Marsupial Literature

Well, we are nearing the end of November and I am just posting my wrap up of October books. Add this to my list of epic facepalm moments.  Marsupial Literature's October Book Wrap Up Last Dance with a Cowboy⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am Elephant, I am Butterfly ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Match Made in Venice ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Bad Luck Bridesmaid⭐⭐⭐ Christmas at Frozen Falls⭐⭐⭐💫 Love at the Fall Festival⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Suite Spot⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Kids Cook Dinner⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can I Mix you a Drink?⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves⭐⭐⭐💫 Help! I'm Alive⭐⭐⭐⭐ No Player R equired⭐⭐⭐⭐ Neanderthal⭐⭐⭐⭐ We Want Bama⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Eight Days of Christmas⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pink and Country⭐⭐⭐💫 Her Honor⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rules for Falling⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Chasing the Stoke⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Rumor Game⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 The Heart of the Deal⭐⭐⭐

The Hookup Dilemma  Author: Constance Gillam Publisher: Entangled Publishing  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Hookup Dilemma is a one-night encounter turned romance story between Rashida and Elliott. Both Rashida and Elliot are not really the hookup types, but find themselves undeniably drawn to each other. There's just one problem: after their night together, they continue to be thrown into each other's orbit as Elliott's father's company looks to develop on and gentrify Rashida's community. The Hookup Dilemma is an interesting book and a bit unexpected. The attraction between Rashida and Elliott is undeniable, starting with physical attraction and moving to something more. While the relationship is central to the story, the battle between Elliott's father's company and Rashida's community often takes front and center as well. The topics covered are current and relevant, and I appreciate how the author intertwined them into the book. Basically, this is a lot more than just a

Rules of Falling  Author: Leslie Tall Manning  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rules of Falling follows Erica, who suffers from the fainting disorder syncope and has a less than normal life because of it. Her best friend Lindsay helps by staying by her side at all times, but a rift drives a wedge between the two as Lindsay begins a relationship with a married man. Erica quickly finds herself buried in secrets, which all begin to come to light as a string of mysterious fires hit her town. Rules of Falling gave me a lot of the same vibes as i am Elephant, i am Butterfly, and I am just as impressed with this book. Once again, I had to take a step back and let it all sink in before writing this review. Lots and lots of things going on here: chronic medical disorders, predatory relationships, arson, and more. How did this all fit into one book and still manage to flow and read well? Color me impressed. And while Erica is the lead and a great one at that, I found myself fascinated with how Lindsay's character was

We Want Bama  Author: Joe Goodman Publisher: Grand Central Publishing  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We Want Bama takes an in depth look at the 2020 Alabama college football team, which is possibly the greatest year for the Crimson Tide. The challenges faced by the team were far greater than just football: a global pandemic, politicians using them as talking points for their gain, and racism on both a historic and current level. We Want Bama is everything I hoped for in a book and much more. The author covers the 2020 team with so much passion and respect that it is hard not to be engaged in every chapter. Each topic is thoroughly covered, with no detail left out and a writing style that is filled with both humor and brutal honesty. Pandemic sports.....there is just so much to it. As the author notes, not playing the season was never an option for the SEC, and there were certainly a lot of consequences that went along with this. And seriously, what bravery and strength it took to combat such a long history if

A Match Made in Venice  Author: Leonie Mack Publisher: Boldwood Books ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Match Made in Venice is the story of Didi, who travels to Venice in hopes of commissioning Piero to create a custom work of art for her job. Piero, the brooding artist that he is, is less than agreeable to the task and has lost his focus since a recent heartbreak. Didi will have to get creative to keep Piero on track, and may get swept up in the romance of Venice along the way. A Match Made in Venice is the second book set in Venice that I have read this year, and is a much happier plot. Seriously, I'll take it, bring on the romance and dreamy travel settings please! This book was fun to read, and I find myself continuing to smile as I write this review. Poor Piero! Way to get his heart stomped on. I like how not only does Didi swoop in to try to get him working again, but they also develop this friends/muse/oh my relationship along the way. I enjoyed reading A Match Made in Venice and would recommend it t

Roxy Author: Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing  ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫 Roxy is a unique take on a story about the ever relevant opioid crisis. Isaac and Ivy are both in need of drug related help for different reasons: Isaac for pain management, and Ivy for ADHD. In the world of Roxy, they become the unfortunate subjects of a bet between Roxy (Oxycontin for Isaac) and Addison (Adderall for Ivy) to see who can cause the downfall of their person first (by bringing them to "The Party"). Wow, Roxy is a heavy and powerful book. The topics covered in this book could easily become very after-school special, but the authors created a very original story that still gets the message across. Having Roxy and Addison as actual beings, digging deep their characters, and showing their paths of destruction in the lives of Isaac and Ivy made this book hard to put down. My one worry going into this book is that the plot would glamorize or mishandl

Can I Mix You a Drink? Author: T-PAIN Publisher: Kingston Imperial  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Can I Mix You a Drink? is a collection of drink recipes based on a collaboration between T-Pain and mixologist Maxwell Britten. All cocktails are named after T-Pain's songs and created with each song in mind. Can I Mix You a Drink? is an impressive collection of cocktails. The entire book is beautifully illustrated and this adds to the appeal of the drinks. I love the concept of having the drinks named after T-Pain's songs, and also found the additional commentary interesting and humorous. These drinks look like a delicious and dangerous way to spend an evening, with the distinct possibility of hangovers, bad decisions, and funny stories for the next day.....which seems to be right on point for this book. T-Pain fans and cocktail enthusiasts should pick up a copy of Can I Mix You a Drink? Thanks to Netgalley and Kingston Imperial for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

Fourth Comings  Author: Megan McCafferty  Publisher: Macmillan Audio  ⭐⭐⭐💫 Fourth Comings is the fourth book in the Jessica Darling series and follows post-college Jessica as she navigates life and relationships in her 20s. Jessica is living and working in New York City, still best friends with Hope, and still with Marcus. When a break-up attempt turns into an unexpected proposal, Jessica is thrown for a loop and had one week to decide if she wants to marry Marcus. Four books into the series, I am still very much enjoying Jessica's brutal honesty and snark. After listening to three of these books in audiobook format, I am still very much convinced that Jessica Darling is meant for audiobook format and that the narrator is a perfect fit for these books. Going into Fourth Comings, I continued to be interested in what was next for Jessica, especially with her relationship with Marcus. The proposal was......unique, to say the least. I generally liked the format of the book, how she wa

The Lucky Escape  Author: Laura Jane Williams  Publisher: Harper 360 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Lucky Escape is the story of Annie, who is ready for her happily ever after....until her fiance stands her up at the altar. Rather than stay home and continue to nurse her wounded heart, she decides to go on her her Australian honeymoon and bring along her friend Patrick. The adventures are exactly what Annie needs, and she may also find some feelings for Patrick along the way. The Lucky Escape provides the perfect antidote for a broken heart: a dream vacation (nevermind that it was supposed to be Annie's honeymoon) with a handsome travel companion (who is definitely NOT the man who left Annie on their wedding day). I liked reading all of Annie's adventures on her would be honeymoon and found it to make a great story. It was also enjoyable to read the progression of Annie and Patrick's relationship along the way, and appreciated that the book also covered what happened after the vacation ended. It

Cupcake Author: Cookie O'Gorman Publisher: Entangled Publishing  ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Cupcake is the story of Ariel, or Cupcake as she is known to her friends and classmates. Ariel is surprised to be named to homecoming court and is paired with Rhys, one of the most popular guys in school. As the two get to know more about each other, Ariel begins to confront her preconceived notions of Rhys, those around her, and herself. I really enjoyed Cupcake and was so happy to find a YA book that I kept wanting to pick up and read. Ariel is a fantastic main character and I loved how much she embraced herself while still showing her flaws. It's everything a reader could want from a strong female lead. The reader will be pleasantly surprised with Rhys and will enjoy reading his story as well. About halfway through, I was nervous that the book would go full She's All That and was very happy with the direction that the author went. And the real star of this book in my opinion is when Rhys gives Ariel an

You Can Go Your Own Way  Author: Eric Smith Publisher: Inkyard Press ⭐⭐⭐ You Can Go Your Own Way is the story of two rival gaming businesses with ties to family and old friendships. Adam works at his old family owned pinball arcade, which he carries a strong connection to since the passing of his father. Whitney helps out at a chain gaming cafe run by her father, who is trying to buy out Adam's pinball arcade. A snowstorm brings Adam and Whitney together, and helps them stop trading insults and start mending their broken relationship. I liked the brief description of You Can Go Your Own Way and initially thought the book would be right up my alley. The setting of two different gaming businesses with rival families built a lot of interest, and the highlight of the book was definitely the humorous banter and fighting between all of the local businesses. Beyond my initial interest, I unfortunately had a hard time staying engaged with the story. The family conflicts were well-written,

Christmas at Frozen Falls Author: Kiley Dunbar Publisher: Saga Egmont Audio ⭐⭐⭐💫 Christmas at Frozen Falls follows Sylvie, whose Christmas isn't turning out quite as planned after her fiance breaks up with her a week before their wedding. With the help of her friend Nari, Sylvie starts to pick up the pieces by planning a trip to Frozen Falls, which also happens to be the hometown of her ex-boyfriend Stellan. When the two are reunited, the sparks begin to fly again, and Sylvie may end up with a happy holiday after all. Christmas at Frozen Falls has a perfect setting for the holidays: cold, snowy, and a chance of northern lights. So it's off to a great start. I liked the story of Sylvie going to Frozen Falls instead of staying home and licking her wounds (her ex-fiance is certainly no prize to cry over!). The second chance romance between her and Stellan is sweet and I enjoyed listening to it. While I liked the story as a whole, I feel that some of the magic was lost for me in t

Expect Something Beautiful: Finding God's Good Gifts in Motherhood  Author: Laura Booz Publisher: Moody Publishers ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Expect Something Beautiful is a book/devotional geared towards women in any stage of motherhood. The book addresses the many struggles of being a mother: fertility issues, sleepless nights, difficulties of raising children, and finding purpose in all of the chaos. Throughout each stage, the goal of this book is provide mothers with support and tools to find peace and joy through their relationship with God. It has admittedly been awhile since I have read a full book devotional; as a mom to a toddler, I often lean towards shorter daily messages. But wow, I am so happy to have had the opportunity to read Expect Something Beautiful. This book is such a breath of fresh air for a number of reason. I appreciate the author not shying away from difficult topics such as pregnancy loss and postpartum depression: these topics often hide in the shadows and it was wonderful t