(out 5.25.21 – thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free copy)

Sigh. This book was the perfect rom com.

Witty banter.
Second chance romance.
A little novel within a novel.
An ode to Bookstagram.
An adorable bulldog.

Kara and Ryan’s story was sweet and endearing, but also real. They both carried emotional baggage, and like real humans they avoided talking about it.

I adored Kara. Her friendships, her sense of humor, her commitment to using humor to deflect. She was so relatable.

And, Ryan. Oh, Ryan what are we supposed to do with you. I can’t say much without giving away spoilers, but even when he royally screws up, I just wanted to pull him into a squishy hug and never let him go.

Rodham was amazing. But also a little sad because “what if’s” always make me long for the alternate reality presented.

What if Hillary hadn’t married Bill?

I’ve pondered this before. The better what if, though, is what if women weren’t held accountable for the men around them and men were held accountable for their actions? That’s the what if I’d love to one day see.

Rodham was a phenomenal book, as is my expectation with anything Sittenfeld touches. It spanned nearly four decades and explored so much history, and rewrote quite a bit too.

Now, I’ll be off daydreaming about the what if’s presented here.

I am not sure I have ever connected to or related to a book or character more than I did with Grace and Honey Girl.

Now, as a white cis woman with two kids and a career, Grace and I don’t have much in common on paper. But lord the insides—the anxiety, the pressure to do it all and be it all—I felt every one of those.

Morgan Rogers wrote a beautiful novel about family, found family, love, forgiveness, and self.

In case you can’t tell, I absolutely loved this book! All the stars. All the feels.

Wow. This was the exact book I needed. It had all the feels.

I am a sucker for flawed/imperfect characters, and the two main characters in This Close to Okay were the perfect balance of flawed and redeemable. Each mistake that was made was made with a deeper purpose and learning.

I just want to pull this book into a warm hug and never let it go.

Outlawed was the queer feminist western novel I didn’t know I needed in my life. I really enjoyed watching Ada come into her own.

The women of the Hole in the Wall Gang are what really pulled me into the story. Each had their own unique skills and background, but none of them allowed the shame cast on them by society to stop them.

I do feel that the pace of the story dragged a bit and was hoping for a bit more on Ada’s life at the end, but all in, this was an enjoyable read.

(Out 3/9/21. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.)

Eve Brown is by far my favorite Brown sister. Her boldness, vulnerability, and empathy made me fall completely in love with her. Jacob was grumpy, loveable, and completely and utterly perfect.

The slow-burn and enemies to lovers aren’t usually my favorite tropes, but Hibbert wrote this book so brilliantly that I wanted to savor every second of Eve and Jacob.

Now, I want a series with Mont and his sisters. That would be incredibly fun.

A beautiful exploration of self, relationships, family, and place.

Memorial was a raw, honest look at the lives of Benson and Mike, two men who struggle to communicate their feelings. Neither man is happy, but neither seem to be capable of having that honest conversation with each other.

I found myself completely drawn to the characters and story, especially the relationship between Benson and Mike’s mother, Mitsuko. She was thrown into an impossible situation with her son’s boyfriend, whom she barely knew. Through food and close proximity, Mitsuko seemed to unlock a warmth in Benson.

I connected a bit less with Mike and his father, but their relationship and growth was equally beautiful.

I cannot recommend this book enough. Go read it, now!

When it comes to all things music and Nashville, I’m obviously biased. I accept and embrace this. I’m also super judgmental about how my city is portrayed in books.

Home is Where You Are captured the Nashville vibe perfectly. The love for Berry Hill (if you know, you know), and The Loving Pie Company, who did have the BEST Mac and cheese in Nashville, and all things music.

Melissa Grace nailed it.

And I adored Jax & Liv and all the Midnight in Dallas boys. Seriously, the most down to earth musicians.

If you’re looking for a perfect rom com with music and a COVID-free tour of Nashville, you need to pick up this book.

And of course I had to showcase my favorite Nashville artist, @cleverclogsart, in this photo.

It took me two months, but I finished A Promised Land yesterday. The audiobook was phenomenal. Hearing his voice and eloquence was like the warm hug I didn’t know I needed.

The book is heavy on policy, which I love. My undergrad minor was in political science and I almost went for a masters in it (I went with a boring MBA instead). I’m a politics junkie.

One reason I love political memoirs so much is that you get an inside look into the thought process and reasoning behind decisions, legislation, and international dealings.

We do get a bit of his origin story and the insights into his campaign, but the bulk of the book deals with this first term in office.

This was a fantastic read and very insightful. He admits when he failed or didn’t do enough, something I think we’re missing right now.

I’m already looking forward to volume 2.