3.5 stars. This book kept popping up on my radar as an emotional romance that I ultimately listened to on audio via Libby. The strengths of this book are in FMC Nadia’s clear voice and the lupus representation. I struggled with the believability of Marco’s character. While I was interested in the time-limited romance of dating just for the month of May, the love story felt a bit too intense for the rather playful premise and came off as instalove at times.

This book is a sequel to Circus Mirandus by Cassie Beasley.

I first listened to this as an audiobook on Spotify and recently reread the physical book borrowed from the library. I’d definitely recommend listening to the author’s narration over the written version as Sarah Kay is a specialist in spoken word poetry. Overall, I found several of the poems relatable but others forgettable.

Like another book in this series on which he collaborated with another author, this lacks the humor and quirkiness of his other novels. It’s well written and an interesting story, but not quite as entertaining.

I absolutely loved this book it’s extremely funny and very enthralling I read the whole series in one week

A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong is a fast-paced, clever blend of time travel and mystery that had me hooked from the start. When modern-day detective Mallory Atkinson wakes up in Victorian Scotland, trapped in another woman’s body, she’s forced to use her 21st-century skills to solve a chilling murder. I loved the mix of historical setting, suspenseful twists, and strong characters. It’s smart, gripping, and just plain fun. I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the series.

I like what this book is about.

Excellent book with great plot and characters.

I listened to this audiobook of short stories on Libby after it popped on my radar as a July Indie Next pick. This is a collection of 11 tales set in the south that cover a lot of content: pregnancy, violence, sex and intimacy, church, hair, Blackness and more. Nearly all of the vignettes felt forgettable and most seemed unresolved in my opinion. The narration was solid but the stories didn’t captivate me. My hands-down favorite from the bunch was “How Does Your Garden Grow?” which is a memorable and unique depiction of fibroids.

Super good and really good for birdwatching.