Author: Bunny

Did I Read My 2023 Anticipated Releases?

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
For day 2 of Bookmas, I am going to be taking a look back at my most anticipated book releases of 2023. I have done 4 anticipated releases post this year, so I am hoping that I have at least read half of the books that I was excited for this year. If not, I am going to try and make it a priority to read some of them before the year is over.

I did a post talking about my most anticipated YA romances, and I am happy to say that I read 3 out of the five books I mentioned in that post. I read ‘Never Vacation with Your Ex’, ‘Margo Zimmerman Gets the Girl’ and ‘Borrow My Heart.’ But, I wasn’t able to pick up ‘Promposal’ and I completely forgot about ‘The Borrow a Boyfriend Club.’ However, I am still interested in both of those books.
Related Post: 2023 YA Romances // Anticipated Releases

My next release post was talking about 2023 summer books. I read 5 of the books in that post, which were ‘The Only One Left,’ ‘The Seven Year Slip,’ ‘One of Us Is Back,’ ‘Delicate Condition,’ and ‘Foxglove.’ And, all of these books were between 4 and 5 stars for me. As for the ones I didn’t read we have ‘Summer Rental,’ ‘Business or Pleasure,’ and ‘Ghosted: A Northanger Abbey.’ All of those books still sound so good. There were two other books in this post, ‘The Trap‘ and ‘Good Bad Girl‘ that I didn’t read, but started. And, since putting down ‘Good Bad Girl’, I haven’t heard the greatest thing about it, so it might be a DNF.
Related Post: Anticipated Releases // Summer 2023

Moving on to a post I did recently, my October anticipated releases. I am going to keep this short and sweet by saying that I have yet to read any of the six books I mentioned. Still, I am very interested in all of them. Lastly, is my November book release post and, like October, I haven’t read any of these books. I might try and get to one out of six books in that post, which will most likely be ‘Iron Flame’ or ‘Betting On You.’
Related Post: Anticipated Releases // October 2023
Related Post: Anticipated Releases // November 2023

Honestly, I don’t think I did too badly this year when it came to reading books I was excited for. It doesn’t shock me that I did poorly in October and November, since I’m a mood reader and like to read certain books during those months. In the comments, tell me if you have read any of my anticipated releases, and if they are worth the read. Don’t forget that it is completely free and makes me smile when you follow the blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

December 2023 // To Be Read

- Bunny 2 Comments

Hi Friends,
Happy Bookmas Day 1! I am excited to be doing Bookmas again this year. I will be posting every day in December, so I thought that we would start off the month with my December TBR. I decided that I wanted to participate in a readathon to end the year. So, I will take part in the Bookmas readathon, which is a whole month long. You can watch Bekah, Books, and Bujo’s announcement video for more information. There are nine book prompts, and I hope to read different books for each prompt.

Buy Book
From the bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood, comes another spellbinding literary fairy tale that’s The Great Gatsby meets Swan Lake.

Buy Book
The author of the “swoon-worthy debut” (Harper’s Bazaar) The Charm Offensive returns with a festive romantic comedy about a woman who fakes an engagement with her landlord…only to fall for his sister.

Buy Book
One Day in December is a joyous, heartwarming, and immensely moving love story to escape into and a reminder that fate takes inexplicable turns along the route to happiness.

Buy Book
Before I Fall meets “bah, humbug” in this contemporary YA reimagining of A Christmas Carol from New York Times bestselling author Cynthia Hand.

Buy Book
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

Buy Book
A steamy holiday rom-com cowritten by #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone—about an actress and a perpetually single former boy-band member reunited as costars on a steamy holiday film!

Buy Book
Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.

Buy Book
Mary Kubica, author of Just the Nicest Couple, takes domestic secrets to a whole new level, showing that some people will stop at nothing to keep the truth buried.

Buy Book
Kristen Simmons’s masterful breakout horror novel that’s “Jumanji but Japanese-inspired” (Kendare Blake) about estranged friends playing a deadly game in a nightmarish folkloric underworld.

In the comments, let me know what you will read in December. And tell me if you are looking forward to my Bookmas content. Do not forget to share this post with other bookish people. Remember to follow the blog so that you can never miss a post.

Raising The Horseman // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
Kat Van Tassel wants nothing to do with Sleepy Hollow’s ghostly history. But when her mother gives her the original Katrina van Tassel’s diary on the two-hundredth anniversary of the Headless Horseman’s haunting, a new legend begins to take shape, weaving together the past and the present in eerie ways.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3uEar4t

My Rating

Honestly, I don’t know what I was expecting out of this book, because even the cover screams “middle grade Headless Horseman retelling”. Although, it is supposed to be young adult I can say that is not how it reads. And if you know me, you know, I’m not typically a fan of the middle grade genre. So it’s not surprising that I didn’t love the story.

In the book, we follow Kat, who is an ancestor of Katerina van Tassel. In her hometown, there’s this legend that the Headless Horseman protects Katerina’s descendants. But, Kat wants more than just to live in Sleepy Hollow forever like Katerina. However, when she’s given Katerina’s diary, she learns a lot more about her and her dreams.

Unfortunately, the characters in this book were basic. There wasn’t much insight into their personalities or motivations. The story lacked any depth in the characters, and there was absolutely no character development whatsoever. The romance aspect was very predictable and insta-lovey, which I am not a fan of.

“Family legend says he always swore it was the Headless Horseman who chased him through the hollow.”

And, don’t even get me started on Kat letting people walk all over her. The book completely brings forth a toxic relationship dynamic, which I was not expecting. However, it does add an interesting layer of complexity to the story, but it left me angry with the protagonist and her choices.

Although, I had issues with the characters, the chapters where we got a glimpse into Katerina’s life through her diary entries were fantastic. This storytelling approach was, for me, the highlight of the entire book. It was enjoyable to read about Katerina’s journey and her character development. I loved how the author showcased that our desires may not always be what we truly want.

Overall, the book fell short of being truly engaging, and the writing style, unfortunately, leans toward juvenile. Still, the story might appeal to a more younger audience looking for a quick read. On a positive note, the book delves into the theme of familial accountability, emphasizing that individuals shouldn’t be solely defined by the actions of their family.

Let me know if this book is on your TBR. Don’t forget to like and share this post with other readers. If you would like to get notified whenever there’s a new post, hit the follow button.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Never Vacation With Your Ex | Book Review

- Bunny 6 Comments

About The Book
A YA second chance romance where the rules for getting over an ex turn out to be more complicated than they seem. Kaylee Jordan’s one refuge, and the thing she looks forward to every summer? The vacation her family spends in Malibu with the Freeman-Yus. This year, there’s only one problem: Kaylee and their son, Dean, dated for the past three months, and Kaylee just unceremoniously dumped him.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/47yKm5s

My Rating

This is a friends-to-lovers high school romance, but with a twist – the love interests have actually already dated and broken up at the beginning of the book. However, they must now, as the title suggests, go on summer vacation with their families, and try to navigate this new normal as exes.

Kaylee is the female, and she has major commitment issues. She’ll date someone for a few months, break up with them, and then start a new relationship (or shall I say fling) with somebody else within weeks. She is also one of the star players on her high school volleyball team.

I understand that Kaylee had commitment issues, since in high school things are always changing. Also, she had a lot of struggles comparing herself to her mother, who was an Olympic volleyball star. All of these things factored into her commitment phobia. However, I didn’t like the fact that everyone blamed her for the break up.

“I could be the heartbroken one. I’ve just taught myself not to be.”

You could clearly see that she was struggling with the break up in her own way. Yes, Dean, her ex, was vividly sad, but her feelings should not have been ignored. Also, he clearly knew the rest. He was taking a chance dating her, because they were friends, and he saw her romantic history firsthand.

However, I did like the writing in this book, because I didn’t find it to be juvenile. The ending was done well, and I liked Kaylee’s character development. Also, there’s a slight exchange of service plot between Kaylee and Dean that I enjoyed, which isn’t surprising since it is one of my favorite plot devices.

Overall, it’s a easy read with a good plot. Also, I did like that Patrick and Siena from ‘With And Without You’ made an appearance in the book. I will continue to read more from this duo, since this isn’t their worst book, but it definitely isn’t there best either. I had a fairly decent reading experience, so I would call that a win.

In the comments, let me know your favorite book by this author duo. If didn’t already know, you can follow the blog to help show your support!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

End Of November Readathon // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
I am loosely participating in an end of November readathon on Instagram. This is just a fun readathon, that is all about trying to see how many books you can read before the month ends. I have set the intention of reading 9 books, which I know is very ambitious. The readathon was created by @sassynutreads, and takes place from the 24th – 30th, so this TBR is a little late.

I am excited to try and get to all these books. Especially since I’m so close to hitting my reading goal for the year. Let me know what books you are hoping to read before the month is over. Don’t forget to show my blog some love by giving it a quick follow.

Until Then Next Chapter,
Bunny

Book Deals // Black Friday

- Bunny 2 Comments


Hi Friends,
If you live in America, you probably know that today is Black Friday. There are a ton of sales going on, but I wanted to share the bookish deals. There are some great deals on books, so I thought that I would let you know about them before they end.

Target

Personally, I think that this is the best Black Friday deal on books. They are offering buy two, get one free on books, movies, and music. Also, most of their books are normally 20% off, so get an additional 33% off each book. The sale is happening online as well, and you can even order online and do store curbside pickup to beat the crowds.

Barnes and Noble

The store is running their normal buy 1, get 1 for 50% off sale on select books, including classics. They are also doing 50% off popular books and 2-4x times the amount of stamps for members. Also, you can get the holiday tote for only $18.99 with purchase.

BookOutlet

This is probably the best online book seller around, and where my husband did most of my Christmas shopping this year. The site has all fiction books for $5.99, and 20% off all other genres. There are some practically new releases in stock, which makes this an incredible sale.

Amazon

I know that they have a bad reputation when it comes to delivering books, but I had to mention their sale since I know it’s a lot of peoples only source of book buying. They are offering 50% or more on select books, and doing their own buy two, get one free sale. However, it is a little bit harder to find the sale items on the site, so you really have to do some digging.

OwlCreate

This is a bookish subscription box that is offering a 6 month subscription for the price of 5 month. They are also doing 23% off 2023 young adult and middle grade book boxes. They have deals running all weekend, which is awesome!

Nerdy Ink

The site is running 40% off everything. If you have never visited the site, you are missing out. They sell beautiful dust jackets for books including some foil dust jackets. And, you can get stunning illustrated editions of Emma, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Those are all the deals that I know of and the ones I’m most looking forward to. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like Half Priced Books will be having a Black Friday sale. However, remember to visit your indie bookstores to see if they are doing any deals. Before you go, hit the follow button to get post notifications.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Happy Thanksgiving // Thankful Thursday

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Happy Thanksgiving! I am grateful for all my amazing readers. This year, my little book blog has grown so much, and a few days ago I surpassed my views from last year. It is crazy to me that I started Books With Bunny in 2021, and in that first year of blogging I was lucky enough to have over 900 views by the end of the year. This blog has become something that I am incredibly thankful to have in my life.

I hope that everyone has a happy and safe Thanksgiving Day. And, if you aren’t celebrating today I hope that your day is just as special.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

You, Again | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

<About The Book
Can they stop hating each other long enough to fall in love? When Ari and Josh first meet, the wrong kind of sparks fly. They hate each other. Instantly. Ari and Josh never expect their paths to cross again. But years later, as they’re both reeling from ego-bruising breakups, a chance encounter leads to a surprising connection: friendship.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3MVvm98

My Rating

If you are looking for the perfect fall romcom, then this is the book for you. This is a ‘When Harry Met Sally’ retelling, which is a plot I don’t actually know very well, since I’ve never seen the film. However, the book follows Ari and Josh, who couldn’t be more different.

Ari and Josh meet multiple times throughout the years, and when they are both at their lowest, they once again encounter each other and strike up unlikely friendship. This is marketed as a friend without any benefits story. And it was the chef’s kiss if you had read the book, then you know that this is a pun.

I loved Ari and Josh’s dynamic throughout the book. One can see the chemistry between them from a mile away. They both had things they needed to work through, and I loved how the story was told. Their relationship never felt rushed, and yes there were times when I wanted things to progress a little more quickly. However, I completely understood the characters’ thoughts and actions.

“No one should marry the person who makes them happy. Marry the person you want by your side at your absolute lowest point.”

I had such a great time reading this book, and although it was not a super fast-paced read, I was so invested in the story. It is a romance book for readers that do not typically read love stories, because we are following two characters that are not actually in a relationship and have no desire to be together. Or, so they think.

Overall, the writing was fantastic, the characters are amazing, the slow burn was done perfectly and that ending made me cry. In addition, the fact that Ari was bisexual and talked about throuples was something that I was not expecting, but it added a fun element to the story, and I love the diversity. Also, there isn’t a whole lot of intimate scenes in the book but the sexy scenes we do get are very steamy.

In the comments, let me know if I should watch When Harry Met Sally. Do not forget to share this post with others. And, if you like book reviews, give my blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Thanksgiving // Book Tag

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
It is time for another seasonal book tag! I am going to be doing the ‘Thanksgiving’ Book Tag, created by Madison Goodyear on YouTube. This tag is filled with bookish Thanksgiving related questions, and I hope that you enjoy it.


I really had to think about this question, because it is hard to recommend a book that everyone would probably enjoy. However, I decided that ‘The Seven Year Slip’ by Ashley Poston would probably be liked by many readers. This is an adult romance with a magical realism element, so I believe that even fantasy readers will be fans of this plot.


I will forever say that ‘A Christmas Carol’ by Charles Dickens is a must read for everyone. It is my favorite book, and I have talked about it a lot on my blog. Therefore, I will never stop recommending it to others.


Something that I can’t get enough of when it comes to books would probably have to be a romance. I know that it is so lame and basic, but I love a good romance plot. Whether I am reading a fantasy, contemporary, or thriller, I do not mind there being a little bit of romance added into the story. However, it has to be done correctly and make sense with the plot.


For me, a palate cleanser book is rereading an old favorite book. After months of reading new books, it is always nice to go back to a story you know and love. Therefore, my perfect palate cleanser book would have to be ‘Better Than The Movies’ by Lynn Painter. This book is perfect!
Related Post: Better Than The Movies // Book Review


I am going to say, ‘How to Survive Your Murder’ by Danielle Valentine, although this book does not actually look gross, but more cheesy. Despite being cheesy and unrealistic, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found it to be a fun, campy, young adult slasher, perfect for the spooky season.
Related Post: How to Survive Your Murder // Book Review


This is not only a comfort read for me but also a comfort movie, ‘Little Women,’ by Louisa May Alcott. It is such a wholesome read that it is all about family, loss, and love. Honestly, if you have never read the book or see any film adaptions, you are truly missing out.
Related Post: Little Women // Book Review


I am not going to pick one book for this prompt but an author. Katee Roberts writes some shall I say more adult steamy books that I just cannot seem to get enough of. I do not review the more mature books that I read on the blog, but let me just say – if you are looking to get into the erotic genre, then pick up one of her books.


I received ‘Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic’ as a gift, and it is a stunning book. The book contains the classic story but with recipes included throughout the book. I tried reading Jane Austen before, and she was not for me. However, this edition is too pretty not to have in my collection, so it is completely there for looks.


This question was difficult to answer because I was not sure there were any books I had read but liked better when rereading. However, I realized that the first time I read ‘The Afterlife of Holly Chase’ by Cynthia Hand, in 2018, I gave it only 3 stars. However, in 2021, I reread this and fell completely in love with the book. It has become a must read for me during every holiday season.
Related Post: The Afterlife of Holly Chase // Book Review


I had two options for this question, but the first one that came to mind was ‘The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue’ by V.E. Schwab. This book had a great plot, beautiful writing, and interesting characters, but needed to be at least 100 pages shorter.
Related Post: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue // Book Review


I am not going to lie. I instantly knew that ‘Not a Happy Family’ by Shari Lapena would be the perfect answer to this question. It is a mystery thriller; therefore, there are some twists and turns, but it mainly has a ton of family drama. If you are looking for an adult mystery with a complicated family, then this is the book for you.


In 2024, when it comes to reading, I look forward to reading more books off my physical TBR. In addition, I am hoping to read books by some authors I have never read before. I have many reading plans for the new year; therefore, these are only two of my goals.

This tag was so fun that I would love it if you left your answers in the comments below. Do not forget that you can help my blog grow by giving it a follow before you leave.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Legends And Lattes | Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment

About The Book
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success — not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3QIZgPa

My Rating

If you’re looking for a cozy fantasy with a not much depth to the plot than this book is for you. I had such a fun time reading this book and it put me in the fall mood. I can see people who don’t really like heavy fantasy stories enjoying this book. Also, Liking coffee isn’t a requirement of having a good time reading the book but I think it’s necessary.

The plot follows Viv, a newly retired orc bounty hunter, who decides to open a coffee shop in a small town. Along the way, she makes some friends, introduces people to the wonder that is coffee, and falls in love. The mix of fantasy and cozy charm in this plot was perfect.

The characters in the book were all great, and they all had their own unique personalities. I loved the found family aspect that this book had. Viv made real connections with these people, and they wanted to help her succeed. It was all very wholesome. But my favorite character was Thimble, who became the shop’s baker.

“Well, shit. Milky bean water. I’ll be damned.”

There is, of course, a romance that develops between Viv and Tandri, who practically becomes the assistant manager at the shop. It was so sweet, watching them go from coworkers, to friends, to more. Their relationship grew and developed very naturally, and I loved it. I also enjoyed that Viv listened to Tandri, and the other people that she trusted. She didn’t have an “I’m the boss” mentality, and was open to suggestions.

Of course, there is a fantasy plot, but it was honestly very minimal. I did feel like there wasn’t much to the action side of things, which I’m not sure I loved. However, I knew going into this book that the plot was more low-key and it really is just a cozy fall read. Still, the fantasy elements are there. Obviously, the story is about an orc, and we also have some other equally fantastical characters.

Overall, the writing was great, and the story was interesting. There is also the message that you don’t have to forget your past to start over or take a new path, which I really liked. I can see fans of fantasy video games, like World of Warcraft, The Elder Scrolls, or other similar games, really getting a kick out of this book.

In the comments, let me know if you enjoyed this book. Don’t forget you can follow me on Instagram and Facebook too! Before you leave, hit the follow button to get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny