adult, contemporary, Romance

First Impression Friday!

Wow! I cannot believe it is already Friday! This last week has not been a good reading week for me AT ALL. I’m only about halfway done with The Wives. I’m in such a slump so I decided to pick a book I thought would be a good slump buster!

This meme is hosted by JW Martin! Here’s what ya do:

First Impression Friday is a meme where you talk about a book you just started! You can be just a chapter or two in, or a little more.
Based on the start of the book, give a few impressions and predict how you’ll feel about the end!

I saw this novel recommended over at Words & Whimsy and decided to give it a try. So far, so good! It’s Idol Thoughts by JS Lee!

Six months ago, I discovered I was the illegitimate heir to one of the K-Pop industry’s biggest entertainment companies. I didn’t want anything to do with the empire I had the chance to inherit.

Then I discovered how my jerk of a half-brother was currently running things. I might not want the job, but I damn well deserve it just as much as him. All I need to do is prove my worth by managing a failing boy band, H3RO, back to stardom.

Easy, right?

Tae, Dante, Minhyuk, Nate, Kyun, and Jun are as talented as they are good looking. Abandoned by their company, they’ve lost faith in everything and themselves. It’s down to me to save their careers – and their dreams – by delivering a number one single.

And yet, somehow, the bigger miracle will be not falling in love with all of them…

– Goodreads

Okay, when I’m in a slump, I usually turn to a good, dirty book. They’re usually fast reads. This is a reverse harem, which I’m becoming a fan of! I mean, who doesn’t want multiple guys fawning over them, amirite?

So. First chapter. You meet Holly. Her dad left when she was young and she never knew him. All of a sudden, he contacts her and her mom, saying he wants her in on the family business – managing K-Pop groups. She knows nothing about the music industry and nothing about managing a K-Pop Group. Her half brother doesn’t like that she is creeping in on the family business and gives her a group to manage that destined for failure. They have to release an album and have a comeback in seven weeks! Sounds impossible.

At the end of the chapter, she moves into their dorm and meets all the members. All the members who are super attractive.

So my thoughts so far. The first chapter was quick and fun! I enjoyed meeting all the men and seeing her reaction to them. I have never read a book with K-Pop boys, so it’s new! I’ll be thinking about my friend Hannah the whole time!

I think I will really enjoy this one. The first chapter kept me interested and I can’t wait to dive in! I’m excited for the romance aspect as well! I’m hoping there will be some steamy scenes.

Have you read Idol Thoughts before? What did you think? Let me know below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, three star book, ya

#NotReadyToDie ARC Review

Thank you to Netgalley and Common Deer Press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

| Amazon | Goodreads |

Ginny’s life suddenly comes to a screeching halt one fateful Monday when a shooter shows up at Southwestern High School during first period. In lockdown with both the homeroom sub and her secret crush Owen badly wounded, Ginny finds herself teamed up with Kayla, one of the “barbies.” Together, they must try to keep their classmates alive amid terror and pain. As the chaos continues, Ginny is plagued with questions. Has she judged Kayla too harshly? Will she ever have the chance to ask Own to prom? Will the fight she had with her mom before school been their last interaction ever? With the uncertainty of everyone making it out alive growing with every minute, there’s only one thing Ginny knows for sure: no one is making it out unchanged.

– Goodreads

I don’t know why I love such tragic books. I love true crime. I love disaster books. So when I saw this book on Netgalley, I wanted to read it. It goes through the harrowing hours while a high school in Canada is on lock down due to a school shooting.

It was interesting that this was set in Canada. They have much different laws than we do – which are shown in the book. I know their gun control is much stricter.

The novel is told through the eyes of Ginny. She’s a typical teen girl. She had a blow out fight with her mom before school. Honestly though, what teen girl doesn’t? It normally wouldn’t matter, the fight would be forgotten about by dinner. Only today, it does matter. What if Ginny never gets to see her mom again?

Throughout the story, you are told of teens texting their parents and loved ones. Last ditch efforts to say they love them. You are told of the killer at the door. Will he get in? Teachers are trying everything they can think to save the kids. It’s honestly a haunting novel. My son is 2.5 years old. I can’t imagine him going through this. It’s getting all too common in America. During the story, you are shown parts of Ginny’s past. It was a nice reprieve from the horror that was occurring.

#NotReadyToDie was a quick read. At 200 pages, I could have read it in an afternoon if someone wasn’t so distracting -cough-child-cough-. The novel moved at a nice pace, it never seemed rushed. You got to know all the kids in the class with Ginny – including her crush and a girl she thinks hates her. They both have surprising ends. However, I did have a problem with some of the dialogue. The actions of the teens totally fit, but I felt their conversations were somewhat juvenile.

I do wish the ending gave me a little more. You didn’t find out who the killer was or the motives. As a true crime buff I just HAD to know! I think that was my biggest gripe about the book.

If you are like me and are a fan of true crime/tragedy books, I think #NotReadyToDie is definitely worth picking up!

Have you read #NotReadyToDie? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, blog tour, contemporary, Four Star Book, ya

Tweet Cute Blog Tour!

I am so honored to be a part of this blog tour! This was a pretty highly anticipated read for me, and I loved it! It definitely lived up to the hype!

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic overachiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming — mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger’s massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper’s side. When he isn’t trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin’s shadow, he’s busy working in his family’s deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma’s iconic grilled cheese recipe, he’ll do whatever it takes to take them down, one tweet at a time.

All’s fair in love and cheese — that is, until Pepper and Jack’s spat turns into a viral Twitter war. Little do they know, while they’re publicly duking it out with snarky memes and retweet battles, they’re also falling for each other in real life — on an anonymous chat app Jack built.

As their relationship deepens and their online shenanigans escalate — people on the internet are shipping them?? — their battle gets more and more personal, until even these two rivals can’t ignore they were destined for the most unexpected, awkward, all-the-feels romance that neither of them expected.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Four stars to this adorable modern teen romance! I fell in love with this book so quickly. Both Pepper and Jack were instantly likable and fun. At the time, I wasn’t on twitter. I honestly just made one 4 days ago! (follow me @mithah_reads!) Even though this book focuses on their twitter war, I still understood what was going on! You don’t have to be a twitter genius AT ALL to appreciate all the back and forth and humor! There were also shout outs to other social media platforms that I really enjoyed. Another thing I noticed was that I don’t think Facebook was mentioned! I feel like younger kids aren’t really on Facebook – which makes me feel old. Welcome to 30, am I right?

One of my favorite tropes was featured in Tweet Cute – friends to lovers! I enjoyed seeing them grow from acquaintances to something more. They had so much in common – they just had to be willing to realize it! Both were heading down paths they didn’t necessarily want to be on. These paths were forced on them by their parents. But with each other’s help, they realized what they really wanted in life and made it happen!

Pepper and her sister had a baking blog that got a lot of page time. Pepper baked all the time. She had treats for being happy, being sad, even apology treats! I used to bake all the time. Reading Tweet Cute made me miss it and want to start again! I got major inspo! Maybe I’ll try to replicate one of the treats from the book! I’ll keep up updated.

Tweet Cute had dual POV, which I LOVE! It’s so interesting to me to see what both Jack and Pepper are thinking about the same situations. They were both so witty. I wish I was just a fraction as witty as they are.

Read Tweet Cute if you want a light-hearted, fluffy read. It was such a quick read, too!

Early praise for Tweet Cute:

  • “Tweet Cute delivers in every possible way: a perfect enemies-to-lovers romance, a whip-smart plotline, and endearingly real characters. I devoured it.” – Francesca Zappia, author of Eliza and Her Monsters
  • “Sweet and fun! An adorable debut that updates a classic romantic trope with a buzzy twist.” – Jenn Bennett, author of Alex, Approximately and Serious Moonlight
  • “A witty rom-com reinvention for the Twitter age, Tweet Cute pairs delicious online rivalry with deeply relatable insights on family pressure and growing up. This fresh, funny read had us hitting ‘favorite’ from page one.” – Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, authors of Always Never Yours and If I’m Being Honest

Emma Lord is a digital media editor and writer living in New York City, where she spends whatever time she isn’t writing either running or belting show tunes in community theater. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a major in psychology and a minor in how to tilt your computer screen so nobody will notice you updating your fan fiction from the back row. She was raised on glitter, grilled cheese, and a whole lot of love. Her sun sign is Hufflepuff, but she is a Gryffindor rising. TWEET CUTE is her debut novel. You can find her geeking out online at @dilemmalord on Twitter.


Pick up Tweet Cute here!

| MacMillan | Goodreads |

Again, thank you so much to Wednesday Books for allowing me to be a part of this blog tour! Tweet Cute made me laugh out loud. It was the perfect cozy read to warm up to during this cold weater!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, Romance

Down the TBR Part 8!

I’m so excited to go through these next 10 books! At a quick glance, it looks like I might only keep one, so I feel like I’ll really dwindle it down this week! This may be the first 10 book delete!

I’m starting my tbr at 1962. I added two books this week. I’ve bought a ton so far this month – 18! So it may be some of them.

Let’s get to it!

Second Sight by Amanda Quick

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: This is the one I thought I’d keep. Paranormal romance with fake death.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Nonfic about a guy that leaves his life for Alaska and then is found dead. I’m not so sure about it.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Last to Die by Tess Gerritsen

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Adult mystery with PD and medical examiner. Just didn’t catch my attention.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Forget about It by Caprice Crane

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Girl is taken advantage of, runs into a car, fakes amnesia, gets to try a new way of living. Very chick lit.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

The Return of Jonah Gray by Heather Cochran

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: IRS Auditor falls for man because of what she sees on tax papers.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

A Plain & Fancy Christmas by Cynthia Keller

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Amish girl and NYC girl switched at birth, find out, and see how they like the other life.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Christmas in Sugar Creek by Shelley Shepherd Gray

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Another Amish Christmas story.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Best Friends by Martha Moody

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: First, this cover is great. I love the simplicity, but I didn’t think I would like the book. However, this one sounds great. About best friends and secrets.
  • Keep or Delete: Keep.

Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: A very chick lit romance.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Seeds of Summer by Deborah Vogts

  • Date Added: June 27, 2015
  • Thoughts: Rodeo, country, ranch, pastor chick lit romance.
  • Keep or Delete: Delete

Okay! I was pleasantly surprised by Best Friends. Like I said, I was drawn to the cover but figured I’d let it go after the synopsis. But it sounds so good! I’m also keeping the PNR, which I thought I would at the beginning.

I’m still at a loss to why there are so many Christmas books – especially Amish ones. I guess in 2015 my book tastes were totally different. I do remember reading a lot of chick lit at the time. Now days, they usually don’t hold my interest.

I am ending my TBR at 1954. I can’t wait for the day I see it below 1900! Or even 1000! Ha, if that will ever happen.

Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, fantasy, Five Star Book, ya

Top 5 Saturday!

I found this meme over at Devouring Books!

Top 5 Saturday is where you list your top 5 of anything! It can be top 5 most anticipated releases, top 5 books read, top 5 standalones. Anything!

Today I’m going to do my Top 5 Series I want to read this year!

First up is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.

This is the book series that reignited by love of reading. It also got me into YA – which is now my favorite genre!

I am SO HYPE for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes releasing on May 19, 2020. So I’ll probably read this series in April/May to then be able to read Ballad!

Next is Thone of Glass by Sarah J Maas!

I started this series years ago. I think I got through book 4? But today by friend Jordan made a post in Words & Whimsy about how she finished and loved it. So now it’s back on top of the TBR!

Plus, I loved ACOTAR (because who didn’t?!) so I feel like I’ll like her other words too! I loved the first few books of ToG I read.

Once & Future by Amy Rose Capetta and Cori McCarthy

I loved having them chat with Words and Whimsy! They were so sweet and I need to read this book already!! I’ve heard nothing but good things.

Book 2, Sword in the Stars, comes out this year on April 7! I need to get on it!

Furyborn by Claire LeGrand

I unexpectedly got an ARC of book 2, Kingsbane, last year. And I won’t lie, that book it thiccccc. Like, it’s intimidating! But these books sound like something I love, so they are a priority this year! I already have Furyborn on Kindle, so no need to wait!

Plus, book 3 – Lightbringer – is expected to release October 13, 2020!

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

I love Marie Lu. I loved the Warcross series. That spoke to me as a female gamer. I loved Legend. I remember after a bad 3 day stretch on the floor nursing, I stayed in bed day 4 and devoured Legend. I didn’t get up to eat or anything.

Why have I waited so long to read The Young Elites?! I love Marie and everything she’s done, so I know this is a no brainer.

Have you read these series? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below! I’d love to discuss!

Until next time…

adult, mystery, thriller

First Impression Friday!

I loved doing this post last week, so I decided to do it again this week! First Impression Friday is hosted by JW Martin!

Here’s how it goes:

First Impression Friday is a meme where you talk about a book you just started! You can be just a chapter or two in, or a little more.
Based on the start of the book, give a few impressions and predict how you’ll feel about the end!

This week I am featuring The Wives by Tarryn Fisher. This book has been so hyped so I’m excited to start it!

“Thursday’s husband, Seth, has two other wives. She’s never met them, and she doesn’t know anything about them. She agreed to this unusual arrangement because she’s so crazy about him.

But one day, she finds something. Something that tells a very different—and horrifying—story about the man she married.”
– Goodreads

So I read chapter one of The Wives. The first thing that stuck out to me was the dedication – to Colleen. Tarryn and Colleen Hoover are BFF’s so I thought that was the sweetest thing!

So like I said, this novel has a ton of hype. But what drew me in was the polygamist relationship! I was obsessed with Sister Wives. I love learning about how other people live who are different than me!

The MC of this book is Thursday. That’s the day Seth comes to stay with her. His other wives are Monday and Tuesday. I think it’s interesting we only know them by the days of the week. It left me very curious as to who they actually are. Thursday talks about getting ready for Seth to come home, and how she looks forward to this day every week. I can’t imagine only seeing my husband one day a week! It would drive me crazy! I’m also way too jealous to share.

As of now, she hasn’t met the other wives. I’m not sure if she’ll ever meet Tuesday. I feel like I won’t figure out the twist because I never do. I’m guessing this will be a four star read!

Have you read The Wives? What did you think? Let me know below!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, two star book

An Irish Christmas Review!

  • Title: An Irish Christmas
  • Author: Melody Carlson
  • Publisher: Revell
  • Publish Date: September 1, 2007
  • Pages: 192
  • Book Form: E-book
  • Genre: Christmas, Christian Fiction
  • Dates Read: Dec 22, 2019
  • Rating: ★★.5

For Colleen, life is spinning out of control. She just lost her husband, and her relationship with her young adult son Jamie is crumbling. Should she confess to him the secret that has been haunting her for twenty years? Jamie has a few secrets of his own. When he announces his plans to join the military, Colleen decides it’s time for the two of them to take a trip together–to Ireland. The truth they discover there could fulfill both their dreams in a way neither ever thought possible. An Irish Christmas is a captivating story of love, deception, and secret passions, from popular and prolific author Melody Carlson.

– Goodreads

So this was the first book I read off my Down the TBR lists! I kept it because it was around Christmas time and the synopsis said there was deception and secret passion. That sounds amazing. Unfortunately, this book was a flop for me.

First, I didn’t realize it was Christian fiction. If I had realized that, I probably would have deleted. It’s just not my jam.

The story started off kind of slow. It didn’t really pick up until the last 20% or so, when you started figuring out all the deceptions. I can’t remember anything about any of the characters. They were just sort of flat with no emotion. The author would say they were crying, or happy, and I just didn’t feel anything.

There were some positives about this book. It was short – only 192 pages, and I read it in a day. I love a book I can just sit and finish! Once you started seeing the deceptions, it got really interesting. I just wish there was a lot more build up. I wasn’t interested in reading about the characters just randomly traveling all over Ireland.

If you’re a fan of Christmas novels and Christian Fiction, you’d probably like this book. I just felt bored during certain parts. Just not my cup of tea.

Until next time…

adult, ARC, contemporary, Five Star Book, mystery, Sci-Fi, ya

WWW Wednesday!

Here’s another WWW Wednesday! This week is flying by! If you want to participate, this post is easy! Just answer the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?

What am I currently reading?

Second Star by JM Sullivan

This is a Sci-Fi Peter Pan retelling. My friend Sarah raved about it! I had a little trouble getting into it, but sci-fi isn’t really my thing. It’s picking up though!

What did I recently finish?

Evil Has a Name by Paul Holes and Jim Clemente

Finished the audio yesterday. I have become obsessed with the Golden State Killer, so I loved getting to see how the FBI profiled him and how they used genetics and ancestry to find him!

Don’t Read the Comments by Eric Smith

You can find my review here! My first five star read of the year!

What do I think I’ll read next?

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

I’ve heard so many good reviews for this so I’m excited to dive in!

Helter Skelter by Vincent Bugliosi

I’m hopefully starting this audio today! I thought audios weren’t my thing, but turns out I love a true crime audio!

What are your WWW’s? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

adult, contemporary, Four Star Book, Romance

Reputation Review!

  • Title: Reputation
  • Author: Dr. Rebecca Sharp
  • Publisher: Independently Published
  • Publish Date: July 27, 2018
  • Book Form: E-Book
  • Pages: 362
  • Genre: Romance, Contemporary
  • Dates Read: Dec 20, 2019 – Dec 21, 2019
  • Rating: ★★★★

Small-town girl. America’s Sweetheart.
The biggest popstar in the world.
It began with one guy and then the next.
Until my reputation preceded me.
Yes, I dated them – all of them.
Yes, I also broke up with them.. All of them.
Was it too much? The world said yes. Too many, too quickly.
And my star began to flicker.
The world knew nothing about my life and yet, their judgement weighed on me like stone.
My reputation was falling faster than a shooting star and the only way to save it was with the boy who never wanted me.

– Goodreads

Reputation was recommended to me by my friend Jayce. She raves about Dr. Rebecca Sharp. I saw this was based on Taylor Swift’s reputation era, and I was all in. I love Taylor. This book, I think, did her justice. It was fiction, of course, but I feel like Blake was just the right mix of Taylor and a made up pop star.

Throughout the book lyrics were woven in. They were amazing! I think Dr. Sharp has a future in songwriting, too! I loved how they were at the beginning of the chapters, then woven in seamlessly.

I loved the romance between Blake and Zach. You see moments of their past and present. I loved seeing the past and how they grew together. The relationship between Blake and Taylor, her best friend, was so cute! It reminded me of me and my best friends. Blake also has a protective brother, Ash, who is best friends with Zach, so you know that causes some issues in their love story!

This was a fun romance with an HEA. I recommend to anyone who loves a light-hearted romance or Taylor Swift!

Have you read Reputation? What’s your favorite Dr. Rebecca Sharp book? Let me know in the comments below!

Until next time…

ARC, contemporary, Five Star Book, ya

Don’t Read the Comments ARC Review!

  • Title: Don’t Read the Comments
  • Author: Eric Smith
  • Publisher: Inkyard Press
  • Publish Date: January 28, 2020
  • Book Form: E-ARC
  • Pages: 368
  • Genre: YA, Contemporary
  • Dates Read: Jan 10 – Jan 12
  • Rating: ★★★★★

Thank you to Netgalley and Inkyard press for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

Divya Sharma is a queen. Or she is when she’s playing Reclaim the Sun, the year’s hottest online game. Divya—better known as popular streaming gamer D1V—regularly leads her #AngstArmada on quests through the game’s vast and gorgeous virtual universe. But for Divya, this is more than just a game. Out in the real world, she’s trading her rising-star status for sponsorships to help her struggling single mom pay the rent.

Gaming is basically Aaron Jericho’s entire life. Much to his mother’s frustration, Aaron has zero interest in becoming a doctor like her, and spends his free time writing games for a local developer. At least he can escape into Reclaim the Sun—and with a trillion worlds to explore, disappearing should be easy. But to his surprise, he somehow ends up on the same remote planet as celebrity gamer D1V.

At home, Divya and Aaron grapple with their problems alone, but in the game, they have each other to face infinite new worlds…and the growing legion of trolls populating them. Soon the virtual harassment seeps into reality when a group called the Vox Populi begin launching real-world doxxing campaigns, threatening Aaron’s dreams and Divya’s actual life. The online trolls think they can drive her out of the game, but everything and everyone Divya cares about is on the line…

And she isn’t going down without a fight.

– Goodreads

Omg yall. This book. It’s my first 5 star read of the year and so deserving of every single star it gets. Don’t Read the Comments is a great look at the sexist nature of the video gaming community. That just because you are a female, you automatically aren’t as good as a male. Like, honestly. What do genitals have to do with gaming skill? NOTHING.

I’ve been gaming since I was 15. I started with Halo online, then went to World of Warcraft. I’ve tried various other MMO’s, FPS’s, everything. And no matter how good I am, if I speak, I’m either just trying to find a boyfriend or I’m a boy who hasn’t hit puberty yet. It’s so annoying, so I felt what D1V did. I knew how it was – people saying nasty things about you because they think you don’t belong. It was so nice to have that rep. To have a strong, GOOD female gamer, who didn’t let them see her break. She was so brave and so strong. Even when she got doxxed. If you don’t know about doxxing, check this out. It happened to a lot of females in the gaming/geek world and it it SO.SCARY.

Okay, now you see why the books means so much to me. I imagine it will mean a lot to the female gaming community who are also readers. Let’s get into this book review, shall we?

I first featured this book on my First Impressions Friday post. I read the first chapter and was immediately hooked. I was so interested in Divya, or D1V as she is known online. I immediately felt a kinship with her and her best friend, Rebekah. They were part of the streaming community, which is something I so desperately wanted to do back in the day.

In the next chapter you meet Aaron, a casual gamer who also plays Reclaim the Sun. The descriptions of the game make it sound like No Man’s Sky. Which I immediately had to play. I’ve logged three hours since finishing the book. Anyway…

A doxxing group attacks D1V and her armada of followers. She has to start over in game. She happens to meet Aaron when grinding to level back up. They end up playing together a lot, growing a friendship, then something more.

The romance was definitely in the background of this book. The main focus was D1V and Rebekah and how they have been attacked over and over. Both physically, verbally, and mentally. I think a lot of people don’t understand what it’s like to be in their position until they’ve been there. No, I’ve never been physically attacked, but I have been verbally and mentally.

There were so many great references in this book. All kinds of games, gamer news sites, and pop culture. I think I highlighted about 10 of them! It was so fun to read! The dual POV was so fun, too. I loved getting both sides of the friendship and romance.

I feel like I just rambled at the beginning of this, but this book is so important to me. I was so fortunate to get an ARC. I would recommend this to anyone in the gaming community or who loves geeky things!

There’s also an amazing pre-order incentive going on! Check it out here!

Until next time…