some real choices. 

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It's like candy for me. I fast read that I know will have me laughing, rolling my eyes, and looking forward to the next one.
 

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Fourth Wing (Empyrean book #1) and Iron Flame (Empyrean book #2) by Rebecca Yarros

Genre: Fantasy

I read both of these books back to back, so for that reason I feel it's only fair to review them together. This series falls into what has been coined the 'romantasy' genre. The books are fantasy in nature but are very much adult romance as well. In the first book, readers are introduced to Violet. She has trained to be a scribe her entire life. Her mother, also a commander in the military, pushes her into the war college to become a dragon rider like her siblings. Once there, she is faced with the very real dangers and potential death that comes with trying to become a rider. She's also faced with people who want her dead, seeing her as competition and as an enemy thanks to her mother's position and actions against the rebellion. On top of that, she has to navigate her feelings for Xaden, someone who rightfully should hate her. 

A little disclaimer, this book is very violent and certainly an adult read. It can be triggering at times for certain readers. For those who love fantasy, there is plenty of world building, conflict, and dragons. For romance lovers, there is plenty of tension, heat and spicy scenes. Fourth Wing burst on the scene and quickly gained a strong following, including this reader. The book is very well written with plenty of intersting characters, intrigue, and rereadable moments. Iron Flame is much of the same. I will admit I did not like it as much as the first book. There is a lot of angsty conflict that overshadows a good portion of the first half of the book. For me, it bogged down my reading experience. Once you get past that, there is a ton of action and conflict. There is also a lot to cheer for. Originally, this was to be a duology. After the popularity of the first book, Yarros was approached to write more in the series. Some of Iron Flame seems to reflect that change. While the ending isn't exactly seemless, it does create a cliffhanger that will create more obstacles in the overall story and romance. Despite my dislike for the romance angst in book 2, I believe that this is a series I will continue to read and currently anticipate the publication of book 3 in 2024.