EARC Promise Me Sunshine

 If I could give this 10 stars I would. Heavy trigger warning for death of a loved one. This is one of those books that really reaches out to me and touches me. I sobbed and laughed so much reading this book. It was so amazing to hear Lenny's inner monolog and to really feel all her emotions along side her. And Miles! What a soft and sweet friends to lovers book boyfriend. He was perfect in all the right ways. If you love books set in New York you will especially love all the spots these characters end up and I really hope everyone else can enjoy it with me. I want to shout from the rooftops just how amazing Cara Bastones writing is. And I have to say this is my first time crying while ready the acknowledgements. Cara you truly are a mastor of your craft. 

Everytime Lou is mentioned which is a lot by the way, thank you Helen's grief, I feel like I really knew her. I felt how she was Lenny's other half and I loved how Miles just fit perfectly next to her in the locket. Even though I really haven't experienced loss like Lenny or Miles I really do understand the love behind this story. I do wish we got more into Miles grief and his mom and cousin but I don't think my eyes could have cried anymore without me having to take a break from reading. I stayed up to read this and I only really do that if it's one of my favorites and this one takes the cake. I'm also 35% of the way through Caras debut Ready or not so hopefully I feel the same about that book too. Which that one I can relate to on a better note thanks to having had 2 kids. But I really hope that I get my hands on another early copy of one of Caras books, namely her newest coming out in 2025 which sounds really complicated with a married couple. Let's hope and see shall we?

Out On A Limb

 Really loved this one. Amazing disability representation that felt so real and close to the heart. Best representation of anxiety in pregnancy that I've read in a long time. If you have kids this one is going to come with a little more weight. I usually don't like the accidental pregnancy trope in books but this felt like a really strong warm hug that I needed. Especially in the times where we are at. Everyone needs a Bo in their life, this man has the patience and poise that I wish I saw more of in real life. And the communication was written so well between Win and Bo that I'm honestly so jealous of. Also no third act breakup which I very greatly appreciated. Lots of tears while reading this one.

Love, Off the Record

 I didn't like this one as much as This May End Badly unfortunately. However despite not loving it as much I still really loved it. The banter in Markums books always make me feel a lot of stuff. And watching Three become a fully fleshed out character was really lovely to see played out. He felt much more relatable in this book. And Him and Wyn felt so right for each other from the very beginning. This one also had some really great messages about drugs in college as well as a lot of fat phobia which the author handled so much better than some books I've read in the past. Definitely going to read all her other works and whatever she writes in the future. 

4 stars

Full Speed To A Crash Landing by Beth Revis

 This was such a great novella. Ada honestly had me going there for a sec. I feel like I could read about her in a full length novel but alas that's the point of novellas a feel. So gripping and fun in such a short span. Did feel heavy with life euphemisms which I really liked as well. Beth Revis is one of those authors ill have to read the back logs of.

The Bards Bargain by Vanessa Green

 I loved this book. I was not expecting to love it as much as I did. Instantly I was hooked about this spoiled rotten princess and her journey to learn that money truly isn't everything. That being a ruler is more than about land and war, it's about the kingdom and the people in it that make it work. While I do say I felt like the ending needed a little work but I can feel a second book in the works. I really do love how resilient Alexandra was when they were first traveling together to Norwen and I feel like that part could have lasted a little longer because her realizing that her own troops were harassing people traveling as well as high prices to pass from certain towns was very clever of a way for her to realize what she needed to do once she came back to court. Kind of predictable ending and I really didn't like the way that Alexandra left the town without saying anything to the new friends she made. Felt like she never went through those hardships with the townfolk. But other than that this was a great book. Just some more editing at its a solid 5 star read.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton

 This was a lot. If your a seasoned scifi reader it will probably be a lot easier to grasp but for a newbie not so much. This one also blends in fantasy elements into the sicfi story really well. It all starts when these young 20 somethings plan a heist and ends up way off the beaten path. There's a saffic love story between a girl and a hologram basically that develops along with a great mystery of what happened to a crew and their captain. The mystery and mind bending communication are what really set this apart from other space stories. Space itself felt like it's own character at one point and definitely makes you feel claustrophobic at times. Overall cleo and her group are all really relatable and fun to root for on their incredible journey on their stolen ship. Highly recommend for young scifi readers.