Hazel Fine Sings Along by Katie Wicks
Goodreads blurb: As Hazel Fine steps out of her crummy hotel room into the bright LA sunshine, she knows she’s got one, and only one, chance.. Her audition for the massive talent show, The Sing Along, could change her life forever. She has the skills, what she needs now is a bit of luck. Soon Hazel finds herself alongside fifteen other contestants who all have the same dream: superstardom. There’s the beautiful Hollywood golden child, Bella. The bright, bubbly country singer, Zoey. The extraordinarily handsome surfer/influencer, Benji. And Hazel, who has more to hide than her past. She’s got the chops, but can she handle the pressure without self-combusting? Add in an undeniable attraction to the show’s talented yet brooding musical director, Nick, and the lecherous tactics of one of the judges, Hazel soon finds herself in over her head. But with her guitar strapped to her shoulder, she’s going to sing her heart out—and maybe open herself up to love at the same time. Who says you can’t have it all .
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. It comes out May 2, 2023
My take: 4 out of 5. A singing competition romance – as they say you had me at Hello. I enjoyed that the storylines were not obvious from the start, how it played out was not necessarily prewritten as with most romance books, there were interesting options and they developed quite nicely. Although they had all the usual suspects in what is a reality competition, it worked nicely and I just wanted it to be an audiobook so I can get all the wonderful songs as well!
Highly Suspicious and unfairly cute by Talia Hibbert
Goodreads blurb: From the New York Times bestselling author of the Brown Sisters trilogy, comes a laugh-out-loud story about a quirky content creator and a clean-cut athlete testing their abilities to survive the great outdoors–and each other.
Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes . . . except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.
Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption–yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)
These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed . . . or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?
This is an ARC review thanks to a gift from the publisher. It comes out Jan 3rd
my take: 4 out of 5. This first foray into YA territory for Talia Hibbert was adorable! it retains all the banter and great relationship development of her old books without the steam. I really enjoyed the characters, Bradley is adorable and Celine has so many quirks yet is a wonderful quick as Young woman through out.
The Family Holiday by Elizabeth Noble
Goodreads blurb: The Chamberlain family – Charlie and Daphne, and their children Laura, Scott and Nick – had fantastic summer holidays when they were young. But then, inevitably, the children grew up, and their own messy lives got in the way. Since their mum died, it feels to them all as if their family just isn’t that close any more. And Charlie fears his kids have all lost their direction. For his eightieth birthday, all Charlie wants is to bring his family together again – and by some miracle, they’ve all said yes. It’s only ten days . . . how hard can it be?
my take: 3.5 out of 5. I’ve always been a fan of Elizabeth Noble, as I’ve written here before, so when I Realized there was a book of hers that I had not read whilst browsing hoopla I Was all over it. This book surprised me. At the beginning i thought it was going to be a bit boring and really did not see where it was going to go, but as it went on I started caring for all the characters. You really feel part of the family. IT is a sweet story of family dynamics, the things that bring us apart and those that pull us together.
Tati's Tidbits 