Bebe Rachel's Whimsy and Reviews

 I wanted to love this book. I love the concept - 2 young people meet and fall in love as they come together over Hannukah and learn about each other’s traditions. I really loved the Texan small town vibe and the inclusion of the history of Jews in Texas and Mexico. However… Hannah’s attitude  towards Noah regarding his traditions was triggering to me. I had a hard time with the idea that he would be into her when she was being so judgmental and rude. Additionally the way she was narrating and explaining the meaning of Jewish concepts and words in her head was a bit annoying and didn’t feel authentic. No one would walk around thinking that way. That’s just my take. Other reviews mentioned a problem with them falling in love so fast but I’ve literally done that so that part was not an issue for me. 🙃

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros My rating: 5 of 5 stars What can I possibly say that has not already been said? I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to what comes next. This dystopian fantasy is set in a dragon rider training school - more akin to an officer candidate program than a military school. A young woman enters as a first year trainee, much against her own wishes, and her journey is the story of this book. I loved it. The world building and political back story are so intricate but, I thought, without unnecessary detours. The developing romantic desires of the lead character tie into the story without completely overpowering it. To me this book was akin to Guy Gavriel Kay’s books in epic character development and world building but without the historical undertones. Particularly I am reminded of The Last Light of the Sun . The humorous and raunchier aspects - whether of a violent or sexual nature were more George RR Martin than Kay

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews Delilah Green is a photographer working hard to make it on her own in NYC when she is given a chance to return home and photograph her step-sister’s society wedding in the Pacific Northwest. She could use the money but it will be at the cost of her peace of mind as her hometown, step sister and step mother are all places and people she would rather leave behind.  What she never would expect is to fall into a romantic entanglement with one of her step-sisters best friends as they all are thrown together the week leading up to the wedding.  The result is a spicy, hilarious and at times heartfelt journey into what it means to come home and what success really amounts to.  I had read these books out of order, because..well it was an accident. So I knew the outcome before I picked up the book but I still loved it. Ashley Herring Blake has

  Another page-turner from Savannah Lee - I could not put this book down. It helped that I was anticipating book two in the Clover Pack Series since the moment I finished Midnight Mated.   Book two finds half-ling (shifter-fae) Rowan learning more about herself and her past - and becoming more powerful in the process. No spoilers here but if you are back to find out if the romance between Rowan and the brooding shifter Callan is going to progress - you will not be disappointed. The story delves more deeply into the faerie realm and there are more character introductions along the way. It was fast paced with in-depth world building while keeping the action moving on the conflict between Rowan and her enemies.  The book was entertaining, spicy, and I definitely recommend it and the series. I particularly appreciate a fantasy romance that is not so complicated with overblown world building that I cannot keep track of who is who. It is just the right balance of telling the story of this re

Heat Wave by T.J. Klune My rating: 5 of 5 stars This was the #audible version. Up front, let me just get to it - this is more of a love letter to the series than a real review. So if you are looking for a real critical review - move on to someone else.  As an ADHD reader I love feeling seen in the characters I read and Nicholas Bell (also known as the Extraordinary, Guardian) has a brain much like my own. I love him for it. He is messy, and almost annoying except he is so endearing. This is really the book where he comes of age and grows. #ADHDonthePage #WhyAreWeThisWay. We return to NovaCity for this YA, LGBTQ+, superhero fantasy (The Extraordinaries Series) finale. I do not like to give spoilers    so I feel like I cannot say too much about the plot here. My recommendation is if you read the first 2 books - read this. It was fantastic.  Part of my #ADHD life is accepting I do not like to finish anything and when I do not want a book series t

The Raging Storm by Ann Cleeves My rating: 5 of 5 stars Detective Matthew Venn returns to lead his team as they investigate the mysterious death of a celebrity adventurer who had recently returned to his childhood home in Devon. Twists and turns abound in this tale of a sailor who comes to a violent end.  I really have enjoyed this series, and the 3rd book was no exception. Matthew Venn finds himself back in a community he visited as a child and once again among the Brethren, the strict fundamentalist community of his youth.    The setting is a bleak coastal town where making a living is hard going. During the course of the investigation, the town is beset by storms that add to the tension of this tight-knit village already fractured by religious prejudices, class divisions and a variety of financial wins and losses.  Detective Venn is my favorite part of this series - brooding, awkward and shaped by his childhood among the Brethren, he is ove

My Roommate Is a Vampire by Jenna Levine My rating: 4 of 5 stars A young artist, struggling to make ends meet, is evicted from her apartment and finds herself with a new landlord who is as awkward as he is gorgeous, landlord. As the title suggests, it turns out he is a vampire. Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable and lighthearted book. I did find the beginning a bit slow going but I never know if that is the book or just my attention span. Some of the premises were a bit silly but it was refreshing to read a funny vampire romance. ⏰ Fast Read: a few days 🌶️ It goes there - not for my tween to read ⚠️ No triggering - super lighthearted  🏷️ #VampireRomCom #ContemporaryRomance  #MyRommateIsAVampire #romcom