Review: Taylor Swift is Life by Kathleen Perricone

“Written by Kathleen Perricone, this is truly an inside look at Taylor Swift. From her songs to her clothes to her history and even, some fun things just for fans, this book is honestly one of the coolest ones I’ve read this year.” ―Culturess

Celebrate your best Swiftie life with this gorgeously illustrated, all-encompassing fan book on everything there is to know and love about the modern icon that is Taylor Swift.

From her first vocal lessons at age nine, to learning the guitar at twelve, to becoming the most downloaded women on Spotify, and then breaking the internet with her Eras Tour, Taylor Swift has rocked the music scene and captured the hearts of fans across the globe. Gathering her incredible life story, music, and fan culture all in one place, Taylor Swift Is Life captures her epic achievements, brilliant lyrics, and her incredible ability to connect with her fans like no other musician before her.

This treasure trove of essential Swiftie knowledge includes:

· A full biography capturing her early inspiration and first performances through her through her sensational 2023-2024 Eras Tour

· A full discography of Taylor’s music, including the significance of each album personally and professionally, the meaning behind every Track 5, and all the hidden Easter eggs and symbolism behind the songs.

· Swiftology, or Taylor A to Z, covering significant words, imagery, and people in Taylor’s life that every Swiftie should know, from arm poetry to maple lattes, and polaroids to Zoë Kravitz

· Taylorscopes for every sign, to find out how your stars align with Swift’s music, and learn which Taylor song represents you

Both a tribute to our beloved Tay and a chic showpiece for any well-appointed bookshelf, Taylor Swift Is Life is a must-have title for every true Swiftie.

The Modern Icons series takes you on a journey through the lives and legacies of cultural icons who have shaped our world, from fashion to music to media. With original illustrations and meticulously crafted prose, this series captivates and enlightens, offering a glimpse into the personalities whose unparalleled charm and authenticity have left an indelible mark on popular culture.

Review

This book would be perfect for any Taylor Swift fan or anyone looking to get into her music. I appreciated that the author spent little time on rumors and presented the information. She had direct quotes from Taylor and others and even included album statistics. I wouldn’t consider this a full biography. Instead, I’d consider it an introduction to Taylor and her fandom.

One of my favorite things about this book was the sections dedicated to the albums. For each album, the author gave an overall breakdown, including sales, track lists, inspiration, and creative direction. The Tortured Poets Department is one of my favorite albums, and I enjoyed learning more about it.

Final Thought

Taylor Swift is Life might be small, but there is so much material packed into the pages. From the history of Taylor Swift to Easter eggs to album insight, there is so much here for any Swift fan to enjoy. Not to mention, the artwork is gorgeous, and it’s all very easy to read.

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Review: High Hopes by Ki Stephens

About the Book

BIRDIE Collins has a plan: finish her junior year in Dayton U’s competitive 3D4M program and secure a coveted arts fellowship. But since a car accident left her battling anxiety and chronic pain, keeping it together has become an uphill climb. The very last thing she needs? A distraction—especially not from a loudmouthed, overly-charming soccer player.

LIAM Donovan is the carefree jokester everyone assumes he is. As a star right winger on Dayton’s D1 soccer team, he’s always ready with a sarcastic remark or teasing grin. But the nonstop banter? It’s a cover for the heavy weight of family expectations he struggles to bear. He doesn’t have time for a complicated artist who sees straight through his defenses.

When Birdie and Liam’s paths collide, what starts as a reluctant partnership quickly turns into something deeper. Late-night study sessions melt into midnight confessions, and they find themselves drawn into each other’s worlds in ways they never expected.

As the final stretch of soccer season heats up and Birdie’s fellowship deadline looms, they’ll have to decide if they’re willing to take a chance on each other. Because sometimes, leaning on someone else isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a leap of faith.

Review

I have read all but one of Ki Stephens’ books. I’ve learned what to expect from her; colossal disappointment is never it. All the books have a certain feel to them. It feels soft, intimate, and quiet—which can sometimes cause the books to hit a low point. The romance is always cute and fluffy—lovable main characters with a natural progression. They feel nice, safe, and soft. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Stephens is a great writer, and I’d like her to try something new and not-so-safe.

With all that being said, High Hopes is my favorite of hers. It’s a standard Ki Stephens contempt romance; however, Birdie and Liam felt elevated. Both have several layers and are trying the best they can. Birdie is a dedicated and passionate ceramist who wants peace and a break. Birdie’s dealing with PTSD and grief while trying to earn a spot at a fellowship as her finances deplete. She’s isolated herself, and her old friends have abandoned her because they didn’t understand what she was going through after her car crash. She truly has no one. Spoiler alert--  she and her roommate become closer, and their friendship is beautiful, adorable, and fun.

Liam is a pathological people-pleaser whose parents make him feel like he’s not enough and try to dictate his life. He wants to play professional soccer, though that isn’t what his parents want for him. In a way, both have hidden their true selves from the world. They are silently suffering, and only when they find each other does someone finally see them. They have a genuine, comfortable friendship that turns into a sweet, endearing romance. There are so many small and thoughtful moments between them that really helped elevate them as a couple. Stephens built an emotional connection with them that met my expectations.

Final Thoughts

High Hopes has the classic soft love romance that one can expect from a Ki Stephens book. This is an art that she has mastered. Birdie and Liam are wonderful characters who deserve a big hug.

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Review: Rookie Mistake by Maren Moore

About the Book

I won my brother’s rival in a Date the Player auction… and had the best night of my life.

Davis Guidry is Orleans University’s starting rookie pitcher.

He’s handsome, charming, and an all-around flirt.

After spending a hot, spontaneous night together, we can’t seem to keep our hands off each other.

But our no-strings fun comes crashing down when my overbearing brother, who happens to be Davis’s biggest rival, catches us in action.

Even that seems to only make the fire burn hotter when we’re together.

And suddenly, our secret fling starts to feel like something more than either of us bid on.

Are these casual hookups between us just a fun way to pass my freshman year…

Or have we made the ultimate rookie mistake and caught feelings?

Review

I went in with low expectations for Rookie Mistake. I’ve tried in the past to read books by Maren Moore, and I have rarely succeeded. I’m not a fan of her writing style and was willing to overlook it to at least be entertained and have fun with this one.

I could be overthinking this novella; however, I wasn’t entertained. There’s really no plot at all, and the character felt surface-level to me. They could be exchanged with any other characters in a hockey book and the story wouldn’t change. It was also pretty cringe when Davis proclaimed that Zara wasn’t like any other girl.

Final Thoughts

Rookie Mistake has no real substance. It feels like every other book with this same plot just condensed.

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Review: Nightshade: An Enemies to Lovers, Dark Academic Romance (Sorrowsong University) by Autumn Woods

About the Book

*Book one of a duet*

When Ophelia Winters accepts a scholarship at a prestigious Scottish university to prove that her parents' death was the fault of Cain Green, an American aviation tycoon, her plan is simple. Keep her grades up and her head down; the last thing she wants is to wind up in a mafia war or step on the toes of royalty.

Her plan gets off to a rocky start when the mysterious man that almost kills her on her first day turns out to be Cain's eldest son. As far as she’s concerned, Alex Corbeau-Green is a younger version of his billionaire father. A monster hiding beneath a beautiful facade.

Loneliness has been Ophelia’s only dependable companion for years, but when anonymous threats and mysterious occurrences start to haunt her time at Sorrowsong, she wonders if she really can survive there on her own.

Between being paired together for a project and ending up as each other’s alibi for a murder, avoiding Alex becomes increasingly impossible. She begins to fall for the soft heart that hides beneath his hard exterior.

Tormented by a malicious stalker and growing closer to Alex, Ophelia’s desperation for revenge wavers for the first time. Can she really bring herself to pull the trigger on Cain now that she knows the family it’ll split into two?

__________

Dark Academic Romance - Hate to Love - Slow Burn - University Setting - Murder and Mystery

This work is dark in places and contains several triggers throughout. Please heed the warnings before reading.

Review

I must give credit when due, and Autumn Woods deserves high praise for how atmospheric this felt. Nightshade felt how a dark academic story should feel. It’s very clear that she took her time establishing Sorrowsong University and wanted it to be this dark and mysterious place. I give her all the kudos for that.

She also had a strong setup for the story. Ophelia’s parents are killed in a plane crash, and she’s determined to figure out what happened to them—so determined that she’s willing to attend a university that she promised she’d never attend and do dangerous snooping. I unfortunately was not as keen on Ophelia had I had hoped. I sympathized with her and wanted her to find justice for her parents; however, she felt a little boring. She does have a decent back and front with the MMC—Alex, who has a tragic backstory as well. Though, he didn’t click for me either.

Alex’s father heads the company that produced the planes that Ophelia’s parents tragically died in. When she meets him, she’s oblivious to who he is. That felt a little odd, concerning that he is a public person. Anyway, she quickly learned his true identity and tried to stay away from him. That can only can only go on for so long. I enjoyed the lead-up to their relationship more than them being in a relationship. The book started to drag once they did eventually get together.

Final Thoughts

Nightshade has pretty words and amazing descriptions; however, it losing its steam in the middle. It felt as if the book took a pause for the romance, and then everything felt rushed at the end.

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Review: Anathema by Keri Lake

About the Book

From the author of Nocticadia comes a spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.

Review

Anathema was my first fantasy of the year, and it was a solid four stars. It put me in the fantasy mood, and I’m locked in to read the next installment. Straight from the beginning, Lake managed to capture my attention. The plot is unique, thrilling, and well-thought-out.

As for the characters—wow. Maevyth was incredible. She’s such a kind, compassionate, strong, resilient individual who has been dealt with awful cards. In the beginning, the only person that she had was her sister—Aleysia. And she’ll do anything to make sure that she is safe. The romance is super slow-burn, and they don’t meet until almost the middle half of the book. Maevyth and Aleysia’s relationship made up for the lack of romance. Sibling bonds are a major theme within the book.

Zevander—the brooding and tortured MMC— and his siblings’ relationship was one of my favorites as well. His sister—Rykaia—was a breakout character, and I’d love for Lake to dive more into her psyche. Zevander and his siblings have such a tortured and heartrending past. His behaviors are heavily influenced by the tragically, and it’s clear that Rykaia is still coping with what happened.

As mentioned previously, this is a severely slow burn. Zevander and Maevyth cross paths by fate, and instantly notice that something is different about each other. There’s an immediate hatred for each other—which is completely understandable for how they met. They are forced to be in close contact with each other. It’s difficult for them both; however, neither gives up nor do they let the other one win. I enjoyed their back and front, and their eventual coupling.

Final Thoughts

Anathema was a thrilling fantasy that captured my attention from the first page. From the world-building to the lore to the romance, everything was so rich. There was never a second when I was bored. Lake did not waste a single page and kicked off the series with a bang.

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Review: Just Like That by Lena Hendrix

About the Book

He’s my sister’s ex, a stubborn jerk, and completely off-limits.

Getting a man to give up custody of a son he didn’t know existed should have been easy. Trouble is, nothing with JP King is ever easy.

Suave, grumpy billionaires aren’t supposed to have strong hands or filthy mouths, and I never expected our snippy banter to be so much fun.

JP regards me as something he scraped off the bottom of his dress shoe, but when this reluctant single dad looks at my nephew, there’s a softness there he struggles to keep hidden.

He may be gruff and uptight, but something simmers beneath his controlled, polished exterior. Sure, I’m wild and reckless, but when we’re forced together as guardians, everything changes.

His cold and calculated exterior melts into hushed conversations and lingering stares. The more we fight, the harder we fall.

I’m scatterbrained, unconventional, and everything he’s been missing. The closer we get, the less we understand why we were ever at odds.

. . . until just like that our lives are turned upside down.

Review

Was it intelligent to continue The Kings series after it depended heavily on lore from the previous series and books? Probably not, however, I had unsupported confidence that I was going to enjoy this story. Out of the incredibly huge cast of characters, JP seemed interesting to me, and I was intrigued to see where his story went.

The gist of the story is that Hazel is now the guardian of her nephew after her sister passed away months prior. They arrive in Outtatowner in search of JP, who Hazel’s sister revealed in a letter is her son’s father. JP is completely blindsided by the revelation that he has a son, and at first denies the allegation. He’s dealing with the outcome of what happened last book and trying to save the family business. However, after spending time with Hazel and Teddy, he quickly grows to love and accept them in his life.

JP is very cold and buttoned up whereas Hazel is free-spirited. It’s an opposite attracts situation that is mostly done well. Their relationship progresses quickly. And funny enough they never have a conversation about them being together with Teddy, they just are and he accepts it. Anyway, they build a nice foundation of trust.  JP begins to open up more and not work at much. And Hazel, well, deep sigh. Once again, there is no issue with how Hendrix writes her female main characters. Hazel feels like a supporting character in the King’s story. She isn’t sidelined by the mystery unlike with Veda from Just Between Us, she just doesn’t get much that doesn’t involve the romance. She loves traveling, her nephew, and is a social media influencer.  She lost her sister, but the story doesn’t give us anything else. Readers deserve to know Hazel on a deeper level. I have so many unanswered questions. What happened with her social media career? What about her being a carrier for the ovarian cancer gene (the type of cancer that killed her sister)? What about the bus?

Truthfully, I’ll say that Hendrix found a good balance between the mystery and the story with this one. For the majority of the most, I was interested in the mystery and ready to learn other Kings' family secrets. Oh boy, was I naïve. At the eighty-five percent mark, the story took a turn for the worse. The author threw in an unredeemable twist that felt like a slap in my face. It once again proved that Hendrix does not favor her female characters.

Sidenote: I do wish that there was a character list at the start of the book that told the birthing order of the siblings and who is married to who. It’s exhausting trying to keep up with so many characters, and a reference sheet would have alleviated some of that exhaustion.

Final Thoughts

After reading, Just Like That, I can end my journey of trying to enjoy this series. I do not believe it is for me. Plot-wise—it did not allow for the emotional impact of the story to settle. It felt rushed, and character development was lost along the way. There is no denying that Hendrix can write a mostly entertaining romance. Although JP and Hazel were not the best couple, they did have several highlights that I did enjoy. It is a misfortune that the author continues to sideline her female main characters and jeopardize another to fulfill an unexciting and annoying plot twist. For a story littered with so many characters and mysteries, a last-minute plot twist was not necessary. I found myself asking who asked for this and left me wondering what it added to the story. I kept coming up with blanks. Not everything needs to be surrounded by mystery. The author had cleaned up the mystery better in this one as opposed to the last, and I’m sure there was some other direction that could have been taken to conclude this one. The author had explored that route before the twist had happened, and in the context of this world, it worked. Finally, the “villain’s” story ends in the most anti-climactic way and causes the main resolution to feel cheap and lazy.  

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