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📚Books I Loved (and Didn’t)
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items I’m a huge book lover…..especially when there’s an audiobook version so I can listen while mom-life keeps me busy. I’m a total sucker for romance and rom-com style stories, the kind that make you smile, laugh, or fall in love with the characters just...
Sections
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Must Reads
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Spicy Reads
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Colleen Hoover
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Books That Missed the Mark (For Me)
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Freida McFadden
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Slow Burns, Big Payoff
Must Reads
Books Worth Reading
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Definitely one of my favorite books!
Falling in love in an organic way.
A heartfelt memoir celebrating family, resilience, and personal growth, sharing lessons, laughter, and love through life’s ups and downs.
Great Big Beautiful Life- Emily Henry
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I am a big fan of HB love that she is an author now. A thought-provoking memoir exploring family, identity, and the consequences of choices, reflecting on generational patterns, love, and personal accountability.
So excited for her new books!
Mistakes We Never Made- Hannah Brown
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Easy read!! A charming romance following love, commitment, and self-discovery through the stories of four women connected by a series of engagement rings.
The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain- Hannah Brown
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I wasn’t sure it was possible, but this book has even more twists and turns than the first one. Every time I thought I had it figured out, something completely unexpected happened. A wild, dramatic sequel that keeps you hooked the whole way through!
The Perfect Divorce - Jeneva Rose: Books
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A great thriller! It’s full of twists and turns, and just when you think you know what’s going to happen, you’re completely surprised and all your predictions go right out the door. Fast, addictive, and impossible to put down—such a wild ride!
The Perfect Marriage - Jeneva Rose
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Good read for the people who love animals and romance. Definitely have triggers regarding animal abuse and death.
Say You'll Remember Me - Abbey Jimenez
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Good series of books.
#3 in the series
An intense enemies-to-lovers romance filled with tension, passion, and emotional baggage, where two opposites are forced to confront their feelings and pasts.
Twisted Hate- Ana Huang
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I love Abby Jimenez. I don’t think k I’ve read a book of hers I have not liked. The Friend Zone was such a great mix of funny, heartfelt, and emotional. Abby Jimenez does an amazing job balancing rom-com banter with deeper, more serious moments. The ...
The Friend Zone #1 - Abby Jimenez
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A light, witty romance about two writers with opposite styles who form an unlikely connection while navigating grief, creativity, and love.
Stepping outside the boy.
Beach Read-Emily Henry
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A darkly funny, emotional novel about grief, loneliness, and unexpected connection after a woman crashes a stranger’s wedding weekend while at a personal breaking point.
Raw feelings, right people
The Wedding People- Alison Espach
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Slipping though timelines while falling in love.
It’s a heartfelt story about love, grief, timing, and taking chances when life doesn’t go as planned
The Seven Year Slip-Ashley Poston
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Makes your unspoken thoughts feel very normal. Being a default parent can be very very hard.
How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids- Jancee Dunn
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Very surprised by this read. Not my normal go to but really enjoyed it.
The Frozen River- Ariel Lawhon
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a girl abandoned by her family and forced to grow up alone in the marsh
Where the Crawdads Sing- Delia Owens
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Great read!!! Probably one of my new favorites by CH. BUY NOW the movie comes out in October 2025!! So excited.
Regretting You
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Abby Jimenez is an amazing author. I haven’t been the slightest bit disappointed. Life is to Short was a great ready. The last chapter was breath taking. Life is really to short so get this book you won’t regret it.
Life's Too Short- Abby Jimenez
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The Twisted Series is a set of interconnected contemporary romance novels that follow four powerful, emotionally guarded men and the women who challenge, soften, and ultimately change them. Set in a modern, high-stakes world of wealth, ambition, secr...
Twisted Series by Ana Huang
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AMAZING. How powerful, beautiful, thrilling, and dangerous living off grid especially in Alaska.
The Great Alone- Kristin Hannah
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Great read. Highly recommend, fantastic author.
Book #2 in the When in Rome series. Can’t wait to read the others.
I personally don’t think you have to read book #1 in order to read this one.
Practice Makes Perfect- Sarah Adams
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Great good! Easy read. Highly recommend!
A burned-out pop star escapes to a small town, only to crash—literally—into a grumpy local who wants nothing to do with fame. What starts as a temporary hideaway turns into a cozy, slow-burn romance about fin...
When in Rome- Sarah Adam’s
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One of my TOP TEN favorite books. Go READ now!
A powerful, emotional story about a mother deployed to war, the family she leaves behind, and the sacrifices love demands. As distance and trauma reshape their lives, a family must fight to reconnect an...
Home Front- Kristen Hannah
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Download Libby it’s free!!!
Who doesn’t love free? Especially when you are a SAHM who doesn’t have book money in your budget.
Libby
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#4 in the series
A wealthy, guarded man obsessed with control becomes dangerously drawn to a woman who challenges every rule he lives by. What starts as protection turns into obsession in this dark, steamy romance where secrets, power, and desire b...
Twisted Lies - Ana Huang
Spicy Reads
Romance books with plot, passion, and a little extra heat.
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Katee Robert has many books with Romantic plots enhanced by erotic tension and intimacy. Very spicy. I enjoy reading in between some serious books to break it up.
Katee Robert
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Very explicit! Short read. Romantic plots enhanced by erotic tension and intimacy.
Seducing My Guardian (A Touch of Taboo #4)
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This author is very spicy!!! If you don’t like spice I suggest something else. Romantic plots enhanced by erotic tension and intimacy
Your Dad Will Do (A Touch of Taboo) Kindle
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Katee Robert’s books are quick reads. Definitely book porn.
My Dad's Best Friend (A Touch of Taboo)
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Kendall Ryan is a bestselling American contemporary romance author known for writing steamy, emotionally driven love stories that often feature alpha heroes, heartfelt relationships, and addictive pacing.
Kendall Ryan: books, biography, latest update
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Torrid Little Affair is the third book in the Forbidden Desires series, but it can also be read as a standalone.
Cooper is heartbroken and swears off love, and Cat is trying to escape her painful past. What starts as a simple, physical arrangement...
Torrid Little Affair (Forbidden Desires Book 3)
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Beautiful Bastard is a steamy contemporary erotic romance novel by Christina Lauren and the first book in their Beautiful series. It follows Chloe Mills, a whip-smart MBA student and intern, and her intense, combustible relationship with her demandin...
Beautiful Bastard (The Beautiful Series)
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Dirty Little Promise is a steamy contemporary romance by Kendall Ryan and the second book in her Forbidden Desires series. It continues the story of Emma Bell, a lonely librarian, and her intense, complicated relationship with Gavin Kingsley, a wealt...
Dirty Little Promise (Forbidden Desires Book 2)
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Dirty Little Promise is a steamy contemporary romance by Kendall Ryan and the second book in her Forbidden Desires series. It continues the story of Emma Bell, a lonely librarian, and her intense, complicated relationship with Gavin Kingsley, a wealt...
Dirty Little Promise (Forbidden Desires Book 2)
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A spontaneous Vegas fling turns into a passionate, unforgettable summer in France, where Mia and Ansel discover that love can be as thrilling as it is unexpected.
Sweet Filthy Boy (Wild Seasons Book 1)
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A dark, twisted romance about two serial killers whose rivalry sparks an intense and unexpected connection.
Butcher & Blackbird - Brynne Weaver
Colleen Hoover
Colleen Hoover reads with my real thoughts—what hit hard, what I loved, and which ones left a lasting impression.
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The book is soo much better then the movie
Regretting You- Colleen Hoover
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Honestly I wasn’t a big fan of this one. I found it hard to get through. It is part of the Slammed series from Wills point of view. This book should not reflect the other books in the series.
This Girl- Colleen Hoover
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Part of the Slammed series — a very good read. The couple is learning to work through their struggles while also discovering more about themselves
Point of Retreat- Colleen Hoover
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A date that has love and heartbreak all in one.
November 9- Colleen Hoover
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I usually love Colleen Hoover books, so I was surprised that I didn’t connect with this one. I’m not sure why — it just didn’t pull me in the way her stories usually do. Maybe it was the audiobook format or the narration, but this one missed the mark...
This Girl: A Novel (Slammed) by Hoover
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Love and secrets collide in a story of confessions and courage
Confess- Colleen Hoover
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Short and quick read. A young adult romance about first love, unexpected loss, and learning how to keep going when life changes suddenly.
Maybe Not- Colleen Hoover
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The Book is better than the movie! A powerful and emotional story about love, abuse, and the difficult choices it takes to break harmful cycles and choose yourself.
It Ends with Us- Colleen Hoover
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A hopeful sequel that follows Lily and Atlas as they reconnect, focusing on healing, second chances, and choosing love without pain.
It Starts with Us-Colleen Hoover
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A deeply emotional romance about love, heartbreak, and healing, following Tate and Miles as they navigate a relationship shaped by past trauma and unspoken pain.
Ugly Love- Colleen Hoover
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#1 in the Slammed series: A heartfelt story about young love, loss, and resilience, where poetry and slam performances connect two people learning to grow through grief together.
Slammed- Colleen Hoover
Books That Missed the Mark (For Me)
Books That Missed the Mark (For Me)
Reading is subjective — these just didn’t work for me. Slow pacing, repeated themes, or a style that didn’t keep me engaged.
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Wasn’t a fan. Was trying to step outside my comfort zone, but was not worth it.
Nightbitch: A Novel: Yoder, Rachel
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I didn’t love it… it was a cool set up, still sitting on my feelings about it.
A chilling psychological thriller about a podcaster who becomes entangled with a woman hiding disturbing secrets—where truth, lies, and manipulation blur in unsettling w...
None of This Is True- Lisa Jewell
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Took this recommendation from someone and it was not for me.
I use to work with SA victims so I don’t know if that’s why. Just triggering.
Saving Noah -Lucinda Berry
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I usually love Colleen Hoover books, so I was surprised that I didn’t connect with this one. I’m not sure why — it just didn’t pull me in the way her stories usually do. Maybe it was the audiobook format or the narration, but this one missed the mark...
This Girl: A Novel (Slammed) by Hoover
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I started- but never finished finished. I was having a hard time getting into it. I definitely want to try again in the near future.
A poignant historical novel set in Nazi Germany, following young Liesel as she discovers the power of words, books, ...
The Book Thief- Markus Zusak
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Took me a while to get into it, was confusing at first, ended up being okay.
A high‑stakes romantic thriller where a couple competing in a game of who can lie first discover that deception, desire, and danger are all tangled together.
First Lie Wins- Ashley Elston
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Not a book I would’ve picked on my own, a book club. I’m in selected this for one of the monthly books and it’s a very slow hard read.
Destiny of the Republic - Candice Millard
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Didn’t like it at first, but glad a stuck through it. It gets better as you go on, just not my favorite
The Tenant- Freida McFadden
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Another book as part of my book club that I didn’t exactly connect with. It wasn’t bad, just not what I needed.
The Christmas Tree Farm - Laurie Gilmore
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It was definitely intense, I can relate in many way, it started off strong, but didn’t follow through.
Told You So - Mayci Neeley
Freida McFadden
Freda McFadden’s books are very thrill-seeking and fast-paced. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going to happen, you haven’t — the twists are completely unpredictable.
Most of her books are hits with me, but some are a miss and very ha...
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Freda McFadden’s books are very thrill-seeking and fast-paced. Just when you think you’ve figured out what’s going to happen, you haven’t — the twists are completely unpredictable.
Author Freida McFadden | Psychological Thrillers
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Didn’t like it at first, but glad a stuck through it. It gets better as you go on.
The Tenant: McFadden, Freida - Books
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One of my favorites by FM
The Crash-Freida McFadden
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A suspenseful tale of secrets, betrayal, and hidden motives behind closed doors
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
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A chilling story of hidden secrets, lies, and dangerous truths
The Housemaid's Secret - Frida McFadden
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A gripping Christmas‑themed psychological thriller about Stella Hansen, who’s struggling to afford a gift for her husband on their first Christmas together. On Christmas Eve, she meets a mysterious pawn shop owner who offers her a tempting trade to g...
The Gift- Frida McFadden A Christmas Thriller Novelette
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A suspenseful thriller about love, loss, and betrayal, where a grieving widow uncovers shocking secrets about her late husband that put her life—and heart—at risk.
The Widow's Husband's Secret Lie- Frida McFadden
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A steamy, forbidden romance about a student-teacher relationship, exploring passion, boundaries, and complicated emotions.
The Teacher- Fredia McFadden
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A seemingly perfect new love turns dangerously deceptive when a woman begins to suspect her charming boyfriend might be hiding terrifying secrets that put her own life at risk
The Boyfriend -Freida McFadden
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A suspenseful romance-thriller about trust, secrets, and betrayal, where hidden truths threaten love and safety.
Never Lie - Freida McFadden
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A tense psychological thriller about secrets, obsession, and trust, where a seemingly perfect marriage hides dark truths that slowly come to light.
The Locked Door- Freida McFadden
Slow Burns, Big Payoff
These are the books that didn’t grab me right away but, once I stuck with them, ended up being incredibly rewarding. Slow starts, complex plots, or challenging reads each one reminded me that patience can pay off in a big way
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Not my usual read. It had a very slow start and was a bit complicated to finish, but I’m so glad I didn’t quit and stuck with it.
I Who Have Never Known Men -Jacqueline Harpman
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Nora decides to write her own script based on her life, and once she breaks free from her routine, she begins to take full control of her own story.
Nora Goes Off Script - Annabel Monaghan