Review|| Infinity Son.

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Infinity Son by Adam Silvera
2 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Growing up in New York, brothers Emil and Brighton always idolized the Spell Walkers—a vigilante group sworn to rid the world of specters. While the Spell Walkers and other celestials are born with powers, specters take them, violently stealing the essence of endangered magical creatures. Brighton wishes he had a power so he could join the fray. Emil just wants the fighting to stop. The cycle of violence has taken a toll, making it harder for anyone with a power to live peacefully and openly. In this climate of fear, a gang of specters has been growing bolder by the day. Then, in a brawl after a protest, Emil manifests a power of his own—one that puts him right at the heart of the conflict and sets him up to be the heroic Spell Walker Brighton always wanted to be. Brotherhood, love, and loyalty will be put to the test, and no one will escape the fight unscathed.


I was really excited when I heard that Adam Silvera was writing a fantasy novel. I knew I needed to read it. Sadly though, I had a lot of trouble with Infinity Son. It was nowhere near as good as his contemporaries. I found it so hard to get into the story, because right from the beginning I was confused and lost as to why certain things came to be and why certain people/beings were even in the real world. I felt like that was never explained or I completely missed it somehow. The world building just wasn’t there for me.

I liked the concept of the story and the superhero vibe. It was a pretty fast paced story and at times that was nice, but I don’t know if that really helped much. I felt like a lot of things were left out and unsaid because of that. Some characters were really great, like Atlas and Ness. The main characters Emil and Brighton, I had trouble with connecting with them. I didn’t like their personalities all that much, especially Brighton. He seemed selfish and I didn’t like that.

Overall, Infinity Son was just an “okay” read for me. While there were some things that I liked and twists that were a little surprising, it just didn’t live up to my expectations and it didn’t blow me away. At times, I had a hard time wanting to finish it. I wanted to love Infinity Son so bad, but sadly it just wasn’t for me. I was having trouble rating it between two and three stars and I don’t give half stars, so for now it’s a two. I’m still undecided if I will be reading the sequel or not. Maybe if my library has it.

Have you read Infinity Son? If so, what are your thoughts? Feel free to link me to your review if you have one.

In case you missed it;
Thank You!
WWW Wednesday #69.
Stuck…where do I go from here?

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Andy Reads|| Maybe Someday.

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Hey!

The review below was written by my husband Andy and these are his thoughts and opinions on the book. You can check out more information about “Andy Reads” and the books that he’s read and reviewed over here.

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Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Sydney is living in an idyllic bubble—she’s a dedicated student with a steady job on the side. She lives with her best friend, has a great boyfriend, and the music coming from the balcony opposite hers is fast becoming the soundtrack to her life. But when Sydney finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her, the bubble bursts. The mysterious and attractive man behind the music, Ridge, gives Sydney hope that she can move on and they begin to write songs together. But moving on is harder than she expects, Sydney can only hope….Maybe someday…


Andy’s Review:

I thought Maybe Someday was a good book. It definitely pulled at my heart a bit and left me frustrated with Sydney and Ridge at times. Wanting them to find the courage to love each other. It didn’t take very long into the story to hook me in and made me say “oh dang a few times”. All in all the book was good for a romance novel and wasn’t too gushy or boring and for the most part had me on the edge of my seat. I give this book a 4 out of 5 total.


I apology for Andy’s short review. I think he’s trying to get a hang of this review thing considering this is his first book review, haha. He did let me know that he really liked the book. He even came home every day after work to let me know what was going on in the book and how he felt about it. He ended up switching to the audiobook since he didn’t have much time to read with work (sometimes he works long hours) and life. He drives a lot for his job, so audiobook was a better fit for him. I am happy that he really liked Maybe Someday because it’s my favorite Colleen Hoover book! Hopefully his reviews get better with time, lol.

In case you missed it;
March TBR (Maybe).
Wrap Up|| February.
Book Haul|| February.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Dragon Hoops.

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Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
3 out of 5 stars

“In a well-crafted story, everything makes sense.”

Goodreads Description: Gene understands stories—comic book stories, in particular. Big action. Bigger thrills. And the hero always wins. But Gene doesn’t get sports. As a kid, his friends called him “Stick” and every basketball game he played ended in pain. He lost interest in basketball long ago, but at the high school where he now teaches, it’s all anyone can talk about. The men’s varsity team, the Dragons, is having a phenomenal season that’s been decades in the making. Each victory brings them closer to their ultimate goal: the California State Championships. Once Gene gets to know these young all-stars, he realizes that their story is just as thrilling as anything he’s seen on a comic book page. He knows he has to follow this epic to its end. What he doesn’t know yet is that this season is not only going to change the Dragons’s lives, but his own life as well.


I received an ARC of Dragon Hoops from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on March 17th.

I know absolutely nothing about basketball or any sport, really. Like Gene, I have no interest in sports. That didn’t stop him from learning more about basketball and following the school’s basketball team throughout their basketball season. Gene works at the school as well as writes and illustrates graphic novels. Dragon Hoops is essentially about his career and about the school (and school’s basketball team) that he works at.

For being someone that isn’t into sports, it was fun learning a little more about basketball along with Gene. He gives backstories about the characters and the history of basketball too. I couldn’t completely connect with Dragon Hoops since it’s not a subject that I am into, but I did like it and thought it was fun to read. I got really excited when the Dragons would score points and got bummed when they would lose. I liked that Gene ended up realizing new things about himself as he tagged along with the basketball team to all their games and connected with the players through conversation and interviews with them.

Overall, Dragon Hoops was a solid graphic novel about basketball, sportsman ship, and growth. I liked the mix between the history of the sport and what was going on in present day with the new Dragons team as they work their way to the state championships. I thought the illustrations were great as well. I would definitely recommend checking it out, especially if you like basketball. I think I’m going to gift this book to my nephew and see if maybe it’ll interest him as well.

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| February.
Review|| Girls with Razor Hearts.
Friday Finds #86.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Review|| Girls with Razor Hearts.

Heads up that this review is for the sequel to Girls with Sharp Sticks, so if you haven’t read that book yet and you don’t want to be spoiled I would skip reading. I’m trying to leave this as spoil free as I can of the first book but the book description is below and so this review may contain spoilers of the first book in the series. You can check out my review of the first book (Girls with Sharp Sticks) over here if you’re interested!

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Girls with Razor Hearts by Suzanne Young
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: It’s been weeks since Mena and the other girls of Innovations Academy escaped their elite boarding school. Although traumatized by the violence and experimentations that occurred there, Mena quickly discovers that the outside world can be just as unwelcoming and cruel. With no one else to turn to, the girls only have each other—and the revenge-fueled desire to shut down the corporation that imprisoned them. The girls enroll in Stoneridge Prep, a private school with suspect connections to Innovations, to identify the son of an investor and take down the corporation from the inside. But with pressure from Leandra, who revealed herself to be a double-agent, and Winston Weeks, an academy investor gone rogue, Mena wonders if she and her friends are simply trading one form of control for another. Not to mention the woman who is quite literally invading Mena’s thoughts—a woman with extreme ideas that both frighten and intrigue Mena. And as the girls fight for freedom from their past—and freedom for the girls still at Innovations—they must also face new questions about their existence…and what it means to be girls with razor hearts.


I was sent an ARC copy of Girls with Razor Hearts from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It will be releasing on March 17th.

I was so excited when I received a copy of Girls with Razor Hearts, because I loved the first book so much! Girls with Razor Hearts was a really great sequel and I enjoyed it so much. Just like the first book, Girls with Sharp Sticks, it continued to deal with some really heavy issues and once again they had similarities to things that are happening in the world today. Mainly being how women are treated in the world by men and how it’s hard for women to stand up to these men, because it just causes further damage and hurt toward them.

The girls had to navigate a new life and essentially a new world while also dealing with their traumas that they experienced at Innovations Academy. It didn’t get easier for them when they left the academy. Men dominate the world and walk all over the women. The girls are trying to put an end to this and are faced with a lot of realizations and trouble along the way. They don’t know who to trust and neither did I as I was reading the book. I loved the continued bond between the girls and the love they have for each other. There’s so many untrustworthy people but at least they have each other to try to figure it all out!

I ended up giving Girls with Razor Hearts one star less than I did the first book though. It was a little hard for me to get into it at the start but once I did, I was fully invested in the story and the girls again. I don’t want to go into too many more details because I don’t want to risk any spoilers. I highly recommend checking this series out. It’s so relatable and so far it has been such a powerful story. A lot of what is happening in the story and was talked about needs to be heard. I am eagerly waiting for the third book!

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #86.
2 Star Reads of 2019.
3 Star Reads of 2019.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Darling Rose Gold.

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Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: For the first eighteen years of her life, Rose Gold Watts believed she was seriously ill. She was allergic to everything, used a wheelchair and practically lived at the hospital. Neighbors did all they could, holding fundraisers and offering shoulders to cry on, but no matter how many doctors, tests, or surgeries, no one could figure out what was wrong with Rose Gold. Turns out her mom, Patty Watts, was just a really good liar. After serving five years in prison, Patty gets out with nowhere to go and begs her daughter to take her in. The entire community is shocked when Rose Gold says yes. Patty insists all she wants is to reconcile their differences. She says she’s forgiven Rose Gold for turning her in and testifying against her. But Rose Gold knows her mother. Patty Watts always settles a score. Unfortunately for Patty, Rose Gold is no longer her weak little darling…And she’s waited such a long time for her mother to come home.


I received an ARC of Darling Rose Gold from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on March 17.

I was drawn to the book because the description sounded like it had some similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case. If you don’t know about that case, it was pretty famous and they even made a TV show on Hulu called “The Act” about it. It was about the mother of Gypsy Rose pretending that her daughter had all of these illnesses when she really didn’t. In the real life story, Gypsy realizes what’s going on and her and her boyfriend murdered the mom and ran away together until they were caught. Now what about Darling Rose Gold?

This story had a lot of similarities to the Gypsy Rose Blanchard case as I mentioned, but it was also so different. I was really excited about reading this book, because while it was similar in a lot of ways it was also in my opinion kind of like a retelling. Like what if the mom wasn’t murdered and was sent to prison instead. In Darling Rose Gold, the mom is sent to prison and then gets out five years later and wants to reconnect with her daughter Rose Gold. It was kind of an interesting twist to the real story. I know this book has nothing to do with the real Gypsy Rose case, but it just really reminded me of it and a lot of the time that’s all I could think about as I read this story.

Darling Rose Gold was really great and I enjoyed reading it. It’s crazy and so heartbreaking that a parent could ever do that to their child. There’s lots of deception and twisted things in this story, but that’s what made it so hard to put down. There were lots of back story as well, which was nice. I liked the flashbacks, because I felt like they needed to be there to really understand everything going on. I don’t want to say a whole lot because I don’t want to risk spoilers, but I really enjoyed this story. I loved all the dark twisted things that were happening, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the way that the story ended. I’m not sure what I was expecting for the outcome at the end, but I was a bit disappointed with it. It was a little predictable, but I didn’t think it took too much away from the story. Overall, great thriller novel and I would definitely recommend.

In other news, I am hoping to do some blog hopping today to catch up with your posts and to reply to comments. I am currently dogsitting THREE dogs, so it’s been a little hard to find some time to do a whole lot since they got here on Friday. It’s also been a little chaotic because I have them and then I also have my four furbabies! I’m bummed that it’s February 10th and I’ve only finished one book. I really had high hopes for this month. I’m not counting myself out just yet though! There’s still plenty of time. Hopefully I’ll still be able to read and review a few more before the month ends.

In case you missed it;
4 Star Reads of 2019.
Introducing: Andy Reads.
February TBR (Maybe).

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Husband Material.

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Husband Material by Emily Belden
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Twenty-nine-year-old Charlotte Rosen has a secret: she’s a widow. Ever since the fateful day that leveled her world, Charlotte has worked hard to move forward. Great job at a hot social media analytics company? Check. Roommate with no knowledge of her past? Check. Adorable dog? Check. All the while, she’s faithfully data-crunched her way through life, calculating the probability of risk—so she can avoid it. Yet Charlotte’s algorithms could never have predicted that her late husband’s ashes would land squarely on her doorstep five years later. Stunned but determined, Charlotte sets out to find meaning in this sudden twist of fate, even if that includes facing her perfectly coiffed, and perfectly difficult, ex-mother-in-law—and her husband’s best friend, who seems to become a fixture at her side whether she likes it or not. But soon a shocking secret surfaces, forcing Charlotte to answer questions she never knew to ask and to consider the possibility of forgiveness. And when a chance at new love arises, she’ll have to decide once and for all whether to follow the numbers or trust her heart.


I received an ARC of Husband Material from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on December 30th.

I read Eighty-Sixed from Emily Belden years ago and it made me want to read all her books, so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read Husband Material.  I ended up giving the book three stars. I liked it and it had some really great moments, but I felt like it took awhile to get into it or for things to happen. I struggled a little bit with it and it wasn’t what I expected it was going to be. That doesn’t mean it was  bad book though, because I did like it and I really liked the characters. Charlotte had to navigate life the best she could after losing her husband. She battled with her own demons and guilt in regards to that and things from her past resurfacing. There were a couple little things that I didn’t see coming, so that was a plus. I’m glad it wasn’t too predictable. While I didn’t love Husband Material, I did enjoy it. I would still recommend checking it out.


I’ll catch up with your posts and reply to comments later today. I need to get out of bed and start my day. If I don’t get up now, I’ll probably end up laying here all day haha.

In case you missed it;
2020 Personal Goals.
2020 Reading Goals.
2019 Year in Books (Reading Stats).

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Regretting You.

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Regretting You by Colleen Hoover
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara. While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.


I received an ARC of Regretting You from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on December 10th.

I really enjoy reading Colleen Hoover’s books, so I was excited when I was approved for Regretting You on Netgalley. I don’t want to go into a huge elaborate review, because I don’t want to risk spoiling anything. I always find it better to go into Colleen Hoover’s books with as little knowledge as possible. I really liked the story and Colleen did not disappoint. She always has a way of sucking you in and making it so hard to put down her books and that’s exactly what happened with this one. There were so many feels and emotions experienced throughout the story by both the characters and myself. I really connected with them and I was so sad for them. It was a really heartbreaking story, but it had quite a few happy moments as well. There were a couple things that prevented me from giving it five stars though. It’s hard to explain without spoiling it, but I just felt like something was missing. I wanted to know more about what exactly happened, like when, how, why, but that wasn’t really explored or explained much. I felt unsatisfied with that. Overall though, I really enjoyed Regretting You and would highly recommend checking it out.


I still need to blog hop and catch up with guys! Soon, I promise. I’ve seriously been doing so bad mentally over the last couple weeks and it’s been making it so hard to want to sit in front of my computer aside from having to for work. I wrote a little post about it last week, which I’ll link below. I feel like it’s just gotten so much worse, sigh. I have a four day weekend this week though, so hopefully I’ll be able to find some time. We’ll be leaving tomorrow or Thursday morning to go have Thanksgiving with my family and I am really looking forward to that. I feel like I need a break from my routine life so badly, so maybe this little visit will help me. November book haul and wrap up coming soon.

In case you missed it;
Random|| Life & Reading Update.
Mini Review|| The Wives.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| The Wives.

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The Wives by Tarryn Fisher
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Imagine that your husband has two other wives. You’ve never met the other wives. None of you know each other, and because of this unconventional arrangement, you can see your husband only one day a week. But you love him so much you don’t care. Or at least that’s what you’ve told yourself. But one day, while you’re doing laundry, you find a scrap of paper in his pocket—an appointment reminder for a woman named Hannah, and you just know it’s another of the wives. You thought you were fine with your arrangement, but you can’t help yourself: you track her down, and, under false pretenses, you strike up a friendship. Hannah has no idea who you really are. Then Hannah starts showing up to your coffee dates with telltale bruises, and you realize she’s being abused by her husband. Who, of course, is also your husband. But you’ve never known him to be violent, ever. Who exactly is your husband, and how far would you go to find the truth? Would you risk your own life? And who is his mysterious third wife?


I received an ARC of The Wives from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be published on December 30th.

I’m still sort of new to Tarryn Fisher’s books as The Wives was only my third book of hers that I read. Of what I read of hers, she’s so good at writing some pretty twisted books. I was so excited to read The Wives and honestly, it did not disappoint! I knew it was going to be pretty crazy just by the book description and as I continued through the story, it got weirder and crazier as I turned the pages. I flew through the book in a little over a day. I couldn’t put it down! I did think that the beginning was a lot better than the second half, but I still really enjoyed. There were quite a few things I didn’t see coming and I was definitely left shook at times. I decided to go the mini review route for this one, because I don’t want to give away a lot or risk spoilers. This is one of those books that it’s best to go into it not really having too much information. I had so much fun reading The Wives and I can’t wait to pick up Tarryn’s other books.

In case you missed it;
WWW Wednesday#66.
Wrap Up|| October.
Book Haul|| October.

I hope you have a great day and weekend!

ashleyblack

Mini Review|| Imaginary Friend.

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Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
5 out of 5 stars

“We can swallow our fear or let our fear swallow us.”

Goodreads Description: Christopher is seven years old. Christopher is the new kid in town. Christopher has an imaginary friend. Single mother Kate Reese is on the run. Determined to improve life for her and her son, Christopher, she flees an abusive relationship in the middle of the night with Christopher at her side. Together, they find themselves drawn to the tight-knit community of Mill Grove, Pennsylvania. It’s as far off the beaten track as they can get. Just one highway in, one highway out. At first, it seems like the perfect place to finally settle down. Then Christopher vanishes. For six awful days, no one can find him. Until Christopher emerges from the woods at the edge of town, unharmed but not unchanged. He returns with a voice in his head only he can hear, with a mission only he can complete: Build a tree house in the woods by Christmas, or his mother and everyone in the town will never be the same again. Soon Kate and Christopher find themselves in the fight of their lives, caught in the middle of a war playing out between good and evil, with their small town as the battleground.


I received an ARC of Imaginary Friend from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on October 1st.

I am not entirely sure how to start this review or how great this review will end up being, because I have no idea what I even read. I say that in the best way possible though, because Imaginary Friend was INSANE, but so good! It was crazy and it kept me on the edge of my seat on every 700+ page! It was weird and it was creepy. I had dreams about this book multiple times throughout reading it. I had no idea what was happening or what the outcome would be and it drove me crazy, haha. I was trying to figure out what was going to happen next and I just couldn’t. I was constantly surprised and hit with so many feels. I shed a lot of tears while reading this story as well as every other feeling you can imagine. The love between Christopher and his mom was everything. I don’t want to say a whole lot, because I don’t want to spoil even the smallest thing. I would highly recommend picking up Imaginary Friend. I know I will be thinking about this book for a really long time.

“A nightmare is nothing but a dream gone sick.”

In case you missed it;
Halloweenie TBR.
Book Haul|| September.
Wrap Up|| September.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyhalloween

Review|| Swipe Right for Murder.

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Swipe Right for Murder by Derek Milman
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: On the run from the FBI. Targeted by a murderous cult. Labeled a cyber-terrorist by the media. Irritated texts from his best friend. Eye contact with a nice-looking guy on the train. Aidan has a lot to deal with, and he’s not quite sure which takes top priority. Finding himself alone in a posh New York City hotel room for the night, Aidan does what any red-blooded seventeen-year-old would do—he tries to hook up with someone new. But that lapse in judgement leads to him waking up next to a dead guy, which sparks an epic case of mistaken identity that puts Aidan on the run from everyone—faceless federal agents, his eccentric family, and, naturally, a cyber-terrorist group who will stop at nothing to find him. He soon realizes the only way to stop the chase is to deliver the object everyone wants, before he gets caught or killed. But for Aidan, the hardest part is knowing who he can trust not to betray him—including himself.


I received an ARC of Swipe Right for Murder from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was published on August 6th.

I must have forgotten what what Swipe Right for Murder was about by time I got around to reading it, because it ended up being completely different than I originally thought it was going to be? But now reading the description again after finishing the book, I see that it was exactly what the description says haha. 😛 I think that’s part of why I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars. I was expecting something totally different, but totally my fault since I didn’t read the description again before starting the book, lol.

With that being said, I still really enjoyed Swipe Right for Murder. I had a lot of fun reading it and it was a pretty interesting story. There were quite a few twists involved and a couple that I didn’t see coming. I really liked the main character, Aidan and I really felt for him and was rooting for him the entire way through. He is dealing with so many things in his life and then he’s thrown into this crazy situation. He doesn’t know who to trust and I honestly had no idea who to trust either. I was just as confused and frustrated as Aidan was throughout the book.

I don’t want to talk about too much, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers and it’s hard to do with thriller books; at least for me, haha. Overall though, I thought Swipe Right for Murder was a really good story even though it was completely different than I originally thought. Totally my fault with that though, lol. I had a lot of fun reading it and it kept me guessing and questioning what was really happening. It also has a lot of LGBT themes and I felt like it was relevant and relatable. I would definitely recommend picking this one up. Don’t let my three star rating fool you, because it really was a good book.


I have been pretty MIA the last couple weeks on the blog, but life has just been so weird again and I’m not really feeling myself. I don’t think I ever got back to my normal self since my post in April about everything, honestly. I’ve also been in this HUGE reading slump, which sucks. It’s day 19 of September and I’ve only read one book (this book I’m reviewing now). I’ve tried to listen to numerous audiobooks, but none have captured my attention and I end up not even continuing with them. Hopefully I get out of this reading slump before October, because I’ve already created my Halloween themed TBR (which I will post October 1st) that I’m excited about. Fingers crossed! I’ll hopefully find some time this weekend to catch up with your posts and reply to comments. 🙂

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Mini Review||How to Hack a Heartbreak.

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How to Hack a Heartbreak by Kristin Rockaway
3 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: By day, Mel Strickland is an underemployed helpdesk tech at a startup incubator, Hatch, where she helps entitled brogrammers—”Hatchlings”—who can’t even fix their own laptops, but are apparently the next wave of startup geniuses. And by night, she goes on bad dates with misbehaving dudes she’s matched with on the ubiquitous dating app, Fluttr. But after one dick pic too many, Mel has had it. Using her brilliant coding skills, she designs an app of her own, one that allows users to log harrassers and abusers in online dating space. It’s called JerkAlert, and it goes viral overnight. Mel is suddenly in way over her head. Worse still, her almost-boyfriend, the dreamy Alex Hernandez—the only non-douchey guy at Hatch—has no idea she’s the brains behind the app. Soon, Mel is faced with a terrible choice: one that could destroy her career, love life, and friendships, or change her life forever.


I received an ARC of How to Hack a Heartbreak from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released July 30th.

I had a lot of fun reading How to Hack a Heartbreak. It is so relatable to so many people when it comes to the online dating world. I personally have never experienced any of the crazy and creepy things that involve the online dating scene, but I’ve read stories and it’s pretty messed up. I felt that How to Hack a Heartbreak did a great job at showing that throughout the story.

I mostly liked Melanie and her group of friends. I think a lot of people can really relate to them on some level. Throughout the story Melanie (and her friends) had to deal with a lot of creepy dudes and Melanie with her co-workers. She was the only woman working among males and the majority of them were just horrible and gross to her. I did like the romance in the book, but a few things bugged me. I think that was due to some of Melanie’s actions though. She started to become a little too negative for my liking. I won’t say a whole lot, because spoilers.

Overall, I enjoyed How to Hack a Heartbreak. It’s a quick read and so relateable. I am looking forward to checking out more books from Kristin.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| July.
Review|| Spin the Dawn.
Book Haul|| July.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Spin the Dawn.

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Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
4 out of 5 stars

“Seize the wind. Don’t become the kite that never flies.”

Goodreads Description: Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job. Backstabbing and lies run rampant as the tailors compete in challenges to prove their artistry and skill. Maia’s task is further complicated when she draws the attention of the court magician, Edan, whose piercing eyes seem to see straight through her disguise. And nothing could have prepared her for the final challenge: to sew three magic gowns for the emperor’s reluctant bride-to-be, from the laughter of the sun, the tears of the moon, and the blood of stars. With this impossible task before her, she embarks on a journey to the far reaches of the kingdom, seeking the sun, the moon, and the stars, and finding more than she ever could have imagined.


I received an ARC of Spin the Dawn from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released on July 9th.

When I seen that Spin the Dawn was a mix between Project Runaway and Mulan, I knew I needed to read it as soon as possible! I had so much fun reading Spin the Dawn. There are basically two different parts to this story, which I really liked. You have the competition and then the journey that Maia goes on to get the materials to make the dresses. I really enjoyed both parts of the story, but felt like the actual second part was overall the best. Maia gets to go on a crazy adventure and see different parts of the world that she never has before. There are quite a few obstacles along the way, but it made the story interesting and on the edge of my seat at times. I really enjoyed the world building and the descriptions of the different places that Maia had to travel; it made it really easy to envision them.

I loved Maia’s character so much. At the start she seemed a bit unsure of things, but continued to grow throughout the story as she experienced and learned more of the world. I really liked how much she loves her family and what she’s willing to go through for them. Edan was a fun character and I liked the relationship development between him and Maia. It did seem odd and a bit insta-love at times though. There are some characters that I hope we learn more about in the sequel, like the Emperor and Lady Sarnai. Even more about Edan would be great as well. I feel like not enough was written about them or what they went through in the past leading up to the events in this book. I think a lot of the focus was on Maia and her development, so I am hoping the sequel tells more about other key characters in the story.

Overall, I really enjoyed Spin the Dawn. I loved the magic, the adventure, and I had a lot of fun reading it. The ending was perfect and has left me wanting more!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| July.
Review|| Wilder Girls.
Friday Finds #82.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

 

Review|| Wilder Girls.

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Wilder Girls by Rory Power
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: It’s been eighteen months since the Raxter School for Girls was put under quarantine. Since the Tox hit and pulled Hetty’s life out from under her. It started slow. First the teachers died one by one. Then it began to infect the students, turning their bodies strange and foreign. Now, cut off from the rest of the world and left to fend for themselves on their island home, the girls don’t dare wander outside the school’s fence, where the Tox has made the woods wild and dangerous. They wait for the cure they were promised as the Tox seeps into everything. But when Byatt goes missing, Hetty will do anything to find her, even if it means breaking quarantine and braving the horrors that lie beyond the fence. And when she does, Hetty learns that there’s more to their story, to their life at Raxter, than she could have ever thought true.


I received an ARC of Wilder Girls from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on July 9th.

Wilder Girls had so much promise, but sadly it didn’t live up to the hype for me. At first I was really into the story and I couldn’t put it down. I was so invested in finding out what was happening to all of these girls and finding out what the Tox really was. So many crazy and disturbing things were happening to them. They were cut off from the world and had to survive on limited supplies and while battling the Tox and sometimes each other. It was pretty intense, especially at the beginning.

Eventually I started to get a little bored with what was going on around the halfway point, because nothing really did happen after awhile. Some of the girls started to really annoy me and some things started to get a little too weird or confusing. I felt like there were some unanswered questions and the ending was really underwhelming. I felt like it wasn’t a complete ending. I don’t know if there is plans for a book two (I didn’t see anything about it), but I felt like the book just all of a sudden ended and that was that. There was no resolution or anything. I was really confused by that.

Overall, I did like Wilder Girls and thought it was hard to put down at times. It was pretty creepy and disturbing. I just wish there were more to it, especially the ending. It felt like so much information was missing and that nothing really got resolved. Maybe it was setup that way in case there is a sequel one day? Who knows…that just really bugged me though. I will forever have all of these unanswered questions. I don’t want to go into what they are though, because it’ll be spoilerish. I just wanted more and wasn’t happy with how things just all of a sudden ended.

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #82.
Review|| Soul of the Sword {sequel}.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Soul of the Sword {sequel}.

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Soul of the Sword by Julie Kagawa
5 out of 5 stars.

I am not going to put the Goodreads description in this post, because this book is a sequel to Shadow of the Fox and I don’t want to give away spoilers if you haven’t read Shadow of the Fox. Above title linked to Goodreads though. My review may have spoilers of Shadow of the Fox though since it is a sequel, but I’ll try not to. I’m not very good at writing sequel reviews because fear of giving anything away LOL. 😛


I received an ARC of Soul of the Sword from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on June 25th.

I read Shadow of the Fox last year and absolutely loved it (check out my review over here). I was so stoked to dive back into the world again with Soul of the Sword. As with the first book, I loved the continued world building and more of the Japanese legends and culture. I thought Julie did a great job at recapping the events in the first book in this one, so it was really easy to jump back into the story and not have to worry too much about forgetting certain things that happened in the first book.

I thought Soul of the Sword was an amazing sequel and I had so much fun reading it. It was such an adventure with so many things happening. Once again filled with so much tickery and magic. I loved how Yumeko grew throughout the journey and learned to better use her Kitsune magic. She did some pretty amazing things with her illusions and magic. I was living for the interactions between Okame and Daisuke. I am dying to see what happens with these two in the next book. You get to be in the head of Hakaimono, which is really cool and while I didn’t like him too much…I also kind of did? You’re also introduced to more key players and more creepy creatures.

Overall, I really loved Soul of the Sword and I was really happy with everything that happened. I thought it was a lot darker than Shadow of the Fox, which I loved. It’s a lot more gory and violent than the first book as well, but honestly I love that kind of stuff. The twist toward the end was so amazing and I didn’t see it coming. I am actually really excited about it though, because it’s going to make book three even more interesting. I can’t wait! The wait for it is going to be so hard. I highly recommend reading Shadow of the Fox, because Soul of the Sword was such a great book and needs to be read! If you’ve already read the first book…what are you waiting for? Pick up the sequel ASAP! 😛

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| June.
Wrap Up|| June.
Top Ten Tuesday|| Summer TBR.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

 

Mini Review|| Virtually Yours.

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Virtually Yours by Sarvenaz Tash
3 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: How bad can one little virtual lie be? NYU freshman Mariam Vakilian hasn’t dated anyone in five months, not since her high school sweetheart Caleb broke up with her. So, when she decides to take advantage of an expiring coupon and try out a new virtual reality dating service, it’s sort of a big deal. It’s an even bigger deal when it chooses as one of her three matches none other than Caleb himself. That has to be a sign, right? Except that her other match, Jeremy, just happens to be her new best friend IRL. Mariam’s heart is telling her one thing, but the app is telling her another. So, which should she trust? Is all fair in modern love?


I received an ARC of Virtually Yours from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on June 4th.

I don’t have a whole lot to say about Virtually Yours, but I did have a lot of fun reading it. I liked it a lot and breezed through it. I liked the characters and all of the new friendships. I especially liked Mariam and Jeremy’s friendship the most. I liked the relationship Mariam had with her siblings and I liked the Iranian culture that was included in the story as well. I thought the virtual dating service was pretty interesting with the virtual reality dates. It also got a little creepy at times with how much the AI system knew about you. Throughout most of the story Mariam is trying to get back with her ex-boyfriend Caleb so she jumped at the chance when he was chosen as one of her matches on the app. Overall, I thought Virtually Yours was a fun, cute, and quick read. Even though the story didn’t blow me away, I still liked it and it kept my interest. I liked the characters, friendships, and family dynamic. It was interesting and worth the read, especially if you’re just looking for a quick fun read.

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| May.
Book Haul|| May.
Review|| Going Off Script.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

Review|| Going Off Script.

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Going Off Script by Jen Wilde
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Seventeen-year-old Bex is thrilled when she gets an internship on her favorite tv show, Silver Falls. Unfortunately, the internship isn’t quite what she expected… instead of sitting in a crowded writer’s room volleying ideas back and forth, Production Interns are stuck picking up the coffee. Determined to prove her worth as a writer, Bex drafts her own script and shares it with the head writer―who promptly reworks it and passes it off as his own! Bex is understandably furious, yet…maybe this is just how the industry works? But when they rewrite her proudly lesbian character as straight, that’s the last straw! It’s time for Bex and her crush to fight back.


I received an ARC of Going Off Script from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was just released last week (May 21st).

I have never read a book by Jen Wilde before, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect with Going Off Script. I loved the way it sounded in the description and that cover is pretty amazing, so I was excited when I received a copy from the publisher. I had a lot of fun reading this book! I ended up really liking it  a lot.

There were so many diverse characters in this story, which was really great! Some of the things talked about throughout the story are so relevant to today as well, which was another great point. I think so many people will find Going Off Script relatable. I really liked the characters and loved all the different friendships & relationships throughout the book. I think Bex struggled a little bit when she moved to LA, but she had so many good people in her life to help her though it and she was able to start living as her authentic self. It was also interesting getting a glimpse into Hollywood life and what happens behind the scenes of writing and producing TV shows.

Overall, I really liked Going off Script. I thought it was fun, cute, and super relatable. There are so many diverse characters and it deals with a lot of pretty important things. I am really looking forward to reading some other books by Jen Wilde, because I thought she did a terrific job with this one. I definitely recommend checking it out.


Sorry for the mini review! I did really enjoy this book though. 🙂 I will hopefully have my May book haul and May wrap up posts up in the next few days. I’m trying to finish one more book and an audiobook before my wrap up post goes up. Crossing fingers! I am also planning to do a picture update post too, because it’s been awhile since I’ve done one of those. I hope you guys had a great weekend!

In case you  missed it;
Friday Finds #81.
Review|| We Contain Multitudes.
Book Tag||Book Addiction.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| We Contain Multitudes.

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We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: Jonathan Hopkirk and Adam “Kurl” Kurlansky are partnered in English class, writing letters to one another in a weekly pen pal assignment. With each letter, the two begin to develop a friendship that eventually grows into love. But with homophobia, bullying, and devastating family secrets, Jonathan and Kurl struggle to overcome their conflicts and hold onto their relationship…and each other.


I received an ARC of We Contain Multitudes from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was released last week (May 14th).

My love for We Contain Multitudes is never ending. I loved it right from the beginning. I could have finished this book in a single day, because it was so hard to put down. The reason I didn’t finish it the day I picked it up was because I never wanted it to end! I was constantly putting it down, so I could always have more to come back to. There were also so many intense moments in the story that I had to put it down because my heart was going to explode!

We Contain Multitudes is told completely in letters between Jonathan and Adam. I loved that so much and that was another one of the reasons why it was so hard to put down. A friendship really blossomed between the two of them when they started writing to each other, which eventually grew into more. They told each other secrets and they really grew together over the course of the year. They were both going through their own struggles within themselves, home and at school, but they helped each other through it all.

Have you ever wanted to feel seen? That’s how it was with them. They seen each other when not a lot of people really did and that was such a beautiful thing. All the letters between them were written so beautifully and at times felt like poetry. There were so many feels in this book that I could not handle it all. My heart was happy. My heart ached. I felt everything. I loved both Jonathan and Adam more than words can express. I was rooting for them the entire time, because they both struggled with so many different things in their life and I just wanted them each to be okay! I really got invested in the story and these characters.

Overall, We Contain Multitudes was an emotional roller coaster. It was everything I hoped it would be. It was sad, but it was also so beautiful. I am going to be thinking about this book for a really long time and honestly, I already want to reread it. I loved it so much and I am already calling it my favorite book of the year. I highly recommend checking this one out.

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In case you missed it;
Book Tag||Book Addiction.
WWW Wednesday #61.
Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Somewhere Only We Know.

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Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo
4 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: 10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger. 11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious. 12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.


I received an ARC of Somewhere Only We Know from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. It was just released last week (May 7th).

I had so much fun reading Somewhere Only We Know. I honestly have no knowledge of K-Pop, but it was interesting to learn a little bit about it as I was reading the story. I really liked the characters and the little adventures they went on were fun. I loved their personalities and they had such a great connection too, so it made reading all their banter and dialogue so much fun. SO MUCH FOOD!! Both Lucky and Jack are going through things in their personal lives, so it was nice seeing them let go for a little while and have fun. I also liked watching them grow and change throughout just 24 hours together and figure out what they really want out of life. I thought that was so relateable.

This book is written in two point of views (Lucky & Jack), which I actually really liked. I don’t always like that, but it worked for this story. I liked knowing what was going on in both of their heads throughout the story. It helped to better connect with them both. I thought Somewhere Only We Know was a cute and fun read. I enjoyed it so much! It was nice getting a glimpse into the K-Pop world. I liked Lucky and Jack’s adventures through Hong Kong and makes me really want to travel there one day. I’ve never read any books by Maurene Goo, but I now can’t wait to read more of her books! I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

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I think short reviews are my thing lately. I hope you had a great weekend! I am hoping to finish another May ARC this week, so I can get that review posted. I think I have three left after the one I am currently reading. I am crossing my fingers I can read and review them all this month, so in June I can focus more on my alphabet challenge and other books I own. I’ll catch up with your posts and comments in the next day or two. Mondays are usually really busy for me, so hopefully tomorrow. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Tag|| This or That.
WWW Wednesday #60.
Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Happy Messy Scary Love.

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Happy Messy Scary Love by Leah Konen
5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Description: As everyone at her Brooklyn high school announces their summer adventures, Olivia harbors a dirty secret: Her plan is to binge-watch horror movies and chat with her online friend, Elm. Olivia and Elm have never shared personal details, apart from their ages and the fact that Elm’s aunt is a low-budget horror filmmaker. Then Elm pushes Olivia to share her identity and sends her a selfie of his own. Olivia is shocked by how cute he is! In a moment of panic, assuming she and Elm will never meet in real life, she sends a photo of her gorgeous friend Katie. But things are about to get even more complicated when Olivia’s parents send her to the Catskills, and she runs into the one person she never thought she would see.


I received an ARC of Happy Messy Scary Love from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released May 14th.

I love books about social media or people hiding who they really are online; catfishing. It’s so relevant to today, because it is happening all the time. So I knew I would probably end up really liking Happy Messy Scary Love and I did! I ended up loving it. I breezed through it in a day, because it was so hard to put down. It was cute, it was fun, it was addicting!

I loved Olivia and her love for horror movies. Olivia was so relatable. She is under so many different pressures and then throw in the new feelings she has for her online friend Elm and everything gets so complicated. There are tons of horror movie references and name drops, which was awesome. I loved her friendship with Elm and all their fun banter and horror film talk. Lots of laugh out loud moments with them. There were a few emotional moments too. There’s a few things that Olivia is going through as well as her friends.

This is a short but sweet review, but Happy Messy Scary Love was a really great read and I loved it so much. I had a lot of fun reading it and I was sad for it to end. It’ll be releasing next week, so be on the look out for it. It is the perfect summer read.

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I’ll hopefully have some time today or tomorrow to catch up with all of your posts and to reply to comments. 🙂

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #80.
Wrap Up|| April.
Book Haul|| April.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Girls with Sharp Sticks.

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Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young
5 out of 5 stars

“Demonstrate your value to those in attendance by showing how appealing a beautiful, obedient girl can be. Hold your tongue. Bat your eyes. Smile. Be best.”

Goodreads Description: The Girls of Innovations Academy are beautiful and well-behaved—it says so on their report cards. Under the watchful gaze of their Guardians, the all-girl boarding school offers an array of studies and activities, from “Growing a Beautiful and Prosperous Garden” to “Art Appreciation” and “Interior Design.” The girls learn to be the best society has to offer. Absent is the difficult math coursework, or the unnecessary sciences or current events. They are obedient young ladies, free from arrogance or defiance. Until Mena starts to realize that their carefully controlled existence may not be quite as it appears. As Mena and her friends begin to uncover the dark secrets of what’s actually happening there—and who they really are—the girls of Innovations will find out what they are truly capable of. Because some of the prettiest flowers have the sharpest thorns.


I was sent a copy of Girls with Sharp Sticks from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This book is currently out now.

Wow, what a ride! I found Girls with Sharp Sticks to be such an intense and crazy read. It was so hard to put down and left me feeling all the feels! It wasn’t completely what I expected it to be, but it was such a great read. I thought it was going to be a fun and suspenseful read (which it was!!), but there was so much  more meaning to it. It fits so perfectly with things happening in the world today; like society wanting girls to be perfect. It also fits with the Me Too Movement as well, which is so important.

I loved the bond the girls have with each other. They really held each other together with everything that was happening at the school and to them. There were so many twists and turns. A couple things were predictable to me, but that didn’t take away from the story at all. I still loved it so much! There were also some poems included within the story, which was great. This may end up being a pretty short review, because there are so many things that happen and I don’t want to accidentally give anything away.

Overall, I really loved Girls with Sharp Sticks. I loved all the girl power and standing up for yourself. I loved the friendships and how much the girls loved each other. I loved that it was really suspenseful and sometimes you just had no clue what was happening. It was also sad in a lot of ways. It’s such an important book, especially to empower all girls out there. I need that sequel ASAP! I highly recommend checking this one out. Lucky for you, it’s out in the world now.

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In case you missed it;
Review|| Summer of ’69.
Friday Finds #78.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Summer of ’69.

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Summer of ’69 by Todd Strasser
5 out of 5 stars.

“But what if sometimes there is no one to blame, because no one is at fault? Sometimes things happen that will never truly be resolved or settled, and the best you can do is just get on with it and make your own peace.”

Goodreads Description: Drawing from his teenage years, Todd Strasser’s novel revisits a tumultuous era and takes readers on a psychedelically tinged trip of a lifetime. With his girlfriend, Robin, away in Canada, eighteen-year-old Lucas Baker’s only plans for the summer are to mellow out with his friends, smoke weed, drop a tab or two, and head out in his microbus for a three-day happening called the Woodstock Music and Art Fair. But life veers dramatically off track when he suddenly finds himself in danger of being drafted and sent to fight in Vietnam. If that isn’t heavy enough, there’s also the free-loving (and undeniably alluring) Tinsley, who seems determined to test Lucas’s resolve to stay faithful to Robin; a frighteningly bad trip at a Led Zeppelin concert; a run-in with an angry motorcycle gang; parents who appear headed for a divorce; and a friend on the front lines in ‘Nam who’s in mortal danger of not making it back. As the pressures grow, it’s not long before Lucas finds himself knocked so far down, it’s starting to look like up to him. When tuning in, turning on, and dropping out is no longer enough, what else is there? 


I received an ARC of Summer of ’69 from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released tomorrow (April 9th).

I have always been interested in the 60s and I am especially a fan of the music from that era. One of the reasons I requested this book was because one of my favorite songs is Summer of 69 by Bryan Adams, haha. That song was of course written in the 80s, but it was about a life in the 60s. That time period just seemed so fun from things I’ve read, listened to, and watched. But there were also a lot of heartbreak and bad things happening in the world throughout that time too, which brings me to this book.

Summer of ’69 was without a doubt a fun ride, but it was also a lot deeper than I thought it was going to be. The war in Vietnam was happening and you risked being drafted if you didn’t get into college or have another way out. Throughout the story Lucas had  a lot of fun with his friends, they used a lot of drugs, and basically just had a really good time. There were a lot of mishaps, but it was an adventure whether it was really happening or they were tripping on acid. Aside from that though, Lucas was dealing with a lot between his home life, his girlfriend Robin, and whether he was going to be able to get out of being drafted into the Army. His friends had their own issues and troubles as well.

Overall, I really loved the story. I love this era of time, so this book was right up my alley. I was sucked in from the very first page. It was a mix of happy and sad moments; good and bad moments. It was fun, but also heartbreaking. It left me shocked, in tears, and with goosebumps at times. There were also times where I was laughing out loud. So many great characters and friendships as well. I loved all the hippie vibes. I also loved learning more about that time period, the events happening, and the war. It was a wild ride and full of emotions.

This book was way more than what I originally thought it was going to be, but I am so glad that it was. The author wrote this story based on events in his life during this time, which I thought was really cool. So this is essentially his summer/life with some things/places/times changed up a bit. I would definitely recommend picking this one up.

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In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #78.
WWW Wednesday #58.
Wrap Up|| March.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee.

Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee by Jeff Zentner
5 out of 5 stars

“Sometimes small and unspectacular things can be a universe.”

Goodreads Description: Every Friday night, best friends Delia and Josie become Rayne Ravenscroft and Delilah Darkwood, hosts of the campy creature feature show Midnite Matinee on the local cable station TV Six. But with the end of senior year quickly approaching, the girls face tough decisions about their futures. Josie has been dreading graduation, as she tries to decide whether to leave for a big university and chase her dream career in mainstream TV. And Lawson, one of the show’s guest performers, a talented MMA fighter with weaknesses for pancakes, fantasy novels, and Josie, is making her tough decision even harder. Scary movies are the last connection Delia has to her dad, who abandoned the family years ago. If Midnite Matinee becomes a hit, maybe he’ll see it and want to be a part of her life again. And maybe Josie will stay with the show instead of leaving her behind, too. As the tug-of-war between growing up and growing apart tests the bonds of their friendship, Josie and Delia start to realize that an uncertain future can be both monstrous…and momentous.


I received an ARC of Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was released in February of 2019.

A new Jeff Zentner book?! YESSSS! I am so stoked that I was approved for Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Matinee. Jeff always writes books that make me ugly cry and end up loving to pieces. Rayne & Delilah was no exception! I felt all the feels and let me tell you, there are so many! This book was so fun to read….and so easy to cry over.

I loved Josie and Delia’s friendship so much. They were funny and connected so well together. They had a strong bond and connection and it was perfection. They had me laughing almost non-stop and then there were the moments where they had me crying almost non-stop! Throw in new friend Lawson and it was a riot! There were a lot of family aspects to the story that were really sad, but I loved Delia and her mom’s relationship so much. I loved the horror movie aspect of it and all the movie references. I even caught a some Serpent King references in the story, which was fun! I’m sure there were Goodbye Days references that I missed, but it was fun that there were some little connections to Zentner’s other books. 😛

Overall, I loved Rayne & Delilah’s Midnite Mantinee so so much! It was everything I hoped it would be. I laughed, I cried, and had so much fun reading it. The characters were great, the story was great, so much friendship and love in one story. It made me so sad and so happy at the same time. I highly recommend reading it. Now I must go find some low quality old horror films to watch. 😛

“Maybe life isn’t about avoiding pain at all costs. Maybe it’s about having one or two people who have signed up for the messy job of being your salvation, who make your life bigger.”

In case you missed it;
Wrap Up|| February.
Review|| The Little Star.
Book Haul|| February.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| The Little Star.

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The Little Star by Randy Richburg
5 out of 5 stars.

Description: The Little Star: A Story of Who and What You Are is an illustrated children’s book about the infinite persistence of a mother’s love. Across an ocean of stars, from one end to the other, a Mother Star’s words of wisdom and love will follow her child from the inception of the Universe all the way to the arrival of life on planet Earth. This book has especially appealed to scientifically enthusiastic young parents, and children alike. It is a must read for scientists of any age who may have a soft spot for touchingly tragic stories about life, death, beginnings, ends, transformations, and unconditional love.


The Little Star is a children’s book, but I thought it was great! It was sad, but it was also happy. I was actually able to meet Richburg back in December and he was such a cool guy and I had no idea at the time that he wrote books, but I am so stoked that I know now and was able to buy a copy. I don’t have kids and I honestly don’t know if I ever will, but I really enjoyed the book even without that experience. I got emotional reading it. I put myself in the child’s point of view and thought about my own mother. It was so easy to read and shows a mother’s love for her child perfectly. I really loved it and I think a lot of people would as well, regardless if you have children or not.

Now onto the illustrations! The illustrations were amazing and so colorful. I also love the space and galaxy vibe of the story and illustrations to match. The author illustrated the book himself, which I think is really cool. Here are a few pages from the book, so that you can see some of the awesome illustrations!

I love that they are so colorful and gorgeous. I am a sucker for science and space, so this book was perfection. The book is linked to Amazon (above) instead of Goodreads, because I didn’t see it on their site yet. I definitely recommend checking it out!

In case you missed it;
Book Haul|| February.
Hello, Central Florida.
Review|| Just for Clicks.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

Review|| Just for Clicks.

justforclicks

Just for Clicks by Kara McDowell
5 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: Mommy blogs are great . . . unless the blog happens to belong to your mom. Twin sisters Claire & Poppy are accidental social media stars thanks to Mom going viral when they were babies. Now, as teens, they’re expected to contribute by building their own brand. Attending a NY fashion week and receiving fan mail is a blast. Fending off internet trolls and would-be kidnappers? Not so much. Poppy embraces it. Claire hates it. Will anybody accept her as “just Claire”? And what should Claire do about Mom’s old journals? The handwritten entries definitely don’t sound like Mom’s perfect blog persona. Worse, one of them divulges a secret that leaves Claire wondering what else in her life might be nothing but a sham . . .


I received an ARC of Just for Clicks from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. It was just released on February 19th. 

I love books involving social media and the internet world, so I knew I wanted and had to read Just for Clicks. It did not disappoint and I actually ended up loving it so much! It’s so relevant for today with blogs, YouTube, going viral and becoming internet famous happening pretty much daily. I think a lot of people can relate to that. The story itself was fun and cute, but also had some real emotional and important moments as well.

I loved that there was a lot of focus on family and friendship. I really enjoyed Claire’s and Rafael’s friendship so much. There’s a slow burn romance as well, which was great. I liked that it was more focused on friendship. Poppy and Claire both struggle with internet fame in different ways, which I think is so true for so many people that are internet famous today. So many people handle situations differently and I think this is a huge one. I loved that we got to see a bunch of different sides of it between Poppy, Claire, and their mom. They love each other so much, but there are also so many dysfunctional aspects to their family as well, so you get to see all of that too.

Overall, I really loved Just for Clicks. I loved the characters, the relationships, and pretty much everything about it. It was fun and cute, but it also had its moments where things turn and I’m like “WTF IS GOING ON”. I did get emotional at times as well, because I was really invested in the characters and their stories. I personally don’t know if I would ever be able to handle being “internet famous”, but I love that you get to see all the positives and the negatives of that world and that life. I would definitely recommend reading Just for Clicks.


I am moving tomorrow (ahhhh!!!), so I may be a little MIA for a bit until I settle into my new house and new routine. I’ll still try to pop on as much as I can though, but just a little heads up if you don’t see me very often for the next week or two.

In case you missed it;
Friday Finds #75.
Review|| Comics Will Break Your Heart.
Random|| Life Update – New House!

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack

 

Review|| Comics Will Break Your Heart.

comicswillbreakyourheart

Comics Will Break Your Heart by Faith Erin Hicks
4 out of 5 stars.

Goodreads Description: Miriam’s family should be rich. After all, her grandfather was the co-creator of smash-hit comics series The TomorrowMen. But he sold his rights to the series to his co-creator in the 1960s for practically nothing, and now that’s what Miriam has: practically nothing. And practically nothing to look forward to either-how can she afford college when her family can barely keep a roof above their heads? As if she didn’t have enough to worry about, Miriam’s life gets much more complicated when a cute boy shows up in town . . . and turns out to be the grandson of the man who defrauded Miriam’s grandfather, and heir to the TomorrowMen fortune. In her endearing debut novel, cartoonist Faith Erin Hicks pens a sensitive and funny Romeo and Juliet tale about modern romance, geek royalty, and what it takes to heal the long-festering scars of the past (Spoiler Alert: love).


I received an ARC of Comics Will Break Your Heart from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Release date: Today, February 12, 2019.

I don’t read a lot of comics and I’m not really into the whole superhero thing either (I feel like everyone is except me, haha). I weirdly was really into Comics Will Break Your Heart though! There’s a lot of comic story talk because of TomorrowMen and the characters in the book being into the comics/series and also because of the family history with the comic as well. Comics Will Break Your Heart is more than just about superheroes and comics though, which I really liked.

I felt like the characters were really relatable and different aspects of the story itself was as well. Miriam struggled with what to do after high school and Weldon had to deal with two mostly absent parents in his life; his dad obsessed with his business and his mom just seemed really unstable. I liked the friendship that Miriam and Weldon eventually grew into. They weren’t sure if they should be friends or how it would all work out with the family drama between their two families.

Overall, I really liked Comics Will Break Your Heart. There were a couple things that I wasn’t that into though, one being that I felt the ending was left unfinished because there was no real resolution to the whole TomorrowMen situation between the families.  I still had questions regarding that situation. That aspect of the story just didn’t feel resolved to me. Everything else in the story was great though. It was a cute, fun, geeky, and even had it’s emotional moments. I really liked the characters and friendships. Great story and I would recommend.

In case you missed it;
Random|| Life Update – New House!
WWW Wednesday #56.
Wrap Up|| January.

I hope you have a great day!

ashleyblack
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