readintowonderland's reviews
363 reviews

I really hate to say this but my 2.75-star review is generous. I had very high hopes for this one going in because I knew the author. Sadly it did not meet my expectations. It was really difficult to get through this one because it was so cookie-cutter and lost the plot pretty quickly. If you are going to give me a very basic and overdone plot, you need incredible characters to make it unique. That is not the case here. I will say I did enjoy that is is obvious Callie has a great passion for reading. it just felt bogged down because there is SO MUCH description. I also wish the font was bigger for when in the timeline we are because it is hard to read and very much needed with how much back and forth there is. I also have to be honest Mason not even actually making a ploy to move on from Callie after 15 years is creepy. 

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary

The writing style just... was awful

This was an even more fascinating story than I was expecting. Rucker has truly had a profoundly varied and entertaining life. You could tell he really started getting happier after he started his country career. I was very happy for him that he got to have that nice moment in his career. 

There is a lot of value to this because he narrated it himself. If feels like he is sitting down for an honest chat. He is honest about his faults and that his life is far from perfect. I like it is a nice life lesson to hold onto all of the moments you endure, even if they are not your proudest moments. As the title says, life is too short, so we should all make the best out of it if we can. 

One of Evie's best-written stories so far! This improvement has been very fascinating to see. I look forward to seeing it get even better in the future. 

It felt steamier than before. This is a welcome change in my opinion. The steam made the tension higher which made the story more hard-hitting as a whole. 

There were a lot of smile-worthy moments. From adorable times with Jack's family (particularly his nieces). The animals involved also made me smile a lot. The gorgeous setting of a Hawaiian island helped massively. She made the setting part of the story without it taking over too much. 

The one part of the story I wasn't as in love with was how held back Hazel was by her overthinking. It felt like it took a very long time relative to the length of the book for Jack's free spirit to rub off on her at all. I really just wanted to shove them together and see her relax a bit more earlier on. 

Jack's character as a whole is super adorable. From him being a certified Swiftie, to his baby fever. I appreciate that while he is a daredevil masculine man, he also isn't afraid to like stereotypically girly things. His well-roundedness is so refreshing to see. I wanted more of his perspective. 

Overall, this is definitely a top contender for my favorite book by Evie Sterling. The increased steaminess, beautiful setting, and well-written MMC caused me to smile a ton while reading. If are looking for a light-hearted summery romance to read while summer is still upon us, I recommend this one. 

I received this book as part of the haylingbookstorm street team for Evie Sterling. My review is honest and voluntary 

While I did enjoy this book I didn't get the magical feeling some people are talking about

A proper review is coming when I process my thoughts

The illustrations are absolutely beautiful and striking! A fantastic way to introduce ADHD to families to start a conversation. The representation is so sweet and positive. It talks about some of the common struggles children with ADHD have and a bit of advice to help navigate these differences. The language is easy to follow which makes it especially helpful for young readers. The only thing I would suggest changing is switching to a bolder font to make it easier for young readers to distinguish. I love how it incorporates advice for parents and children alike. The bit at the end from a family psychologist for parents adds so much value as well! I highly recommend this book to families with ADHD children.

I received this book as part of a haylingbookstorm release team. My review is honest and voluntary

This book had a fantastic and unique premise. I can truly say I've never heard of another romance between the president's daughter and an MLB player. It led to an absolutely hilarious case of mistaken identity. It might be the best case of mistaken identity I have seen so far. 

I have to commend this book for having a host of side characters that are present and contributing to the story. All of the baseball boys and Radley's friends were significant to the plot. They all helped each other grow and showed genuine support for one another. The group also made me laugh out loud a lot. Especially the part with the glitter bomb. That was my favorite part of the book. 

My biggest complaint about this book was the inconsistent pacing. At times it was super fast-paced and I wanted it to slow down so I could savor the amusing moments. Other times it just feels pretty slow and unnecessarily dragged out. As a result. it took me way longer to get through this book than I probably should have.

I will always shout out and give extra points to a book with a Winnie the Pooh reference. (So yes, it has an extra quarter star, this is my rating and I will do with it as I please). I wholeheartedly agree with Lux that he is one of the best literary characters to exist. 

This book does a great job representing what it can be like to struggle with your mental health. Watching Lux help with Radley's panic attacks was very well done. 

 I received this book as part of a Valentine PR arc team. My review is honest and voluntary 

This is not the most exciting romance I have ever read but it was sweet and cute. There were some decent conflicts and chemistry that gave a nice balance. I love the lesbian and bisexual representation in the story. The astrology theming was also quite cute. I don't think this one will be super memorable but I enjoyed listening to it. 

Some parts were definitely slow but I am the biggest Pooh enthusiast possibly ever so I have zero other complaints. This was a wonderful flashback to my childhood. Do I think this story needed to exist? Probably not but it was a fun addition to help reemphasize that Pooh and friends are magical stuffed animals. 

I knew this book was coming but I was definitely excited to see the new insights for Britt's POV. This was a short and simple adult read. It was nice to take a pause with a shorter story. I will admit I did know in advance basically all that was happening in this story due to Britt's prominence in book one. As was the case in the first book, I appreciate that each of the boys has an opportunity to get Britt to themselves and then have her as a group. My favorite part of the story by far was the epilogue. It was so so cute! I am intrigued to see book three as I know way less about it. 

This story has a lot of spicy scenes so do not read this one if spice isn't for you
 

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary