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Showing posts from July, 2025

Review: How to Seal Your Own Fate

How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Firebird and the Wolf

The 2nd book ( Crimson Oath ) in the paranormal romance series from Elizabeth Hunter is out, and it's another edge-of-your-seat tale of intrigue and passion with two great characters you can't help but want to see together.  Follow on TikTok < 1stlight.dawnreads >  

Review: Cold Storage

Cold Storage by Michael C. Grumley My rating: 4 of 5 stars Okay, first things first—you need to read the first book, Deep Freeze, before jumping into this one. It sets the stage and introduces many of the characters. I went back to the first book and had to crack open my Kindle to search for a few references. But if you've already read book one, buckle up because this sequel is a wild ride. Grumley has written another great thriller. Don't try to overanalyze the science or question the plausibility—sit back and enjoy the chaos. John Reiff is back as our reluctant hero, and honestly, this guy cannot catch a break. He's basically a human lab rat with secrets that powerful people are willing to kill for, and his survival instincts are off the charts. The pacing is relentless—I'm talking pure adrenaline rush from start to finish, and I don’t read for the adrenaline. I read for plot and interesting science ‘what-ifs.’ What I love about thi...

Review: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren My rating: 5 of 5 stars From the very first chapter, I was hooked, laughing out loud in ways I rarely do with romantic comedies. There’s something about Christina Lauren’s writing that feels effortlessly witty and warm, and this book delivered exactly what I hoped for: charm, humor, and a surprisingly sweet love story. Hazel stole the show for me. She’s this whirlwind of quirk and chaos—completely unfiltered, delightfully weird, and so unapologetically herself that you can’t help but root for her, even when she crosses the line into “too much.” At times, I admit, her antics were a little over the top, but honestly, that was part of her charm. She’s the kind of character who makes you wish you were brave enough to live as out loud as she does. And then there’s Josh—steady, thoughtful, grounded Josh—who is the perfect foil to Hazel’s zany energy. I loved the cultural layers he brought to the ...

Review: The Conditions of Will

The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings My rating: 4 of 5 stars Most families are dysfunctional-many are toxic as well Okay, I need to talk about this book because I'm still thinking about it and have gone to reach for it a few times to reread it, but I hesitated because I knew I didn’t have the emotional fortitude for that trip again. Many times, I put the book down and thought about my own family of origin and our dynamics. Georgia is the kind of character who gets under your skin—she's intelligent and broken and honest in a way that makes you want to shake her and hug her at the same time. And Sam Penny? Don't even get me started. This man has the emotional intelligence of a therapist and the communication skills most of us only dream about in our partners. He's basically perfect, and I'm obsessed. But here's the thing—this isn't just some fluffy romance. Hastings digs deep into family trauma and all the messy, ugly st...

Review: The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife

The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Grief is just love with no place to go” "Grief is just love with no place to go" - Jamie Anderson This quote, which I first heard Andrew Garfield beautifully share when speaking about his mother's death to Stephen Colbert, is used in the novel as we learn about Frederick and how his life has unfolded. What started as a random book selection turned into one of those reading experiences where you deliberately slow down because you don't want it to end. The story follows 82-year-old Frederick Fife, a man who has lost everything - his wife, his home, his purpose. Without giving anything away, I'll say that an unexpected turn of events lands him in a nursing home where he discovers something he thought was gone forever: belonging. The way this author handles themes of grief, second chances, and found family is nothing short of masterful. This book has that...

Review: Sounds Like Love

Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston My rating: 5 of 5 stars Now I Want to Head to the OBX and Sit on the Beach Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston delivers a beautifully crafted romance that balances heart-wrenching emotion with romantic charm. The story follows Joni, a struggling songwriter, as she returns to her small town to visit family, where she connects with Sebastian in an unexpectedly intimate way. Their dynamic features fantastic banter and a perfectly executed slow burn as both characters help each other overcome personal obstacles and find their true selves. Poston excels at crafting multi-layered storytelling that explores various forms of love while tackling complex themes of grief and loss. The emotional depth elevates this beyond the typical romance formula, though the heavy themes may catch some readers off guard. Joni’s character development is compelling, even when she gets lost in her head as a writer who struggles with communication....

Review: Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil

Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab My rating: 5 of 5 stars Like a well planned meal, it leaves you satisfied but hungry for more V.E. Schwab pulled me in quietly at first, but it didn't take long before I was wholly consumed—I couldn’t stop reading, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it since. It weaves the haunting, beautiful stories of three women across five centuries—each one searching for freedom, for love, for meaning in the endless stretch of immortality—and it does so with a lyrical, almost hypnotic quality that reminded me why I ever fell in love with vampire stories in the first place. Maria/Sabine, Charlotte, and Alice aren’t just connected by blood—they’re linked by longing, heartbreak, and the ache of what it means to truly live when life never ends. It’s dark, it’s Gothic, and it’s devastating in the most breathtaking way. Even after the final page, I found myself craving more, as if the story itself left its own s...

Review: The Book of Lost Hours

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Moonleapers, Book 1: Moonleapers

Moonleapers, Book 1: Moonleapers by Margaret Peterson Haddix My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: The Unwritten Rules of Magic

The Unwritten Rules of Magic by Harper Ross My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: P.S. You're the Worst

P.S. You're the Worst by Chloe Seager My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Till Summer Do Us Part

Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: What We Can Know

What We Can Know by Ian McEwan My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: The Life of Chuck

The Life of Chuck by Stephen King My rating: 5 of 5 stars “The human brain is finite—no more than a sponge of tissue inside a cage of bone—but the mind within the brain is infinite. Its storage capacity is colossal, its imaginative reach beyond our ability to comprehend. I think when a man or woman dies, a whole world falls to ruin—the world that person knew and believed in. Think of that, kiddo—billions of people on earth, and each one of those billions with a world inside. The earth their minds conceived.” View all my reviews

Review: Blood Mosaic

Blood Mosaic by Elizabeth Hunter My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Review: Crimson Oath

Crimson Oath by Elizabeth Hunter My rating: 5 of 5 stars View all my reviews