The Babysitter’s Coven // Book Review

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About The Book
Adventures in Babysitting meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer in this funny, action-packed novel about a coven of witchy babysitters who realize their calling to protect the innocent and save the world from an onslaught of evil.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3AJbksb

My Rating

 

I found this book to be very entertaining. It is totally ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’ meets ‘The Babysitter’s Club’. The main character is Esme, who has a single dad, and runs a babysitting business with her best friend.

However, she soon discovers that she, along with the new girl, Cassandra, are basically superheroes. Complete with magic powers and everything. It gave me such ‘Secret Circle’ and ‘The Craft’ vibes.

As a main character Esme was smart and had good instincts. She’s the Buffy of the story, which I guess makes Cassandra the Faith. It did annoy me that Esme swooned over Cassandra’s brother because he was hot and cool. However, Esme’s best friend was great, and was truly her ride or die.

“I’m too far down the rabbit hole to turn back now. This night is too insane to ever be scary.”

The writing was great, and the story kept me interested. There were some funny moments throughout the story and I’d compare it to ‘Undead Girl Gang’ by Lily Anderson. And, seeing as I enjoyed that book, it’s no surprise that I was a fan of this one as well.

The last half of the book was crazy and super good. I loved all the twist and turns. It really focused on how jealousy and grief are powerful motivators. They can make you blind to evil actions.

Overall, I will likely be picking up the sequel. However, the ending was a little cheesy and I didn’t 100% love the last chapter, which is why it isn’t a five star. But, if you’re looking for a funny Buffy-esque book, then I’d for sure give this a read. Still, be aware that this is a YA book, and it does read like one.

In the comments, let me know if you plan on starting this series. As always, like and share this post. Also, you can follow the blog for more posts like this one.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Part Of Your World // Book Review

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About The Book
It’s been five years since the infamous sea witch defeated the little mermaid… and took King Triton’s life in the process. Ariel is now the voiceless queen of Atlantica, while Ursula runs Prince Eric’s kingdom on land. But when Ariel discovers that her father might still be alive, she finds herself returning to a world–and a prince–she never imagined she would see again.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/42ddbBn

My Rating

This Twisted Tales book takes the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’ and flips it upside down. We find out that Ariel didn’t defeat Ursula, and is now living under the sea as a mermaid once again, and the ruler of Atlantica. And, she still has no voice.

Ursula, still pretending to be Vanessa, has married Eric and is using Ariel’s voice. Also, she has King Trident as her prisoner. Although, she has no magic on land she has managed to make everyone forget about Ariel and her being an evil sea witch.

I didn’t really care for this story one bit. The characters didn’t match their original personalities, except maybe Ursula. True, it is mentioned many times that as queen, Ariel has had to grow up, and has changed a lot. And, admittedly, Eric didn’t really have much of a personality in the Disney film.

“There is always magic. Even if you can’t see it.”

Yet, the story just fell flat for me. Everything happened super fast from them realizing Trident was still alive to Ariel getting her voice back. Also, Erica was supposedly so “in love” with Vanessa that he married her but still didn’t really like her. And, he never truly forgot Ariel.

I really struggled to get through this book, but I thought to myself that if I pushed through reading ‘Unbirthday’ (another Twisted Tale book) I can make it through this one. Not so sure if that’s a good reason to finish a book, but it worked for me.

Overall, the writing was good, and I do like seeing these classic Disney stores retold. But, I still wouldn’t recommend this book to other Twisted Tales fans.

In the comments, let me know if you enjoyed this ‘Little Mermaid’ retelling. Don’t forget to like this post, and follow my blog for more book reviews.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

If He Had Been With Me // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment


About The Book
An achingly authentic and raw portrait of love, regret, and the life-altering impact of the relationships we hold closest to us, this YA romance bestseller is perfect for fans of Colleen Hoover, Jenny Han, and You’ve Reached Sam.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3LpL6Rs

My Rating

 

This book has been blowing up on Booktok, which is half the reason I wanted to read it. The other reason is that I heard it was a heartbreaking YA contemporary, and I have been in the mood for a story like ‘Five Feet Apart’.

The story follows Autumn as she details her high school experience and complicated relationship with long time friend Finn. The book is completely character driven. We get to learn a lot about Autumn her inner thoughts and feelings.

The writing was really good, and I was generally interested in the story. However, I can see how a lot of the characters and situations are very immature. I understand that they are teenagers, and generally teenagers aren’t the most mature people. I know that I certainly wasn’t mature at sixteen.

However, the immaturity did hinder my enjoyment of the story. I wanted to shake Autumn for her ignorance and desperation. And, even when she makes big realizations, she still doesn’t do anything about them. A lot of things could have been a avoided if she was just open and honest with people. It was frustrating, to say the least.

“I love him in a way I cannot define, as if my love were an organ within my body that I could not live without yet could not pick out of an anatomy book.”

There are mentions of depression throughout the story and how it has affects people. Also, it touches on toxic relationships. Honestly, I appreciated how it showed a different side to a toxic relationships. Not all of them need to have an element of abuse to still be considered toxic.

Sex, and the pressure to have sex, is a big topic in the book. There is even mention of teen pregnancy. I’m sure sex is a topic that is on a lot of teenagers minds, but in YA novels the main protagonist is always the one to want to wait. This isn’t a bad thing at all, but remember wanting, or having, sex in high school doesn’t make you a slut.

A lot of the plot was predictable and it felt like I was reading Autumn’s diary. Everything that happens seems very relatable, but not in a teen movie way. I’m sure that a lot of teenagers could really relate to the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the book, but wasn’t wowed by it. Autumn wasn’t my favorite main character, but I did like the story as a whole. The ending did make me sad in a heartbreaking kind of way. It was kind of depressing, and I’m not sure if the book lives up to the hype. I guess it doesn’t truly depict how intense young love can be.

In the comments, let me know if you think this book deserves all the attention it has been getting. Don’t forget to follow my blog for more bookish content.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Choices: To The Hills And Back Again // Book Review

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About The Book
From the star of MTV’s The Hills and The Hills: New Beginnings, a candid and insightful reflection on aughts tabloid fame, the powerlessness and loss of self in toxic situations, and the life-changing power of even our smallest choices.
Buy The Book: https://a.co/d/i4YlCgJ

My Rating

I’m a die hard Laguna Beach and The Hills fan, so when I heard Audrina was releasing a “tell-all” book, I knew I had to read it. She offers an inside look at being a reality TV star, her strained friendship with Lauren Conrad and ex Justin Bobby.

The one thing I try to keep in mind when reading memoir type books is that this one person’s experiences. In the book, she describes what it was like becoming a celebrity at just 19 years old. However, I felt as though she complained about her experience while still talking about how great it was to be a celebrity.

Although, I understand that some things can be bittersweet and that’s what it seems like being in The Hills was for her. She liked all the opportunities she was given, but not being on camera 24/7. And, she even mentioned how the producers would edit a lot of scenes and try to create drama.

She describes how she felt like she was playing a character. There was her true self and then there was Audrina from The Hills. I can understand that sometimes it’s easier to just give in and play the part.

There was a complete chapter on her relationship with Justin. I think she handled that topic very well, and didn’t throw a ton of shade at him. She mentioned how he changed a bit throughout filming the show, and fame can really do that to a person. She even mentioned where their relationship stands today.

One thing that was interesting was how she described Lauren Conrad, in the book. Audrina seemed a bit salty towards her. She stated that Lauren was a controlling friend, almost bordering on “Mean Girls” territory. She talk about how they aren’t friends anymore, but friendly to each other. Yet, she also threw shade at Stephanie Pratt as well, calling her a drama seeker and untrustworthy.

“I believe that if you don’t learn your lesson, you’re going to keep circling back to it until you do, going through versions of the same events with different people until you can finally open your eyes to what to do differently.”

However, she has mostly nice things to say about Heidi Pratt and Kristin Cavallari. So, it begs the question if her opinions are skewed towards who her friends are. Remember, there are two sides to every story.

Audrina did touch on her toxic relationship with ex-husband Corey Bohan. From the moment she detailed their relationship you could tell the red flags. But, even she herself admits that she tried to ignore his jealousy and anger. She also talks about being in therapy to help her understand why she accepted the abuse and stayed in the relationship.

The majority of the book was about her time with Corey and all the trauma she went through. I can see how it must have been a form of closure for her to tell her truth. It isn’t easy to share intimate details of one’s private life, even more so the darker parts.

I throughly enjoyed hearing about her experiences and how she’s still working through things. She didn’t play the victim, but instead shared what was going on in her mind at the time. And, she never made excuses for Corey’s bad behavior towards her, or his lack of parenting of their daughter.

Overall, it’s so hard to rate memoirs since they’re so personal. This was an okay read and it made me remember her short lived reality show ‘Audrina’. I can’t believe I watched that. Although, this book would be great for anyone that has gone through or is in a toxic relationship. It was, at it’s core, a letter from Audrina to her daughter Keira, which I found to be incredibly sweet.

In the comments, let me know if you were a bigger fan of ‘Laguna Beach’ or ‘The Hills’. I’m going to say that Laguna will always have my heart, but ‘The Hills’ was where the drama was at.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Friday Reads #15

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hello Friends,
It’s time for another Friday reads post! I am going to try and finish a few books this weekend, but as always this is a flexible weekend TBR. I might change things up depending on what my Libby app has available on Audiobook, but I like having options.

‘Furyborn‘ by Claire Legrand
I’ve been reading this book for months and still just at 30%. It’s a YA fantasy that is apart of my 12 Book Challenge.

‘A Magic Steeped in Poison‘ by Judy I. Lin
I’m like 4% into this young adult fantasy, but so far I am loving it! I’m really going to try and get this finished but the end of the weekend.

‘With and Without You‘ by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley
I’ve read every YA contemporary released by this author duo. But, I have yet to get to their release from last year, which is about two teens trying to navigate a long distance relationship.

‘Icebreaker’ by Hannah Grace
I posted a poll on my Bookstagram account voting on what ‘smutty‘ book I should read and this was the winner. Guess, I’m going to be seeing what all the hype is about.

Those are the books that I’m planning on picking up, but I’ve been in the biggest reading mood lately. And, right now I want to read everything especially fantasy series. Before you go, hit the follow button to get notified whenever there’s a new post.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Spring 2023 // To Be Read

- Bunny Leave a comment

Hi Friends,
Today, I’m going to be doing my Spring TBR! I’ve decided to start doing more seasonal TBRs, since I’m a huge mood readers. However, I’ve been super active on Bookstagram and Booktok. And, on Booktok I’ve started doing a TBR jar, so each month I’ll pick out four books from that jar. If you want to see my picks for April go follow me on TikTok (@BooksWithBunny). Anyways, let’s get on to the books I hope to read this spring!

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter: I have become a huge Lynn Painter fan, so I have decided to dive into her adult romances. I hear that this is a really funny and cute romance.

Love Wager by Lynn Painter: This is the second book in her ‘Mr. Wrong Number’ series. I don’t know much about it but the color is yellow, which makes me think of spring.

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston: I’ve read some of the authors YA work before, and admittedly, didn’t love them. However, I’ve heard only good things about this book. It’s a romance with a main character that falls in love with a ghost. It’s giving off major ‘Just Like Heaven’ vibes.

Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon: I have absolutely no idea what this book is about, but it follows a weather girl, so I’m sold. Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I’m obsessed with the weather, so this book is perfect for me.

The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez: This is an adult romance that has to do with a women that is infertile. I’m excited to read this because Abby Jimenez is a very popular author, but, as I’m struggling to conceive as well, it might be a very hard read for me.

With And Without You by Austin Siegemund-Broka and Emily Wibberley: I have a love hate relationship with this author duo. I loved their book ‘If I’m Being Honest’ but have hated nearly all of their other books. However, I’m going to give this one a read, and see if they can prove they’re not just a one hit wonder in my book.

She Gets the Girl by Alyson Derrick and Rachael Lippincott: All I know is that this is a queer love story, and it’s written by one of the authors of ‘Five Feet Apart’. Enough said.

Promposal by RaeChell Garrett: This was on my most anticipated romance releases of 2023. As you can tell from the title it’s a young adult contemporary about prom. So, I have to read it around prom seasons.

Tell Me What Really Happened by Chelsea Sedoti: I know nothing about this book, except for the fact that it’s a YA mystery/thriller, but leans more toward the mystery side of things. The cool thing is that it’s told mostly through police interviews.

She Is a Haunting by Trang Thanh Tran: Honestly, I can’t remember what this book is about, but I know that it’s a YA thriller. And, it is said to be perfect for fans of ‘Mexican Gothic’. While I didn’t love that book, I remember being intrigued by this one’s plot.

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager: I’ve been wanting to pick up a Riley Sager book for sometime and this is the one I’ve chosen to read first. I believe it’s about a woman that thinks she witnessed a murder. However, I’m pretty sure she’s an unreliable narrator.

Reckless Girls by Rachel Hawkins: This book has mixed reviews, but I still want to read it for myself. It is a ‘locked island’ thriller, which sounds unlike anything I’ve read before.

There you have my somewhat big spring TBR! Let me know what you are hoping to read this spring in the comments. Don’t forget to give my blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Coraline // Book Review

- Bunny 2 Comments


About The Book
When Coraline steps through a door to find another house strangely similar to her own (only better), things seem marvelous.But there’s another mother there, and another father, and they want her to stay and be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3AiAgGx

My Rating

I am a big fan of the Coraline animated film adaptation. It has become a staple October movie for me. I had read the book years ago, but wanted to give it a reread. And, I can say that I will probably reread it every October from now on.

The book was very fast paced, and I loved the setting. It is told in second person, but honestly I don’t really care how a book is told. First person, second person or even third person it is all the same to me.

The story follows Coraline, who moves into a new apartment building with her parents. The parents in this book are kind of neglectful, but by the end of the book, Coraline learns to appreciate her family.

“You’re going to stay here for ever and always.”

I enjoyed the character of Coraline, because I found her to be smart for her age, and not immature. However, she was a bit judgmental at times, but I chalked that up to her still being a kid. Also, who doesn’t love a sarcastic talking cat?

Overall, I liked the book equally as much as the film adaptation. The story was simple, but spooky. The writing made the plot come to life and I had a good time reading it.

In the comments, let me know your thoughts on the book. Don’t forget to give my blog a follow before you go!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

The Accident Season // Book Review

- Bunny Leave a comment


About The Book
For fans of We Were Liars and The Ocean at the End of the Lane comes a haunting magically realistic debut about a family caught between a violent history, a taboo romance, and the mysteries lurking in their own backyard.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3ZQ6pjq

My Rating

From the very beginning, I could tell that the plot was going to be interesting. It had my full attention in the first chapter, and I couldn’t wait to see where the story was going to go. In the book, we follow a family that is pledged with the ‘accident season’ which turns accidents into tragedies.

Our main character is seventeen-year-old Cara. She’s close to her older sister, and ex-stepbrother, who still lives with her family. She also happens to have a bestie that is very into tarot cards and magic. Although, most of the characters were decent, I didn’t really feel connected to them.

As the book went on, I noticed the writing slowing down a lot. The plot became very strange, because it got very off message. A lot. For me, there was just too much going on, and minimum of three different plots to follow.

There was a Halloween party scene and a forgotten girl. There were a lot of metaphors throughout the story that made it very confusing to follow. But, that’s not to say the story was entirely bad.

“Accidents happen. Our bones shatter, our skin splits, our hearts break. We burn, we drown, we stay alive.”

Be aware that this story features many taboo subjects. One being the fact that underage drinking was approved by Cara’s mom. For me that’s was a little extreme. There was also underage smoking and a seriously abusive relationship.

For me the toxic relationship aspect was handled very well, but I can see how it could be triggering to some readers. As well as the sexual abuse aspect in the book. And don’t even get me started on the sort of weird incest relationship that developed as the story progressed.

I felt that the plot’s main focus was to show that once you deal with what’s haunting you, it has less power over your life. Also, are accidents simply accidents? Or is there something’s more magical behind them?

Overall, the book wasn’t horrible, and it was a fairly quick read. If you’re looking for a witchy story with a lot of heavy topics, and don’t mind a plot that jumps around a lot, then I’d give this book a read. I just felt the story wasn’t my cup of tea.

Make sure to look at the trigger warnings for this book before picking it up. In the comments, tell me your favorite witchy book. If you want to make my day, please give my blog a follow.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

Friday Reads #14

- Bunny 1 Comment


Hi Friends,
I decided to do another Friday reads post because I’m pretty behind on my yearly reading goal. I have a weekend of reading planed in hopes to catch up. So, I have an ambitious weekend TBR.

‘White Smoke’ by Tiffany D. Jackson (55% Done)
This is a YA thriller about a haunted house. I’m really enjoying it and should be able to finish it about this weekend.

‘Furyborn’ by by Claire Legrand (30% Done)
I’m hoping that I’ll be able to complete the book this weekend, because I’ve been reading it since February. This is a really interesting YA fantasy.

‘Finale’ by Stephanie Garber (30% Done)
I flew by the two books in the Caraval trilogy, so I believe it will be a quick read. However, getting it read by this weekend might be a bit of a stretch.

‘Moment Of Truth’ by Kasie West (6% Done)
I typically can get a Kasie West book read in a day. I am confident that I’ll be able to have this book read once the weekend is over.

In the comments, let me know what you will be reading this weekend. Don’t forget to like this post and follow my blog.

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny

12 to 22 // Book Review

- Bunny 1 Comment


About The Book
A smart and funny modern day 13 Going on 30 from New York Times bestselling author Jen Calonita! A tween girl finds out it is like to be 22 when she jumps in time with the help of a mysterious TikTok filter.
Buy The Book: https://amzn.to/3JXcm9s

My Rating

This book had me at its synopsis. It is essentially a ‘13 Going On 30’ retelling, but in book form. My inner 12 year old was doing a happy dance. One fun little fact about me is that I use to be a lover of all romantic comedies, and anything starring Jennifer Garner.

In the book, we follow tween Harper, who is dying to be a social media star and loves Taylor Swift. Harper as a character reflected a tween growing up in a society where being an influencer is all the rage. And everyone is online. I’m very glad that I wasn’t as obsessive about fitting in as Harper was throughout the majority of the story.

Harper wants to grow up so fast, which I can relate to, because I’m pretty sure all of us wanted to skip to adulthood at 12 years old. However, Harper was not ready to grow up at all, and was a bit immature, which was partly the reason her parents didn’t take her seriously.

There were also some interesting side characters in the story, like Harper’s young sister’s future self, her best friend and her other best friend/crush. And, of course we have the mean queen bee, Lucy Wyman. But are popular, clique girls even a thing anymore?

“I’d love to get more followers. I barely have a thousand.”

I found the story to be very enjoyable and fast-paced. The writing was fun and light. Although I would classify its genre somewhere between middle grade and young adult, the writing didn’t feel too immature. One of the great things is that I got all of those ‘13 Going On 30’ vibes that I was so desperately hoping for.

The only con I have is that I’m not a fan of characters with the desire to fit in and be like everyone else. Also, characters that can’t speak up for themselves drive me crazy as well. I like me some confident, badass bitches in books. But, that might just be a me thing and not really a problem with the book.

Overall, Harper had good characters development and the ending was cute. The book shows that you can’t run away from your problems, but have to face them head on. Also, it made me realize that I’d never want to go back to being 12 years old again. I’m happy to have moved out of my tweens and teens.

In the comments, let me know what age you’d go back to if you could. Don’t forget to give my blog a follow to get notified whenever there’s a new post!

Until The Next Chapter,
Bunny