King of Greed by. Ana Huang | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️

Title: King of Greed

Author: Ana Huang

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 352

Publication Date: 10/24/23

Categories: Adult, Romance, Second Chance Romance, Marriage in Trouble



He had her, he lost her…and he’ll do anything to win her back.

Powerful, brilliant, and ambitious, Dominic Davenport clawed his way up from nothing to become the King of Wall Street. 

He has everything—a beautiful home, a beautiful wife, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. But no matter how much he accumulates, he’s never satisfied. 

In his endless quest for more, he drives away the only person who saw him as enough. 

It isn’t until she’s gone that he realizes there may be more to life than riches and glory…but by then, it may be too late. 

*** 

Kind, intelligent, and thoughtful, Alessandra Davenport has played the role of trophy wife for years. 

She stood by her husband while he built an empire, but now that they’ve reached the top, she realizes he’s no longer the man she fell for. 

When it becomes clear that she’ll always come second to his work, she finally takes charge of her life and puts herself first—even if it means leaving the only man she’s ever loved. 

But what she didn’t count on was his refusal to let her go…or for him to fight for their marriage, no matter what it takes. 

King of Greed is a steamy marriage in trouble/second chance romance. It’s book three in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.

Content Warning:

I’m sad I didn’t love this one and I think it’s because nothing about Alessandra or Dominic was intriguing to me even though when they appeared in the two previous books very briefly I was quite interested in their story.

It’s clear these two love each other very much and maybe the marriage in trouble trope just bored me. I get that Dominic worked too much and put his job first but he had issues from the past that made him want to achieve everything. Thing is I didn’t find him very interesting – his brother Roman was more intriguing! Alessandra was just okay too.

I actually loss interest 30% in and skimmed the rest or else I would have DNF’ed it. I just wish there was more drama and spark between them.

My Final Thoughts:

This one is my least favorite of the Kings of Sins series but I’m still going to read King of Sloth though.

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Book Links:

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King of Pride by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

King of Wrath by. Ana Huang | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The Dangerous Ones by. Lauren Blackwood | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: The Dangerous Ones

Author: Lauren Blackwood

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 5/14/24

Publisher: Wednesday Books

Categories: Young Adult, Historical Fantasy, Paranormal, Romance, Civil War, Vampires

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Wednesday Books for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A romantic historical fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Blackwood, set in the American Civil War with vampires and people with demigod-like abilities.

1863, Pennsylvania

War doesn’t scare Jerusalem—she’s a Saint. Thanks to powerful demigod-style reflexes, endurance, and strength, she’s fearless. And ever since the Confederates declared civil war, partnering with the vampires who benefitted off slavery, she and her battalion of Saints are essential to the Union army.

Jerusalem herself had been enslaved by a vampire, escaping North only after her family was murdered. She knows the enemy better, hates the enemy more than anyone in her battalion, and has been using it to her advantage since she joined the war a year ago. More than anything she wants revenge, but if she can help Black people gain freedom and equality without having to steal it for themselves like she had to, then all the better.

But she never expects to have to team up with a vampire to do it. Alexei is one of those handsome, arrogant Ancient Vampires. But he’s on the Union’s side, and in the year they’ve known each other, has never done anything but prove he’s on hers.

Together, they set out to change the course of the war and take down the vampire who destroyed everyone Jerusalem loved. But for her, it’s about more than justice.

It’s about killing a god.

Content Warning: violence, slavery, mentions of rape, war, death

This author always has unique, interesting concepts to her stories, which is why I requested her newest book on NetGalley. America’s Civil War and vampires? I needed to see how this story would play out.

I love the concept. Jerusalem, is a Black girl who is a Saint, which are people with supernatural powers. She’s fearless, which was cool to see. In their unit is Alexei, who is a centuries old vampire – but of course he’s in an 18 year old body. A Russian, white boy, vampire body. He is so enamored with Jerusalem who is always arguing with him – he likes that about her though, that she’s fiesty. They fight for the union army against the confederate soldiers coming up from the South but they go on a secret mission that takes a turn for the worse.

Both Jerusalem and Alexei have interesting back stories. Jerusalem’s story is filled with struggle and fear as she flees to the North to be a free woman. Alexei’s story about being turned into a vampire is sad too as he loses people he love and also becomes a slave to his maker. I liked all the historical elements about the civil war, and the horrible things Black went through as slaves. I even think the paranormal aspects of vampires, werewolves and Saints fit so well in this time period.

As far as the enemies to lovers situation going with Jerusalem and Alexei, I wasn’t sure I was into it. It’s obvious he loved being around her and fighting with her from the beginning of the book. But for Jerusalem, it took her awhile to actually explore her feelings about him – I felt like it was forced a bit. They both had some baggage about their troubled pasts so I kind of wish their romance took a back seat.

I would have loved to learn more about the Saints because I thought that was interesting! I did love Jerusalem’s relationship with Odessa, who tried to keep her in line – especially when she was bickering with Alexei. Something I did struggle with at times was the speech. Jerusalem speech most times sounded so modern, and in a weird way made me think she and Alexei just didn’t mesh well because she was clearly young, while he was a very, very old guy in a young body!

My Thoughts:

I like the uniqueness of this story and I was invested in it until the modern speech started to bother me, and the thought of Alexei being thousands of years old and Jerusalem just 18 started to make me feel uncomfortable. And usually I don’t care if vampires who look 18 are with other 18 year olds but I think the speech differences between them just threw me off on the whole thing. I think if the romance wasn’t so in the forefront, I would have enjoyed it more because I liked the historical aspects and the action and fighting between the Saints and the enemies. Overall, it was an okay read.

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Wildblood by. Lauren Blackwood | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Within These Wicked Walls by. Lauren Blackwood | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 4/24/23

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

I haven’t picked up a book all weekend because I’ve been streaming Taylor Swift’s new album and trying to decode the lyrics – it’s been a grower for me but so good! I can’t believe we are almost at the end of April. My daughter is going to be busy with her tap recital being next week so we have stage rehearsals this week. Not sure if I’ll finish any books this week but I do have an audiobook I can listen to.

What are you currently reading?

The Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken – 2% in

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto – 2% in

King of Greed by. Ana Huang – 21% in and it’s taking me awhile reading this because I’m in a slump.

What have you just finished reading?

Verity by. Colleen Hoover – ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon | TTT | Top Ten Tuesday 4/23/24

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

Unread Books on My Shelves I Want to Read Soon

(Bonus points if you tell us how long it’s been sitting on your shelf waiting for you.)

Some of these are on my kindle shelf because I mostly read ebooks and I haven’t bought a hardcover in a minute.

Master of Iron by. Tricia Levenseller – I’m actually 20% in this book but I put it down 2 years ago and never picked it up again! 3 years on my shelf.

What’s on your TTT?

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Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 4/23/24

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Funny Story by. Emily Henry

A shimmering, joyful new novel about a pair of opposites with the wrong thing in common.

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met (on a blustery day), fell in love (over an errant hat), and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra.

Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian (that barely pays the bills), and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

Scruffy and chaotic—with a penchant for taking solace in the sounds of heart break love ballads—Miles is exactly the opposite of practical, buttoned up Daphne, whose coworkers know so little about her they have a running bet that she’s either FBI or in witness protection. The roommates mainly avoid one another, until one day, while drowning their sorrows, they form a tenuous friendship and a plan. If said plan also involves posting deliberately misleading photos of their summer adventures together, well, who could blame them?

But it’s all just for show, of course, because there’s no way Daphne would actually start her new chapter by falling in love with her ex-fiancé’s new fiancée’s ex…right?

Goodreads | Amazon


Song of Six Realms by. Judy I. Lin

Judy I. Lin, #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Magic Steeped in Poison, weaves a dreamy gothic romance worthy of the heavens in Song of the Six Realms.

Xue, a talented young musician, has no past and probably no future. Orphaned at a young age, her kindly poet uncle took her in and arranged for an apprenticeship at one of the most esteemed entertainment houses in the kingdom. She doesn’t remember much from before entering the House of Flowing Water, and when her uncle is suddenly killed in a bandit attack, she is devastated to lose her last connection to a life outside of her indenture contract.

With no family and no patron, Xue is facing the possibility of a lifetime of servitude playing the qin for nobles that praise her talent with one breath and sneer at her lowly social status with the next. Then one night she is unexpectedly called to the garden to put on a private performance for the enigmatic Duke Meng. The young man is strangely kind and awkward for nobility, and surprises Xue further with an irresistible offer: serve as a musician in residence at his manor for one year, and he’ll set her free of her indenture.

But the Duke’s motives become increasingly more suspect when he and Xue barely survive an attack by a nightmarish monster, and when he whisks her away to his estate, she discovers he’s not just some country noble: He’s the Duke of Dreams, one of the divine rulers of the Celestial Realm. There she learns the Six Realms are on the brink of disaster, and incursions by demonic beasts are growing more frequent.

The Duke needs Xue’s help to unlock memories from her past that could hold the answers to how to stop the impending war… but first Xue will need to survive being the target of every monster and deity in the Six Realms.

Goodreads | Amazon


Kill Her Twice by. Stacey Lee

Los Angeles, 1932: Lulu Wong, star of the silver screen and the pride of Chinatown, has a face known to practically anyone, especially to the Chow sisters—May, Gemma, and Peony—Lulu’s former classmates and neighbors. So the girls instantly know it’s Lulu whose body they discover one morning in an out-of-the-way stable, far from the Beverly Hills mansion where she moved once her fame skyrocketed.

The sisters suspect Lulu’s death is the result of foul play, but the LAPD—known for being corrupt to the core—doesn’t seem motivated to investigate. Even worse, there are signs that point to the possibility of a police cover-up, and powerful forces in the city want to frame the killing as evidence that Chinatown is a den of iniquity and crime, even more reason it should be demolished to make room for the construction of a new railway depot, Union Station.

Worried that neither the police nor the papers will treat a Chinese girl fairly—no matter how famous and wealthy—the sisters set out to solve their friend’s murder themselves, and maybe save their neighborhood in the bargain. But with Lulu’s killer still on the loose, the girls’ investigation just might put them square in the crosshairs of a coldblooded murderer.

Goodreads | Amazon


A Whisper In The Walls by. Scott Reintgen

In this sequel to the New York Times bestselling, “pulse-pounding” ( Publishers Weekly ) A Door in the Dark , Ren’s intellect and cunning are stretched to the limit in her quest to take down the system that stole her father’s life.

Ren Monroe is a wolf among lions. After infiltrating one of the greatest Houses in Kathor through her successful bond with Theo Brood, she finds Theo’s father is two steps ahead. He exiles Theo and isolates Ren, strategically working to break her unwelcome grasp on his son—and foiling Ren’s first step to enacting the revenge she’s been planning her whole life.

Ren might have more resources than she’d ever imagined growing up, but she’ll still get nowhere without allies. Enter House Tin’Vori. Years ago, House Brood led an unprecedented raid to destroy a fellow House of Kathor. But a few siblings survived, and they haven’t forgotten the horrors waged against their family. Quietly, they’ve plotted their own revenge, waiting for the right moment to strike. And Ren Monroe might be their best chance.

Like fire, the Tin’Vori siblings are as dangerous as they are useful, both gifted in rare magics. Ren must decide how to unleash them against House Brood without hurting Theo in the process. Her feelings for Theo are growing past the boundaries of their bond, and Ren finds herself balanced on a knife’s edge, a breath away from immense power or utter ruin.

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

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#5OnMyTBR: Romance

#5OnMyTBR is a bookish meme hosted by E. @ Local Bee Hunter’s Nook and you can learn more about it here or in the post announcing it. It occurs every Monday when we post about 5 books on our TBR.

This week’s theme is: Romance

Title: The Rule Book

Author: Sarah Adams

College sweethearts meet again years later, in this highly anticipated romance and companion story to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender who also happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it’s come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship be the thing to save their careers?


Title: Can’t Help Falling in Love

Author: Sophie Sullivan

A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

“Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for.” -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak


Title: Not Another Love Song

Author: Julie Soto

Two string players fight their attraction for each other as they compete for center stage in this spicy and emotional romance.

Gwen Jackson and Xander Thorne are both musical prodigies, but each has had very different paths to success. Xander was born into classical music royalty, while Gwen had a natural ear for music that was nurtured by a kind shop owner.

After Gwen performs at his friend’s wedding, she’s mortified when she realizes Xander has no clue who she is—despite having worked together for a year at the Pops Orchestra. But she’s more furious that he arrogantly critiques her performance.

When Gwen is offered the role of First Chair of the orchestra, something Xander had secretly coveted for years, their existing hostility goes up a notch. But their respect for each other’s music is undeniable, and their onstage chemistry off the scale. As they begin to explore their feelings for one another, suddenly they’re box office dynamite and the fragile romance that’s growing between them is in danger of being crushed beneath a publicity stunt…


Title: Just for the Summer

Authors: Abby Jimenez

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn’t planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It’s supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma’s toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they’re suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected–including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?


Title: Happily Never After

Author: Lynn Painter

Two love sceptics agree to work together as professional wedding disruptors. But fate has more romantic plans in mind for them . . .

When Sophie finds out right before getting married that she’s been cheated on (again!) it’s time for drastic action. Instead of calling the wedding off, she hires a gorgeous stranger – Max – to interrupt the ceremony and confront her fiancé. It’s hardly the wedding she’d planned. But Sophie enjoys taking revenge. So, when Max asks if she’ll work with him to help others expose their cheating partners, Sophie agrees. When they’re hired by a man who’s marrying the girl that once broke Max’s heart, Sophie expects Max to revel in the job. But instead, he seems to be wrestling with his feelings for his ex. And worse than that, Sophie is jealous . . .Tropes/ Friends to lovers2. Slow burn romance3. Spicy books4. Love triangle


Have you read any of these? Or plan to read any of these?

April

  • 01/04/2024 — Humour
  • 08/04/2024 — Recced by a Friend
  • 15/04/2024 — Title Starting with an ‘A’
  • 22/04/2024 — Romance
  • 29/04/2024 — Adventurous

Weekly Wrap Up | 4/21/24

Aloha friends!

I got over my illness – YAY! And right as my coughing was coming to an end, my daughter’s allergies/coughing started again and she got pink eye. 😅 Spring has not been kind to us!

My best friend since kindergarten so yes…that is 40 years of friendship 🥲🥰, had neck fusion surgery this past Tuesday. So my thoughts have been on her too – she was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when we were in the second grade, I still remember our teacher explaining why she was going to miss so much class time. Anyway, it’s been a battle these past 40 years for her, with a knee replacement and hip replacement all before the age of 21, daily pain, joints fusing but she’s been a fighter. Her brother is giving me updates as he gets them – but the surgery went well, she’s just dealing with the pain now. 😔 So I have been worried about her but I am SO glad the surgery went well.

My daughter’s dance recital is coming up so we are busy with that. I didn’t get much reading done at all. Still in my slump I think and maybe it’s needed?

Anyway I hope everyone has a good week!

Blog Posts:

Seems like I didn’t post much this week…

Books I Read:

Verity by. Colleen Hoover

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier


Currently Reading:

Shows/Movies/Music I Watched/Listened To:

  • The Tortured Poets Department (Taylor Swift) – The Tortured Poets Department: Anthology – My Thoughts – first initial reaction I thought the whole thing was too slow but after a few listens, I think it’s perfect to listen to for when I’m doing certain tasks like blogging ☺️

How was your week? Did you get a lot done? Watch anything good? Read any amazing books or books you didn’t finish? What are you reading?…Leave me a comment below!

The Tortured Poets Department: Anthology – My Thoughts

Well, it’s finally out, The Tortured Poets Department by Taylor Swift and it was a double album like she’s been hinting for so long with her 2’s. I’m Swiftie enough to follow all the easter eggs and clue and investigate things etc…I just go on TikTok and watch the people that do have theories – it’s fun but I don’t have the time! 😅 But I’ve been so curious about this album because of the grayscale or “greige” as she says in one song of her songs, it’s such a gloomy aesthetic. There is a lot of songs to process and just remember, this is just my interpretation of her songs and my first impressions. Everyone has their own and that’s all good! Let’s get into it:

  1. Fortnight (feat. Post Malone) – unexpected slow tempo, beat is very pop-synth, lyrics are interesting…(fortnight is 2 weeks – so is this about Matty Healy?!🤭 since they were so short lived in public last year), kinda thought Post Malone’s part would be more pronounced but I think I like it. This one is a grower I think.
  2. The Tortured Poets Department – slow tempo beat again, Matty again…”a tattooed golden retriever” lol…oh wow…this situationship she had with him really affected her – relatable!😅
  3. My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys – so far the beats feel the same, feels like one continuous song, slight differences here and there but tempo is the same and feels like the same song…”once I fix me, he’s gonna miss me” YUP…all the time. “stole my tortured heart, left all these broken parts” ouch.
  4. Down Bad – still kind of slow but I love the funky sounds it starts with – oh she said “fuck it if I can’t have him” – he really had her down bad! “I loved your hostile takeovers” – I felt that. He really screwed with her heart and brain. The ending sounds like a song from Lana Del Rey 🤔
  5. So Long, London – track 5? Will it break my heart? Love how it starts like bells chiming? Another slow one. Oh Joe…this one is sad and I think about their relationship or the ending of it. This one reminds me of Folklore and Evermore – and it makes sense because it’s co-written with Aaron Dessner and I LOVE her songs with him.
  6. But Daddy I Love Him – AH! this gives me Fearless/Love Story vibes and I love it! Another Aaron Dessner song. My favorite so far 🥰 maybe because it sounds so different from the first 5. Great lyrics – she even came for the fans who was going on and on about her and Matty “all this bitching and moaning” and that chaotic time! 😅 It is her life guys and girls, she’s grown enough to make her own mistakes and learn from it. Such a good song!!
  7. Fresh Out of the Slammer – back to slow but again, that guitar sound in the beginning and throughout giving me Lana vibes, maybe “Brooklyn Baby”?. She was in prison doing her time and now she’s out and running back to “him”. Whoa – tempo change.
  8. Florida!!! (feat. Florence + the Machine) – someone explain Florida to me, or the significance of it. She mentions Florida in Fortnight too. Love how this song is more hard hitting at some parts of the song, love Florence’s voice. What happened in Florida?! lol…🤷🏻‍♀️. I know this one has layers, I just can’t decode it right now. Also…I’m realizing all these guitar sounding/Lana vibes are Jack Antanoff songs which makes sense.
  9. Guilty as Sin? – she’s fantasizing! Ah! 🤭 Kind of reminds me of her song “I Can See You”…fantasies. Question is who is she fantasizing about? 👀
  10. Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me – ohhhh this one is good. She screams, finally! Reminds me of 1989 and I’m a 1989 girly. Love this song and the theme. “I was tame, I was gentle till the circus life made me mean”. Seems like she’s talking about the entertainment industry and how it’s changed her.
  11. I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can) – another slow one that gives me Lana vibes – oh Matty how you had her in a chokehold. But so relatable. “I can fix him, no, really, I can and only I can.” Yes, I have been this delusional but not anymore. LOL..love that she comes to her senses at the end of the song!👏🏼👏🏼
  12. loml – giving me Evermore vibes – UGH, this one is so good and such a sad, heartbreaker song. Thank you Aaron Dessner. “Talking rings and talking cradles”. I wanna say both about Joe and Matty.
  13. I Can Do It With a Broken Heart – finally an upbeat song?! wow! Aw damn, her heart was breaking and broken but she had her Eras Tour, she kept going even with her broken heart…honestly she deserves to take a break as long as she wants! Very synth-pop.
  14. The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived – Aaron Dessner song again. “Cause it wasn’t sexy once it wasn’t forbidden.” This one reminds me of All Too Well…great story telling. Love it.
  15. The Alchemy – she likes her white wine. “Touch down”? Is this aTravis song?! 🤭 aww she’s saying why fight the magic happening between them – cute!🥰
  16. Clara Bow – yup another Aaron Dessner song, love how it sounds. Another song about her experience with fame and the music industry. As much as I love her sad love songs, I totally love any songs about herself and how she deals with fame, the public, the fans, etc…great song! “It’s hell on earth to be heavenly”. That’s heavy. I love how she mentions her own name at the end…almost like talking about the next starlet, a successor, who will have to endure this hell of the entertainment industry.
  17. The Black Dog – love how the hard guitars came in, I like this one a lot and probably need a few listens but I like how it builds.
  18. imgonnagetyouback – this one’s okay I think, still same slow tempo so it kind of sounds like other songs and nothing is really standing out for me on it – giving me 1989 vibes but I wish it was a little more dynamic maybe just to make it stand out a little more.
  19. The Albatross – Folklore vibes – gotta be an Aaron song. Love the sound, not sure what it’s about yet, need a few more listens but I love it. I think she’s saying she’s the albatross? Will have to see what people say about it.
  20. Chloe or Sam or Sophia or Marcus – Evermore vibes – wait – she mentions “scarlet maroon” and I was getting that it’s about Matty way before that line….but does this mean Maroon is about Matty?! Because I love Maroon and I didn’t feel like it was a Joe song. Whoa…”Will I always wonder?”. Oh that wondering and what ifs.
  21. How Did It End? – wow these extra songs are the Folklore/Evermore storytelling songs. Sad, sad song. ☹️ “It’s happening again, how did it end?” UGH. To go from ending it with Joe after 6 years, to the crazy ending with Matty right after? I don’t know how she did those first Eras Tours shows with all this going on.
  22. So High School – YES. guitars, drums! 1990’s/2000’s teen rom-coms?! Awww a Travis song!! I love it. So cute! Oh this is sooo high school, at least when I was in high school! lol I’m rooting for them.
  23. I Hate It Here – “secret gardens in my mind” yes…I escape too Taylor! Folklore/Evermore vibes again.
  24. thanK you aIMee – I saw this one being broken down on Tik Tok and I was like ohhhhh. I can definitely see it! It’s about a certain person who tried to tear Taylor down. Great song, just a big F-U to any person that’s tried beating you down.
  25. I Look in People’s Windows – this is an interesting song. “I’m addicted to the ‘if only'” – I used to relate to that! I’ll need a few listens on this one. I think this one is just okay for me.
  26. The Prophecy – Folklore/Evermore vibes – so so good, so witchy! Love the lyrics “please, I’ve been on my knees, Change the prophecy”. Ugh the begging. This is one of my favorites! Shades of “greige”?! Yes I had to google that word old. Gray/beige pallete.
  27. Cassandra – more Folklore/Evermore vibes! amazing storytelling “In a mourning warning no one heard.” WOW – tortured poets for real!! This one is deep – love it and need a few more listens!
  28. Peter – Peter Pan? Another Matty song? But this time a sad Matty song and not so much anger, more reflective. “And I won’t confess that I waited, but I let the lamp burn.” Sadness that she was pining for him that long.
  29. The Bolter – for sure the Aaron Dessner songs are probably some of my favorites in this whole Anthology! It’s the story-telling for me, I love it. I love that this one is a little upbeat since it’s kind of rare on this album.
  30. Robin – I think this song is about innocence. I picture Christopher Robin (Winnie the Pooh) but as a mom this is giving me so many visuals of children and my hopes of them to stay innocent as long as they can be.❤️ Sweet song.
  31. The Manuscript – hmmm looking back on All Too Well?! whoa…”But the story isn’t mine anymore.” She’s not going to dwell on it – good for her! I like this ending.


I need a few more listens to figure out which of 31 songs is my favorite. Top ones so far is But Daddy I Love Him, loml, and The Prophecy. I’m sure a few more will be growers. I know I love So High School

I will say this on my first two listens…I feel like it’s too slow in tempo and the first couple songs blend into one continuous song it feels like. It’s why I love But Daddy I Love Him, because it changed sound and beat, made me think of Fearless, which is a much needed switch up. Then it went back to slow tempo but I get it…it’s “The TORTURED POETS Department”…so these were going to be sad, slow songs! Who knows maybe it’s like Midnights and will grow on me?

It’s obvious I loved all the Aaron Dessner produced songs. The storytelling just shines and Folklore is in my top 3 Taylor albums. Funny, I never really listened to Evermore until this year! Yeah I don’t know why…I think during the pandemic and Folklore was on repeat, I couldn’t take more sad songs so I didn’t listen to Evermore. I took a chance this year and started listening to it and really love a bunch of songs on there!

It sounds like this album is Midnights/Folklore/Evermore combined with a few nods to Fearless and Red? I will say I am a 1989/Rep/Folklore girl so I’m happy about all the Aaron Dessner tracks – he and Taylor together make amazing music. Most of the songs on TTPD just felt like they blended into one which was just okay to me. I was waiting for a song to jump out at me and Florida! definitely did but I guess I should have expected something more low tempo since the theme was “greige”.

As for subject matter…wow! I didn’t anticipate it being a lot about Matty Healy but I TOTALLY get it and it allllll makes sense now with all that took place last year between them – she really unloaded all her feelings about this situation-ship. I love that there is a song or 2 about Travis – it’s the only happy tracks on this album! Of course the Joe was are just sad but definitely a goodbye. I think she already made 5 albums about their relationship so what else is there to say there? I love how she also addressed how people need to stay out of her business and if she wants to go wreck her life with some guy she’s so in love with – LET HER – she’s a grown up and she can make mistakes and learn from them too. 😅 Why is it always the bad boys that wreck you so bad? So relatable lol…and SO glad that phase of my life is over. She talks about her mental health a lot and she was really going through something bad and smiled through it all with a drink in her hand.

I love how she ends the Anthology with The Manuscript. Very much like “Dear Reader” but it’s definitely telling us that this whole chapter of messy guys, etc…is over for her. And I hope she does find Happiness and I’m rooting for her and Travis so hard but even if it’s not with him I think as fans we just want her to be okay. ❤️


And yeah…I bought the vinyl even though I have no record player. 😅 Last time I had a record player I was a kid and I would play my uncle’s records like Queen and my grandpa’s music from the 50’s. I’d beg to play with the records. I guess it’s time to get one! I have wanted to get some vinyls but I figured I didn’t need another expensive hobby. 😭 I bought The Albatross because I love the grayness of it and I liked the title of that song. I’m glad I love the song also now that I have heard it, but I now wish I had the vinyl for the DOUBLE album.

A poem from Stevie Nicks
Love this song!!
this song gutted me

This poem Taylor wrote is at the end of vinyl and I LOVE the line:

“A smirk creeps onto this poet’s face

Because it’s the worst men that I write best.”

😅 Because YES, we can’t have this album if Matty wasn’t the worst to her unfortunately. I don’t feel like Joe was the worst…I think they tried hard and it just fell apart.

Are you going to listen to the album? What did you think of the album?

I have been listening to a few major drops like Ariana and Beyonce’s records so I may do a post of them too since I haven’t been finding good books to read lately. 😔 At least music is doing it for me!

Verity by. Colleen Hoover | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Title: Verity

Author: Colleen Hoover

Format: ebook (kindle unlimited)

Pages: 336

Publication Date: 12/7/18

Categories: Adult, Psychological Thriller, Suspense, Mystery, Romance


Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.

Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.

Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.

Content Warning: child death, parental death, grief, murder, harm towards child

Wow, what did I just read? I haven’t read a Colleen Hoover book in awhile because I do need to be in the mood for her books since they kind of get heavy and I saw this title being hyped up years ago, but was never interested but since I’m in a reading slump, I finally decided to read it.

I read it in one sitting because it shocked me and kept me awake plus it’s a quick read. The first chapter sets the tone with an accident, blood and a coincidental meeting between Lowen and Jeremy. From there the story moves quick where they attend a meeting and Jeremy is there representing his wife who is a big time author of a thriller series that she can’t finish because she’s been in a car accident. They ask Lowen if she can finish the series and from there this story twists into something unpredictable and horrific.

Let me just say some emotions I felt from this book were anger, disgust, fear, shock, and basically was wondering what the hell I was reading! I was definitely getting suspicious of certain things happening and even guessed a few things but yikes what a way to tell this story.

I think it was totally entertaining though if you can get through some of the sick things that happen. Some of the stuff where it affected children was hard for me to read.

My Final Thoughts:

I’ve been in a reading slump and I don’t know if this kicked me out of it but at least it gave me a shock to wake me up a little! What a crazy story, and what an ending. I was gagged, as they say now. It is a psychological thriller so beware for some hard topics, like some of the things that involved kids was hard for me to read. But overall I went for a suspenseful ride of a story and was entertained.

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Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Reminders of Him by. Colleen Hoover | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Heart Bones | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 4/17/23

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Finally I am feeling much better! Still some congestion but most of the yuckiness and the coughing is gone thank goodness. But now my daughter has pink eye so yay…fun! Now I’m trying to avoid that lol. I haven’t posted much, I haven’t read much and if I did it was one or two pages and then I’d put the book down. Not sure why I’m in such a slump but have you read any amazing books lately? If you have drop some recs in the comments, please!

What are you currently reading?

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

The Mirror of Beasts by. Alexandra Bracken

Not Another Love Song by. Julie Soto

What have you just finished reading?

The Summer Swap by. Sarah Morgan – ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 💫

Castle of the Cursed by. Romina Garber – ⭐️⭐️⭐️

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?