Happy New Year 2023!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! 🙂

Photo by John Biondo from Pexels

New year, new beginning. 🙂

My blogging stopped halfway through the year last year because of a lot of reasons. I have lots of pending reviews that I need to post. Just thinking about it gives me headaches, lol.

For this year, I wish I could reach my reading goals and most specially my life goals.

• Read 100 books this year
• Get a new job
• Pass the exam
• Increase my savings
• Increase my cactus and succulents collection
• Be an active blogger
• Reach 80% feedback ratio on NetGalley
• Always be healthy 🙂

May 2023 be a good year for me, my family and to everyone. 🙂

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Every Time We Meet – Book Review #32 (2022)

Title: Every Time We Meet

Author: A.M. Leibowitz

Series: Standalone

Format: NetGalley eARC

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

Heidi’s life may be a complicated balancing act between work, her kids, and a messy relationship with her ex. But all that is about to change when she proposes to her long-time girlfriend at the top of the hill during the annual Lilac Festival. What could be more romantic?

When nothing about her day goes according to plan, and her proposal is rejected, Heidi is devastated. She confesses her one wish to a stranger on a park bench: to have the whole day over again. Little does she know, this will set her on an endless loop of reliving it, each time hoping for a different outcome.

As Heidi replays the events, she confronts her own poor choices and actions. Now she must figure out how to make things right if she hopes to break the cycle and find true love before time runs out.

---

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟.5

The premise of this story is the main reason that I downloaded this book from NetGalley. It mentions something about reliving a day over and over again. This kind of stories really interests me. I tried not to have high hopes so I won’t be disappointed in case it is not what I expected.

When I started reading this one, I had difficulties in trying to like our MC Heidi. Heidi is not the ‘perfect’ goody two shoes MC that everyone will usually root for. She did a lot of questionable things (for me) and made a lot of nonsensical (for me) decisions. I honestly almost dnf this book.😅

I’m also weirded out by how many times her legs or stomach turns to jelly or was compared to gelatin whenever she sees someone attractive. Not sure if the weirdness comes from the usage of the phrase or the reason why she will even feel that way.

What I liked is the part where Heidi learns little by little the things that she didn’t noticed because she’s so focused on her ‘future plans’ instead of the now. I actually like how her character tried to make amends on her previous mistakes. I also like the fact that she finally learned to listen and not just forced her ideals on her kids.

The fantasy part was not really explained. Her thing with Angel is instalove and I wasn’t a fan of that. The day repeating again and again is quite tiresome at some point but I persevered and managed to finish this one.

It was an okay read.👍

*Thanks to the publisher for making this book available for review via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*

---

It’s been a while since I blogged. Sorry guys. 😅

Anyway, I will try to post all my pending reviews so please bear with me. Thank you. 🙂

Happy New Year. Happy reading. 🙂

GOODREADS | TWITTER

May 2022 Monthly Wrap Up

Hi guys! 🙂

It has been a while since I posted any monthly wrap up so I decided to post one for May. I just noticed that I’ve only been posting book reviews recently and my blog needed a different kind of post to liven things up a bit. 😆

May is a slow month for me. I only managed to read 5 books this month. I was actually hoping to finish at least 9 books in a month to reach my dream goal of 100. Not sure if I’ll reach it but maybe this month I’ll read 20 books. *fingers crossed*

Below are the books I finished in the month of May.

NOTE: All images credits to Goodreads unless stated otherwise.

Kindle eBooks: 2

  3.75🌟 | MY REVIEW

2.75 🌟 | MY REVIEW

NetGalley ARC: 1

3.75 🌟 | MY REVIEW

Edelweiss ARC: 1

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 | MY REVIEW

Web Novel: 1

🌟🌟🌟🌟 | MY REVIEW

image credits to Novel Updates

---

Hopefully, I’ll read more books on June. 🙂

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Reborn as a Good Child – Book Review #31 (2022)

Title: Reborn as a Good Child

Author: 今生缘浅

Series: Standalone

Format: Web Novel

image credits to Goodreads

 

Goodreads synopsis:

As a useless spoiled wild child, Bai YiHan finally brought about the end of his family, chased away the one he loved and caused his own death. After rebirth, he decides to cleanse himself and work hard at being a good child. But a lot of things don’t seem to be as he expected…

Bai Pa + Bai Ma: My son’s so obedient. Someone must be bullying him. This cannot be forgiven!

Bai Big Bro + Bai Big Sis: If my little brother’s sensibility comes from his suffering, then I’d rather he be a spoiled brat forever!

Mu JingYuan: If HanHan hits you, you must accept it. Yet you dodged…The wind’s changing. Someone should be bankrupt to make HanHan smile.

Bai YiHan: …I was so wild in my past life. Your involvement are undeniable!

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟

This is another web novel with reincarnation theme on it. Bai YiHan was reborn after a life of multiple mistakes and difficulties.

He vowed that on this life he will be a good child and will not let his family and loved ones suffer again. His greatest love Mu JingYuan doesn’t hate him yet. He will strive hard to correct all his previous mistakes.

I like how Mu JingYuan and the Bai family doted on Yihan. It’s a bit over the top but who wouldn’t want to be pampered right?🥰

The plot is interesting and did not bore me. I was invested on the main couple and the secondary couples. The intrigues of each family is entertaining.

I just feel like it is a bit too long. The main reveal of the main culprit was anticlimactic. With how many foreshadowings used, I expected something shocking but meh.😑

But all in all, a good read.😀👍

TW/CW: r*pe, suicide, homophobia

---

I’m still reading web novels. When will I read my ARCs? 😥

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Rose Petal Graves – Book Review #30 (2022)

Title: Rose Petal Graves

Author: Olivia Wildenstein

Series: #1 of The Lost Clan

Format: Kindle Ebook

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

ANCIENT SECRETS CANNOT REMAIN BURIED FOREVER.

Founded two centuries ago by a powerful tribe of Gottwa Indians, Rowan was a quiet town, so quiet that I fled after graduation. Staying away was the plan, but Mom died suddenly.

Dad said she suffered a stroke after she dug up one of the ancient graves in our backyard, which happens to be the town cemetery. Creepy, I know. Creepier still, there was no corpse inside the old coffin, only fresh rose petals.

As we made preparations for Mom’s burial, new people began arriving in Rowan, unnervingly handsome and odd people. I begged them to leave, but they stayed, because their enemies—my ancestors—were beginning to awaken.

My rating: 3.75 🌟

I’m trying to read a lot of my ARCs recently. One I’m most stressed about and wants to get rid off my shelf is the audiobook of Rose Petal Graves from NetGalley. I don’t usually listen to audiobooks, I feel like I tend to ‘read’ longer or slower compared to just my usual which is reading on my Kindle app. But then the cover and synopsis was so interesting that against my better judgement, I downloaded this one from NetGalley. And again I realized that audiobooks are really not my thing.

Since I can’t seem to listen to the audiobook, I decided to just read it on Kindle format. I managed to finish this on one seating after I switch to reading on eBook format. So this review is for a Kindle eBook and not an audiobook. I also realized while reading this that fantasy is a genre that I can’t easily get into.

The book has some sort of Glossary of terms at the start of the book which was not helpful for me. Lol. The book started with how Cat and his dad is trying to move on after the death of Cat’s mother. Then came in the faes which I was not aware is a theme of this book. I have this weird opinion or feeling about faes, I feel like they are not believable/realistic(?) in a book. I thought this one is a story about immortals or vampires basing it on the synopsis but it is not and this one is New Adult not YA.

The world building is very shaky and a lot of plot holes and loopholes are in the story which confused me. Also in case you are trying to avoid this trope, there’s also a [love triangle (or is it square?) in this story.

I still gave it an okay rating because it was a quick read for me. Things got interesting on the latter part and I somehow got transported to Rowan. It is also an atmospheric read. I feel like I was in the town described on the book. It is still an enjoyable read. 🙂

TW/CW: death of a love one, grief, suicide

*Thanks to the publisher for making this audiobook available for review via Netgalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*

---

It’s great that I can finish one book in a day. Hopefully I won’t get a reading slump doing this. XD

GOODREADS | TWITTER

And Then She Vanished – Book Review #29 (2022)

Title: And Then She Vanished

Author: Nick Jones

Series: #1 of Joseph Bridgeman

Format: Kindle Ebook

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

He only looked away for a second.

Still haunted by the disappearance of his little sister Amy over twenty years ago, Joseph Bridgeman’s life has fallen apart. When a friend talks him into seeing hypnotherapist Alexia Finch to help with his insomnia, Joseph accidentally discovers he can time travel. His first trip only takes him back a few minutes, but his new-found ability gives him something he hasn’t felt for the longest time: hope.

Joseph sets out to travel back to the night Amy went missing and save her. But after several failed attempts, he discovers the farther back he travels, the less time he gets to stay there. And the clock is ticking.

With the help of Alexia, Joseph embarks on a desperate race against the past to save his sister. Can he master his new skill and solve the mystery of Amy’s disappearance before it’s too late?

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

First and foremost, I’m quite late reading this book. I was granted an ARC of this last year from Edelweiss.✌

Recently I got a finished copy of this book from the Kindle store. So the one I read and the one I’m reviewing is no longer the ARC but a finished copy.😄

The theme for this book is time travel which is my favorite theme of all time.😍

This is the story of Joseph who suddenly got the ability to travel back in time. Joseph or Joe as friends call him has been living in guilt and grief due to the disappearance of his younger sister Amy. Given the chance to change things, he will do everything to solve the mystery of her sister’s disappearance.

The writing is very engaging. It was a smooth read for me. I finished this book in one seating. The mystery of what really happened to Amy kept me reading this book until the end. I did not even speculate on what truly happened. I was just so into the story, I was reading so fast hoping to know what the mystery is all about.

The plot is amazing. A lot of twists and turns. The setting of the time line is linear. No multiverse or parallel universe. I love every direction the story went to.😍

The characters are likeable and interesting. It’s been a while since I enjoyed reading a book. This is my second 5 star rating for this year.🤩

I’m definitely continuing with the series. Recommended for fans of time travel books.😁👍

TW/CW: grief, suicide

*Thanks to the publisher for granting me access of this book via Edelweiss. This review is voluntary and contains my honest thoughts and opinions of the book.*

---

It’s been a while since I enjoyed reading a book. So happy. 😍

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Fake It ’til You Make Out – Book Review #28 (2022)

Title: Fake It ’til You Make Out

Author: Isla Olsen

Series: #1 of Love & Luck

Format: Kindle Ebook

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

Heath

It’s a classic story: Boy meets girl, girl breaks boy’s heart, boy pretends to be gay to get back at girl, girl outs boy to everyone on Facebook…

Okay, maybe it’s not that classic. But it’s what happened to me.

When I bump into my cheating ex and catch sight of the moon-sized rock on her finger, there’s only one option to save face: pretend to be dating my gay best friend, Declan.

And when she outs me on Facebook and everyone I know sees it, there’s still only one option: keep pretending to be dating Declan.

And when Declan and I have to kiss to keep up the ruse and it turns out there’s actually a spark between us (more like a blazing inferno, if truth be told) there’s once again only one option…

My rating: 3.75🌟

This is the story of Declan and Heath’s journey from being best friends to fake lovers to lovers.

This is a typical fake dating story where at first Heath was just trying to save face to her former girlfriend that’s why he pretended to be in a relationship with his best friend Declan. Trying to prove to everyone, friends and family, that they’re together, they did a lot of mushy things in front of their friends and family. Eventually they fell for each other.

The writing was easy to read and get into. It was a quick read and the conflict isn’t that heavy and this one ended okay for me. I’m quite interested with the stories of the other secondary characters, especially Declan’s side of the family.

It was just a bit confusing for me whenever I’m reading their POVs. This one is a dual POV kind of book. I just think that their POVs are a bit similar that’s why at times I needed to double check the chapter headers to make sure who’s POV I’m currently in.

This was an okay read and a short one. 🙂

---

Finally, my reading slump is gone. 🙂

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Raising You This Small Stuff – Book Review #27 (2022)

Title: Raising You This Small Stuff

Author: 九云歌

Series: Standalone

Format: Web Novel

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

After an ‘Elf Rebirth Project’ game was forcefully installed on a movie emperor’s cell phone, he suspected it to be a virus, so he moved to uninstall it!!!! (╰_╯)#

The cute little interstellar prince reborn in the game said softly and waxily: “No… don’t…. I…. I eat very little, don’t uninstall me, ok?” (ó﹏ò?)

The movie emperor who was so hit by his cuteness that he almost vomited blood pretended to be calm: … (￣ＴＴ￣) Bleeding from the nose

Since then, the life of the movie emperor: Buy, buy, buy, buy, buy, buy ~ and raise my little cutie~(≧ω≦).

My rating: 4.25⭐

This is the story of a former prince of a futuristic interstellar world who died and was given a second chance in life. Yuan Suo died and when he woke up he became an elf on a rebirth game. He needs to level up to the highest level in order to get back on his previous world.

Mo Yi Cheng was chosen by the system to be Yuan Suo’s player. He needs to provide for Yuan Suo and help him level up.

The world created by the author is very interesting and quite unique. I like the fact that the game itself is a separate world where the elves interact and study or work to earn points. It was also a nice addition that when an elf reaches a higher level, they can access the ‘real world’.

The plot is quite engaging. I was never bored while reading and there are lots of funny scenes. I very much love that scene when Yuan Suo got a part-time job as a water army. 😆

The secondary characters are also decent and not one dimensional. There are heart breaking moments too that made me sad or teary eyed.

I love the main couple and their interactions especially the earlier parts, so cute.❤

It was a great read.👍😁

---

I’m still reading web novels. When will I read my ARCs? 😥

GOODREADS | TWITTER

There Is Chef Yu In The Entertainment Cycle – Book Review #26 (2022)

Title: There Is Chef Yu In The Entertainment Cycle

Author: Jing Nian Weixing

Series: Standalone

Format: Web Novel

image credits to Novel Updates

Goodreads synopsis:

Yu Siyang, a 25-years-old chef who just won the International Culinary Gold Award, was smashed by a huge earthen pot, wake up and become a 18-years-old little transparent Yu Siyang in the entertainment circle.

Signed a weird contract and big debts, the chef had to put down the pots and pans and carry his schoolbag to the performance class.

Strive for an achievement as Film Emperor as soon as possible, paying off the debts, and realizing big aspirations to open an ideal restaurant.

But, why does the creditor make a very abnormal condition?

My rating: 3.5⭐

This is the story of Yu Siyang, a chef who died then woke up in the body of an 18 year old newcomer actor.

His new identity is a poor struggling actor with a huge debt. The entertainment company where he is signed in paid the debt for him and in exchange he was ‘kinapped’ to cook on our ML’s house.

This was a slow read for me. Due to our MC being a chef, a lot of filler contents are about the process of cooking the food, types of ingredients, taste and appearance of the food. I skimmed those parts.✌

Our MC suddenly became an actor but he’s actually a natural talent on acting which wasn’t believable in my opinion. Though our MC has lots of ‘projects’, at best the synopsis and highlight of the film were just mentioned and the shooting/taping is longer than the finished product.🙁

The fans are cute. I like reading the fans’ comments and interactions.👍

The romance was so-so. At least we have Mu Mu. I love this kid. He’s such a sunshine and a cutie in the book.❤

Plotwise, there isn’t much on it. This is like a slice of life format. An okay read…

---

I’m still reading web novels. When will I read my ARCs? 😥

GOODREADS | TWITTER

Every Day I Sleep, My Soul Goes Out of My Body – Book Review #25 (2022)

Title: Every Day I Sleep, My Soul Goes Out of My Body

Author: Xue Yuan Specter 雪原幽灵

Series: Standalone

Format: Web Novel

image credits to Goodreads

Goodreads synopsis:

After a car accident, Mi Li found that she had mutated and gained the weird ability to be able to possess various strange objects. So, she became that man’s doorbell / wall lamp / cigarette / necktie / underwear / emoji…

Until one day, she became that man’s girlfriend.

Male lead: My woman is ever-changing, my woman is everywhere.

My rating: 🌟🌟🌟

This is the story of Mi Li who started having strange ‘dreams’ after experiencing a car accident. She seems to be possessing strange items and animals whenever she falls asleep.

The first time she dreamed, she became the door bell of Xi Baichen. Weirdly, Xi Baichen is able to hear her ‘voice’ despite being an inanimate object.

This started her journey to a parallel world, where she experienced being a lot of things and enable her to get to know Xi Baichen. This story is a slice of life showcasing the everyday life of our main couple.

There are a few plot holes in the story and the conclusion was rushed in my opinion. It is a unique premise and there are a few funny moments in the story. But it was a bit of a bland read for me. Also the ML was an irresponsible uncle. I did not like how he treated the kids on the earlier chapter.

The romance was okay-ish though a bit weird because of the premise of this book. Our main couple’s characters aren’t that fleshed out. Another so-so read.

---

I’m finally caught up with my pending reviews! Yay! 😀

GOODREADS | TWITTER