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:
I feel like I just posted my March wrap-up so how is it already time to post my April wrap-up!? 🫣 I honestly don’t have much to say about how April was because I really didn’t do anything. Coming back from Japan was rough and of course, getting back to work was diving straight into the deep end with no time to slowly sink back in (I’m pretty sure my office doesn’t know how to do that, lol)! It was tough but we managed. From my trip to Japan, I think I’ve developed a minor obsession with Pop Mart—the toy company that makes the popular Labubu dolls. I didn’t think I’d be into Labubu but after getting one in Japan, I’m finding them oddly adorable and hard to resist, lol. I’ve also developed a fascination with Hirono figurines! Please indulge me as I share photos of my small toy collection. 🥹
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:
Special thanks to Jaqueline Snowe for providing a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review!
Sliding Home (Out of the Park #2)
Publication Date: 6 May 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Sports Romance
Panda Rating:
(4.5 pandas)
Two years ago, she pushed him away. Now, he’s back… and he’s not giving up.
Michelle Benning has no time for distractions—not when she’s juggling school, two jobs, and a past she refuses to look back on. Love? It’s never been part of her plan. So when Brooks Madsen, the rising baseball star she once almost let in, walks back into her life, she’s determined to keep him at arm’s length.
Brooks never understood why Michelle ran, but he’s never forgotten her. Their connection was real—fiery, intense, and impossible to ignore. And now that he’s back in town, he wants answers. But for every step closer he gets, Michelle puts up another wall.
She thinks she’s protecting herself. He knows she’s running. And when the past she’s been hiding from comes crashing back, Michelle has to decide: keep running… or finally let Brooks be the one person she trusts to stay.
Child abuse (recounted, minor detail), substance abuse/addiction (secondary character, mentioned), extortion/black mail, stalking, parent with dementia (on page, detailed)
TL;DR: Sliding Home is a great second-chance romance featuring two tough MCs who are easy to like and whom you almost immediately want to root for! Michelle and Brooks were great characters individually but together, their romance gave angst and a whole lot of (delightful) tension! I loved their “will-they-won’t-they” dance and found myself fully invested in their HEA. While this is very character driven, there was also a mini-suspenseful plot that made sense to the story, but I found the reasoning behind the third-act to be a bit frustrating, even if I did understand how it fit into their story. Overall, this had the character depth I feel I have been missing in a lot of the (indie) romances I read these days, and I loved it! If you’re looking for a non-sports heavy “sports romance”, a second-chance romance where the characters work to reach a good place, and plenty of open communicative moments, then I would recommend checking this out.
Read More »
Hi friends, I’m back for another blog tour today! I’m excited to share my thoughts as part of the blog tour hosted by TBR & Beyond Tours for Saint Catherine by Anna Meyer.
Thanks to Labyrinth Road for providing a digital ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Click the banner above or here to check out the other incredible bloggers on the blog tour!
Saint Catherine
Publisher: 23rd St.
Publication Date: 29 April 2025
Genre: Adult Contemporary Graphic Novel
Rating:
(5 pandas)
A relatable adult graphic novel about a woman who skips Sunday mass for the first time in her life only to discover she’s possibly being possessed by a demon.
As a recovering Irish American Catholic, she has mostly traded the world of communion and confessionals for the “city-girl” struggle of work-life balance, family, and her relationships. The only thing she has not been able to shake is her fear that something bad will happen if she misses Sunday mass.
But her fears become a reality when she skips mass for the first time and discovers she is now being possessed by a demon claiming to be the prince of hell. As she takes matters into her own hands and attempts to exorcise these demons (both the paranormal and emotional kind), Catherine must face her buried guilt and what it truly means to be good.
A cathartic and engaging view into the messy life of an urban women in her early twenties, Anna Meyer’s Saint Catherine is truly a story of letting go of guilt and taking responsibilities for your desires, hopes, and mistakes.
This was a great graphic novel that I think will appeal to readers of all ages, especially the adults but perhaps even some older YA readers. I think it will also appeal to those who have a non-linear relationship with religion. I didn’t think that a story about a young woman who believes she’s possessed by dozens of evil spirits because she missed church one time could be so entertaining. However, the author did a fantastic job bringing Catherine’s story to life. I didn’t expect to feel a slew of emotions from frustration and shock to heartbreak and overwhelming sadness to healing contentment, but Meyers made me feel it all!
Read More » 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:
It’s already that time of the year again where we recap our Q1 reading with The Quarter Year Crisis Book Tag. It’s hard to believe that Q1 is already over and we’re a quarter of the way through 2025. It truly feels like 2025 has just begun but then I also remember that I’ve already taken my first trip out of the country this year and my mind is even more boggled trying to calculate the passing of time and events, lol.
But I digress! Let’s see what my Q1 reading was like, shall we? Also, if you’re curious, you can view my past quarterly check-ins: 2024, 2023, 2022.
This tag was originally created by Roisin @Roisin’s Reading and you can view it on BookTube.
Read More » 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:
The Sword of Kaigen
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Pub Date: 19 February 2019
Genre: Adult Fantasy
Panda Rating:
(5 pandas)
A mother struggling to repress her violent past,
A son struggling to grasp his violent future,
A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.
When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?
High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’
Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.
Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.
Misogyny, rape, domestic violence, post-partum depression, miscarriage(s), domestic abuse, suicide bombing, death of a newborn mentioned, murder, blood, extreme violence and war themes
This was a buddy read with Becky @ Becky’s Book Blog and you can check out her review HERE!
TL;DR: This was an epic Asian inspired fantasy with intricately developed world-building and incredibly complex characters. The magic system was akin to Avatar but deadlier, the complicated family relationships reminded me of The Green Bone Saga, and the epic fight scenes gave me the same visuals and feelings from when I read The Poppy War series. Of course, the overall emotional connection that I felt throughout the read also reminded me of all of the above, so if you loved any or all of the aforementioned books, I have no doubt that you’ll find something to enjoy in these pages too.
Do I even have the words to adequately express how much I loved The Sword of Kaigen? What can I say about this that others haven’t already said and done so much better than I could? I already know it’s going to be one of my Top 2025 reads. This is another rambly gushing review so buckle up babes, you’re in a for a long ride! 😂
Read More » 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:
dinipandareads 