Special thanks to Jaqueline Snowe for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
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Author: Dini @ dinipandareads
I'm Dini (she/her) and I'm a thirty-something book lover based in Indonesia. I mostly read romance and SFF though I love to dabble in other genres but tend to stay away from horror and ghosty things because I'm The Ultimate Chicken™️. I'm always happy to meet other book lovers so feel free to chat with me!
Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [167]
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I spent a good chunk of my Sunday reading and eventually finishing The Holly Dates by Brittainy Cherry. It was a fun and cute holiday romance although it does cover some fairly serious topics so it wasn’t exactly the rom-com I expected. But I do think it’s a romance that’ll put you in a happy holiday mood!
📖 SYNOPSIS
All she wanted for Christmas was a boyfriend for the holidays…
All he wanted was for her to take her crappy first dates elsewhere…
Quirky Holly Jackson was unlucky in love, yet her romantic heart refused to give up her search for companionship—even after her fiancé left her at the altar on Christmas Eve.
Grumpy restaurant owner Kai Kane wanted nothing to do with love after his last relationship crashed and burned. Romance was the last thing on his mind. Unfortunately for him, when an eccentric Holly kept entering his restaurant nightly with a different first date, his annoyance grew.
When Kai volunteered to help Holly find a suitor it was for one reason only: to get her out of his restaurant and on to a second date with someone at a different location.
Once Kai became Holly’s dating coach, her confidence grew.
It was all going great until Kai became increasingly jealous of the connection Holly developed with another man. The more Holly fell for Kai’s pick for her, the more overprotective he became.
Kai quickly realized that all wasn’t fair when it came to love and the holidays.
He was going to have to step up his game if he wanted a shot at the ultimate prize—being Holly’s favorite date.
*The Holly Dates is a steamy, full-length romantic comedy that will put you right in the holiday spirit.*
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Childhood abandonment and abusive parents (recounted), infidelity (on-page and recounted), manipulative gaslighting partner, body shaming (one incident on-page), cancer (former partner of one of the main characters)
The End of Year Book Tag – 2022 Edition
Hello, friends! We’ve reached the final month of another year so that means it’s time to share another End of Year Book Tag – 2022 Edition! I’ve done this tag in 2019 and 2020 (not sure what happened in 2021!) but it’s always fun to do. This time I got tagged by the lovely Becky @Becky’s Book Blog, who is a fantastic blogger especially if you love fantasy because she comes with all the recs, so be sure to check out her blog. Thanks for the tag, Becky! 💜
This tag was originally created by booktuber Ariel Bissett!
Are there any books you started this year that you need to finish?
There are actually two books sitting on my “Currently Reading” list on Goodreads. I started both in June/July but wasn’t in the right mood to keep reading them although I do want to finish both.
- Now This Is Us by Jennifer Lee → 88% (I really don’t know why I stopped at this point, lol)
- Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor → 45%
Do you have an autumnal book to transition into the end of the year?
As a non-seasonal reader, I’m kind of surprised to admit that this year I found an excellent series of books to transition into the end of the year. The Stay a Spell paranormal romance series has featured a lot on my blog lately but I just love it so much, plus it has a lovely holiday themed collection of short stories from these characters to complete the transition to the holiday season!
Is there a new release that you’re still waiting for?
I was gonna say no until I checked my 2022 releases list and saw that there are four books still releasing in December that I’m looking forward to reading! I’m sure there are others that I just haven’t marked yet, lol.
- A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson → 06 December
- The Holly Dates by Brittainy Cherry → 07 December
- Skin Deep by Tara Wyatt → 07 December
- A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar → 13 December
- Queen of Myth and Monsters by Scarlett St. Clair → 20 December
What are three books you want to read before the year ends?
- Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
- The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston
- A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari
Is there a book that you think could still shock you and become your favourite of the year?
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
If the hype is right—and ngl, I sure hope it is—then I think this book has potential to become a favourite this year but I’m unsure if it’ll become the favourite of the year. Let’s see! 😉
Have you already started to make reading plans for 2023?
I do have two blog tours already planned but I actually just got two emails with very exciting invitations to read upcoming YA contemporaries and fantasies and I’m debating accepting a few of those soon!
I’m tagging:
**No pressure if you don’t feel like doing it though!
That’s it for the 2022 End of Year Book Tag! I hope you all have a fantastic last month of the year!
Let’s Talk Bookish: Balancing Blogging and Life
I’m going rogue for this week’s Let’s Talk Bookish and jumping back to a prompt that I missed from July? Yep, that far back!
***
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, and it’s where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! If you want to join in the bookish discussion fun, check out the July 2022 prompts and for November 2022 to check out today’s prompt!
Now without further ado… The topic asks us about:
Balancing blogging and life
(SUGGESTED BY ARIA @ BOOK NOOK BITS)
Prompts: How do you manage balancing blogging and life? In what ways do school and work get in the way of blogging? Are there any ways that blogging can help with everyday life? Are there certain times of year when blogging becomes harder or more overwhelming?
Monthly Wrap-Up: November 2022
Wow, is it really already December 1st?! I don’t know how November is already over but I do know that…
- I spent almost two weeks of the month being totally bowled over by COVID (got it for the first time). It was not fun losing my taste & smell, plus I hated that my body ached so much that I couldn’t even get proper rest!
- I spent one week slowly coming out of the brain fog and dealing with residual cough/cold symptoms. And…
- I spent the last week getting used to travelling to the office again and getting back into work mode.
And that was basically my whole month? I have no idea what happened before getting sick because it was a blur of work stress. As much as it sucked to get knocked out by the virus, I’m glad that that’s now behind me and I’m back to feeling ‘normal’ again.
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#WWWWednesday: 30 November 2022
Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:
- What did you read last?
- What are you currently reading?
- What will you read next?
#TopTenTuesday: My Top 10 From Jan-June 2022
We’re back with another Top Ten Tuesday, a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl.
This week’s topic is a Cozy Reads (Share books that give off a cozy vibe, whether through atmosphere, setting, or some other factor. Please tell us why they’re cozy for you, too!)
Book Review: Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross
Wolf Gone Wild (Stay a Spell #1)
Pub Date: 14 January 2020
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Panda Rating:
(3.5 pandas)
📖 SYNOPSIS
What’s the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf? Unable to shift for three months, Mateo Cruz knows all too well. His wolf has taken up residence in his head, taunting him night and day with vividly violent and carnal thoughts. Convinced he’s cursed, he needs the help of a powerful witch before he literally goes insane.
Evie Savoie has always obeyed the house rules of her coven–no werewolves. They’re known for being moody and volatile. So, when a distempered, dangerous werewolf strolls into the bar and almost strangles one of her late-night customers, she’s ready to bounce him through the door. But the desperation in his eyes when he begs her to help him softens her heart and convinces her to bend the rules.
What Evie doesn’t know is that Mateo’s wolf has a mind of his own. And now that she’s in his sights, he wants only one thing. Her.
⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Kidnapping, torture
Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [166]
We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!
I’ll be spending part of my Sunday in bed with The Christmas Clash by Suzanne Park. It’s a YA contemporary romance set during the holidays and features the rivals-to-lovers trope. I’m at 24% and so far it’s been okay—there’s something a little off in their dynamic but I can’t exactly pinpoint what… I’ve read two books by this author and one was a hit while the other was a miss, so I’m looking forward to seeing what this will end up being!
📖 SYNOPSIS
Who’s naughty and nice at Riverwood Mall? In this hilarious holiday rom-com, two rivals get together to save their families’ livelihoods, and Christmas, too!
Chloe Kwon can’t stand Peter Li. It’s always been that way. Their families don’t get along either: their parents operate rival restaurants in the Riverwood Mall food court―Korean food for the Kwons and Chinese food for the Lis. Now it’s the holiday season and Chloe’s the photographer at the mall’s Santa Land, and Peter works at the virtual reality North Pole experience right across the atrium. It’s all Chloe can do to avoid Peter’s smug, incredibly photogenic face.
But it turns out the mall is about to be sold to a developer and demolished for condos. Eviction notices are being handed out right before Christmas. Their parents don’t know what to do, and soon Chloe and Peter realize that the two of them need to join efforts to try to save the mall. Just when it seems like they can put aside their differences and work closely (very closely) together, they discover that the Kwon and Li feud goes far deeper than either of them realize…
Thanksgiving Book Tag
So… I don’t celebrate Thanksgiving and I know the holiday has come and gone but I saw this tag on Chris‘s blog and it looked like a fun one to do so I thought, why not? Now here we are! 😂 Let’s get straight into it.
This is an original book tag by Anna’s Book Nook.
The Rules
- Thank the person who nominated you
- Give credit to the author (Annasbooknook)
- Answer the prompts
- Tag others if you desire!
1) Friends and Family: A book with characters that feel like family
Okay, not to “steal” the same answer as Chris but… The characters in The Green Bone Saga by Fonda Lee will never not be the first I think of for prompts like this. They’re still on my mind all the time and the clan artwork is still my wallpaper and screensaver now. I don’t think I’ll be changing it anytime soon either! 😂
2) Fallen Leaves: A book that fell flat (didn’t meet your expectations)
Daughter of the Moon Goddess
by Sue Lynn Tan
Hello and welcome to my unpopular opinion time! Listen, I’m just as disappointed as everyone else when I say that I didn’t love this like I thought I would. Even though the writing was gorgeous and the world-building stunning, there was something about the story that prevented me from fully connecting to it and the characters. Not to mention that bloody love triangle! Please, no. 😮💨
3) Thanksgiving Dinner: A book you want to read every year during this season
I’ve been bingeing the Stay a Spell Series by Juliette Cross and it’s quickly becoming one of my favourite series. The first book was a rocky start but I’m so glad that I kept reading as every book after has gotten better. I’m currently on book four and loving it with every bone in my body. No, seriously. I am! I don’t reread much but I’d definitely reread this series.
4) Turkey: A book with a bird in it
The Astonishing Color of After
by Emily X.R. Pan
This is the first book I thought of. I read it a couple of years ago but I still think about it every now and then. It’s a beautifully written book about grief and well worth the read!
5) Ham: A book that made your eyes glaze over (boring)
A Ghost in Shining Armor
by Therese Beharrie
Another one I was sad to not love… Friends, I really tried. I don’t know if it was just my mood but it was not doing a thing for me! It sent me to sleep several times and I never made any progress… I haven’t fully decided whether to DNF or not but I’ve put it down for now and might come back to it later (probs not though).
6) Dinner Rolls: A book that melted your heart and made you feel warm
The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
by Megan Bannen
I mean, I loved this book so much that I ended up writing an “essay” review because I had so much to gush about? Love love love. 💜 I will always recommend this weirdly macabre yet beautifully heartwarming romance!
7) Mashed Potatoes: A book with a white cover
You’ll Be the Death of Me
by Karen M. McManus
I love these editions of McManus’ books! I also love that these ones all have sprayed edges that match the cover text. The bonus is that I really enjoyed this thriller/mystery. 😍
8) Gravy: A book you’re not totally sure why you love, but you do
Normal People
by Sally Rooney
Okay, I had a hard time finding a book for this prompt cos I usually know why I love the books I love?
But this took me on such a journey even after I finished reading it and I can’t properly explain in a way that people will probably understand why I love it so much. It hurt and it was hard to read and I hated it sometimes but I also forking loved it and it’s on my top books list and it’s not moving. So, yeah, lol. 🤷🏻♀️
9) Pumpkin Pie: A dessert book that you love
Battle Royal
by Lucy Parker
I’m taking this prompt literally because this book made me so hungry for something sweet! Gimme all the cupcakes, cakes, pastries, cookies, and boozy treats, please. This rivals-to-lovers romance was super satisfying as well! 😍
Bonus: Black Friday – Top 5 books on your “I want to buy them” list
I think my problem is quite common among my fellow book lovers and it’s that I can only choose five books? 😂 But I did it…
And that’s all from me, folks! I won’t tag anyone but if you want to do the tag, feel free to grab it and link back so I can see your answers (gimme tea)! 😃
dinipandareads 