saylaurmoon's reviews
148 reviews

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

A cute and thought-provoking adult coming-of-age story about how our choices, even the seemingly small ones, can alter the course of our lives in more ways than one.

“Life is long and full of an infinite number of decisions. I have to think that the small ones don’t matter, that I’ll end up where I need to end up no matter what I do.”

After living in six different cities and holding several meaningless jobs since college, Hannah Martin still has no inkling of what she wants in life. After ending a fruitless, scandalous relationship, she moves from NYC back to her hometown of LA, where she’s determined to change and find a direction in her life. She moves in with her best friend Gabby, and the first night she’s back, they go out to celebrate Hannah’s return with their friends. Unsurprisingly, she happens to see her high school ex-boyfriend and the love of her life, Ethan. When Gabby asks if Hannah’s ready to head home, Ethan offers to give her a ride home if she wants to stay out instead. What happens when she stays with Ethan? What about if she goes home? Exploring the impact of both of Hannah’s options in concurrent storylines, we learn just how one choice can change the course of a life.

I think Taylor Jenkins Reid is quickly becoming a favorite author of mine. I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was intensely thought-provoking, emotional, and funny! I related to Hannah on multiple occasions. I am also a sucker for dual timelines, and I did find myself rooting for one storyline over the other. This was a wonderful story that perfectly captures how one simple choice can change the course of our lives in unexpected ways. This book gave me all the feels and genuinely led me to ponder on what choices I may have made in my own life that led me to the wonderful place I am now. And whether or not I believe in soulmates.

There’s honestly a limitless number of wonderful things I could say about this book. Just go read it. You won’t be disappointed.

I also think I made have found one of my favorite quotes ever on these pages:

“What I’m getting at here is that I know there may be universes out there where I made different choices that led me somewhere else, led me to someone else. And my heart breaks for every single version of me that didn’t end up with you.”

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

February 2023 Book of the Month Club pick!

This book… THISSSS BOOOOOK. IS A MASTERPIECE.

Georgie Mulcahy has spent the last several years doing what she does best—putting everyone else before herself—as a personal assistant out in LA. Suddenly, her boss decides to quit her job, leaving Georgie without one as well. Her boss encourages Georgie to do “all the things [she] wants to do.” One problem: Georgie’s dreams and goals have always been unsettlingly blank. Non-existent. Soon enough, Georgie ends up back in her hometown, uncertain of what to do next. Until she finds the friendfic she and her best friend, Bel, wrote 15 years ago in high school, and Georgie wonders if this journal could help her find a new path to happiness. Just when she thinks she’s found the key to unlocking her life's aspirations, she ends up with an unexpected roommate: the estranged town troublemaker, Levi Fanning. While sullen and reclusive, Levi offers to help her with her journey through her journal. However, Georgie slowly discovers that what she truly desires in life may not lie written on those pages—maybe it’s what, or who, is right next to her.

I CANNOT RAVE ENOUGH ABOUT THIS BOOK. I could scream from the rooftops about how amazing this book was. Expansively emotional and real. Perfectly vulnerable. Beautifully written. Such an exquisite story of self-discovery, lost dreams, friendship, forgiveness, and love. My heartstrings are sore from being pulled throughout the entire thing. This story warms your heart, breaks it, and then puts it back together again. And it was also hilarious. I laughed SO much while reading this, and I’m pretty sure I had a huge smile on my face the majority of the time because it was so freaking cute and adorable. Also, the fact that the author made me cry over a Sharpie? Excuse me, ma’am. Also, the sex scenes were spicy but also emotional, and I love that so much.

Georgie and Levi are both incredibly written and developed characters, and so relatable, it’s painful (in the best way). I adored Georgie and her ability to be unapologetically herself. She is beautifully chaotic and messy, fiercely loyal and loving, and absolutely hilarious. And then there’s Levi, who is extremely closed-off and reserved, but underneath his rough exterior, he is so deeply vulnerable and possesses such a tender, gentle heart. I constantly wanted to step into the story and give him the biggest hug. Both of these characters are remarkably relatable because it's a commonly shared (yet often hidden) experience to feel unworthy of love or to struggle to find what we truly want and where we fit in life. I loved that the story was told from both of their POVs because it enables the reader to understand each character's struggles on such a personal, real level. I’ve been left feeling that I really know these characters. Frankly, I wish I did. I want them as my friends IRL. OH AND HANK? Main character energy. Hank steals the show sometimes. I love heeem and his perfectly timed farts, hahaha.

Additionally, I admire the friendship that Bel and Georgie share in the story. A testament to true, pure friendship that anyone would be lucky to experience with another.

After Georgie, All Along, I will surely be adding more Kate Clayborn to my want-to-read list. She is a strikingly talented author. This story was phenomenally written, utterly enchanting, and splendidly emotional and relatable. I loved EVERYTHING about this book and it has become one of my new favorites, bar none.

5+++ stars! GO READ IT.

“I don’t want to say it’s like lightning, hearing her say it. I don’t want to say it’s anything bright or loud or shocking. I want to say that it’s like the river creeping higher in the rainy season, slow and quiet right up until it’s not anymore, right up until it’s flowing over everything that’s been built to control it. I want to say that the wall inside my is coming down—softening, then crumbling, then collapsing entirely. That the blank space is finally filling in.”

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

"I’ve always believed the eyes cannot lie. They hold the truths we are unable to speak.”

Sarah Morgan is a successful defense attorney and has everything going for her. She’s made partner at her firm and she’s exactly where she wanted to be in life. On the contrary, Adam Morgan is a writer, struggling to obtain the success he always dreamed of, and his wife always working. The couple purchased a secluded lake house, a tranquil escape for Adam to focus on his writing—or so Sarah thought. When Adam’s mistress, Kelly Summers, is found stabbed to death in the bed of their lake house, Adam is the primary suspect. Even with the disgusting revelation of her husband’s infidelities, Sarah believes Adam is innocent. Desperate to prove it, she takes on her most challenging case yet: keep Adam out of prison—and the execution chair. With the evidence stacked against Adam, will Sarah be able to prove her unfaithful husband’s innocence or will an innocent man be convicted of a heinous crime?

Okay, but for real… why am I seeing so many 1 stars for this?! HOLY SHIT. This book was absolutely addicting and I could not put it down. With every page turn, I was forming a new theory as to who could be responsible. Was it Stevens? Was it Hudson? What about Kelly’s hot-headed husband? Could it have been sweet and innocent Anne? Could anyone be trusted? I HAD NO IDEA. Anyone could have been a suspect, and I was left guessing until the very end—at which point I was left completely blindsided and speechless.

The plot: flawless. The writing: amazing. 5 stars, easily.

I honestly loved Sarah. She was such a powerhouse, and it was refreshing to see those occasional moments of vulnerability in her. Not everyone can be so stoic and sure of themselves all the time. She was always calculated in the way she approached her conversations and next steps in the case. A lawyer, through and thought. However, Adam was annoying as hell. While I understand the predicament he is in, he was so whiny. It was especially frustrating because he literally did everything he possibly could to mess up everything—from the very beginning when he decided to engage in an affair in the first place.

I really enjoyed this book! I will be forever equally excited for and jealous of everyone who gets to read this for the first time because I will never be able to experience that again.

“We all have our own truth and everything outside that truth is just a story.”

↠ 3.5 stars ⭐️

Amazon First Reads Pick February 2023

Seeing this novel as an option for this month’s First Reads is the sole reason I ended up reading Baby Teeth before making my selection. After enjoying Stage’s Baby Teeth so much, I knew I needed to choose Mothered.

It’s the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grace just bought her first house, but then lockdown happened and she lost her job. Her recently-widowed mother, Jackie, asks to move in, citing that she could help with the mortgage. They have always had a tense, precarious relationship, but this might be a good opportunity to repair their relationship. What could go wrong? Soon after Jackie moves in, Grace begins to have disturbing, disorienting nightmares about her deceased twin, Hope, who had cerebral palsy and died when they were young. After being exposed to the virus, Grace and Jackie are holed up in the house for two weeks together. As Grace’s dreams intensify, the line between reality and delusion begins to blur. Then her mother accuses her of the unthinkable, and Grace begins to question everything she ever knew. Had she really been responsible for her sister’s death? As Grace’s madness spins out of control, she’s driven to a final breaking point.

While I did finish this book within 24 hours of starting it, I was still a bit of a slow burn. It was like a game of Jenga, each disturbing event a piece that was slowly pulling apart reality and stacking onto each other until the tower collapsed, leaving a mess in its wake. Throughout the story, Stage paints such an unnerving and claustrophobic atmosphere, and between the dream sequences and the unreliable narrator, I was even questioning what was real vs a hallucination. The story concludes with a bang, but I felt it still left me confused and questioning what the actual truth is.

Character-wise, no one was particularly likable, other than Miguel maybe. They were complicated… and often annoyed me. At some points, I wanted to step into the book and shake Grace and scream “girl, get your shit together,” but at others, I really felt for her. Growing up and having to care for her disabled twin definitely took a toll on her, and it becomes clear why. Hope was kind of a mean-spirited, selfish bitch, in my opinion. And Jackie, I still don’t know how to feel about her or even what the real version of her is. Is she actually kind and caring, but just holds a degree of resentment? Or is the kindness just a mask she wears when it benefits her? I have no idea.

If the pandemic was at all traumatizing for you at any point, this might be a good one to skip, as COVID plays a central role in the plot.

Overall, I liked Mothered. It was an enjoyable read, but I feel like I’ve been left desiring a bit more out of it. I would still recommend it to a horror/psychological thriller lover, as it does check all the boxes.

↠ 4.25 stars ⭐︎

As someone who is child-free by choice, I can personally summarize this book with just 5 words: Birth control in a novel.

Disclaimer: Contains several spoilers.

“It was hard to pour endless love into someone who wouldn’t love you back. No one could do it forever.”

Deliciously disturbing and unnerving, Baby Teeth is the story of Suzette, mother to mute 7-year-old, Hanna. While Suzette suffers from a chronic illness, she works tirelessly to be the best mother and wife she can be. But Hanna is more than she bargained for, and Suzette harbors a hidden resentment for her daughter. What did she do to deserve such a troubled daughter as Hanna? And Hanna loves her Daddy, Alex, significantly more than her Mommy. So much so that she desires to achieve one gruesome goal: to rid the world of her Mommy for good, so that she can have Daddy all to herself.

"She’s smart enough to make sure you never believe me.”

Only acting out in the presence of Mommy, Hanna begins to torment Suzette. She starts small, with annoying acts such as giving her mother a box full of spiders or stealing precious jewelry and flushing down the toilet. Gradually, Hanna’s scare tactics become more disturbing, and Suzette tries to talk to her husband about her concerns. However, Alex is in denial. Hanna manipulates her Daddy to be on her side of the war by showcasing a sweet and innocent facade she believes only he deserves. How could Daddy’s perfect baby girl be capable of anything so malicious? However, with each failure to kill her Mommy, Hanna’s attempts become increasingly more horrifying and violent than the last, and Daddy begins to learn the truth about how dangerous his daughter is. Her lack of remorse and strategically calculated violent acts toward Suzette are deeply disturbing, and serious action must be taken to ensure his wife’s safety. Could his precious lilla gumman really be a psychopath?

“Was their illusion of family so fragile that neither of them could confront the specter of imperfection?”

Truthfully, the first half of the novel struggled to hold my attention. However, once I hit about the 45% mark, I couldn’t put it down. The storytelling was eerie and gripping, and each of Hanna’s attempts elicited a gasp of horror. Unexpectedly, the novel ended on a cliffhanger, but in a way that allows the reader to draw their own conclusion to the story. I certainly have mine—

Spoiler

and I have no doubt that Hanna, with her terrifying cleverness and resolve, was able to trick her way out of that mental facility and ultimately kill Suzette.

I also really enjoyed Suzette and Hanna as characters, both were very well-written and complex. Regardless of Hanna’s disturbing actions, I found myself being pulled into moments of both softness and hardness for both of them. And they exhibit striking similarities to one another in several ways:
• Each of them has a deep-seated fear of failure: Suzette’s obsession with the clean house and being attractive enough for Alex to stay; Hanna not wanting to speak for fear of her words not making sense.
• Both struggle with communication: Suzette feels unseen and unheard by her husband, just as she was by her mother, and often seeks the guidance of other adults, such as therapists or principals; Hanna, because of her refusal to talk, has a barrier in her way of communicating, and she feels that her Daddy understands her in ways that Mommy will never even try to.
• They each have their own masks they wear: In Hanna’s mind, Suzette has Bad Mommy and Good Mommy; Hanna is malicious and monstrous when she is around Suzette and occasionally others, but with Alex, she is doting, affectionate, and angelic.
• They both held expectations for one another that they failed to meet. Suzette desired a normal daughter who went to school, communicated verbally, and enjoyed her company—instead, her daughter rejected and tormented her. Hanna pushed her mother away but expected that Mommy would try harder to love her and understand her for who she is—instead, Suzette gave up on her. Ultimately, this deep-seated mutual resentment for each other was the fuel for the toxic, dysfunctional war against each other they fell into.

I will say that Alex drove me NUTS. While his personality was certainly charming, I believe his denial of Hanna’s deplorable actions and neglect of Suzette’s concerns is what prolonged the issue. There’s no doubt that we all want to see the best in the people we love, whether they be our family or friends, but he continued to deny what so many people—including his wife—were trying to tell him. I’m glad he finally woke up and saw the truth and seriousness of what was occurring and agreed to take action for Suzette’s safety.

“I won’t let my daughter be my undoing.”

Overall, I loved this book and would recommend it to readers who are comfortable with dark and unsettling themes. The story was enthralling, creepy, and deeply disturbing. With each page turn, I was in utter disbelief that a child could not only hold such deep resentment for their mother that her only desire was to see her dead, but also be so tactical and calculated in her attempts to kill. Truly nightmare fuel. This book is definitely not for the faint of heart and should be read at your own risk, as it is not for everyone.

“Don’t you love me?” … “Not enough”

↠ 4.5 stars ⭐︎

January 2023 Amazon First Read Pick

“Wherever a witch’s blood is spilled, a curse remains on the land. That’s the saying, all right. Nobody ever blames the men that do the killing and the burning, do they? Instead, they blame the witch.”

The Witch of Tin Mountain is a gothic historical fiction set in the Ozarks. The story is told in two different timelines: one is set in 1881 and told in third-person, and the other set in 1931 and told in first-person. Gracelynn and Granny share similar abilities, and they use them to provide cures to the people of Tin Mountain. While the townspeople are grateful for their cures, many are suspicious of them being witches, but they never let this fear disrupt the peace. Until a new preacher, Josiah Bellflower, comes to town and brings about an ancient curse on Tin Mountain and turns the people of Tin Mountain against Gracelynn and Granny. After Granny falls sick, Gracelynn must unveil the secrets of the past in order to save the town from the evil and vengeance of Bellflower.

“What is the difference between good and evil? Truly? It’s all a matter of perception. Every bit of it. Wars. Plagues. Famine. Saints and sinners. Angels and demons.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Kennedy’s imagery creates a haunting atmosphere from the very beginning, allowing me to be fully immersed in the story. In a female-focused story, I found the characters to be well-written, strong, and engaging. Badass witches? Count me in. I love that the story touched on themes of hypocrisy and blind faith.

I was not sure how I was going to feel about the dual timelines, but I surprisingly enjoyed this writing style. I did not find it difficult to keep track of the details from each timeline, and I think the choice of writing one timeline in third-person and the other in first-person allowed me to keep them distinct. The different timelines aided the progression of the story, gradually revealing history and secrets without giving away too much, helping to build suspense.

Spoiler

I remember my “oh shit” moment when I realized how the two timelines were related to each other! They were perfectly intertwined.

All in all, I enjoyed this novel. It is compelling, haunting, and complex. Lovers of dark folklore and witches, this is a must!

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

Let’s just say, I started this book at 7pm on a Monday evening and stayed up until 4am to finish it. I simply could not go to sleep without knowing how it ended! Well worth the following day’s sleepiness.

Disclaimer: some minor spoilers ahead.

The Quarry Girls is a “coming-of-age meets thriller,” and Lourey paints a creepy, unsettling picture that allows the reader to be completely immersed in the story. Inspired by real-life events, Lourey tells the story of several teen girls who go missing in a small town in Minnesota in 1977. The story is told from two POVs: Beth, the strong-willed and resilient university-bound girl who gets abducted after a shift at the local diner; and Heather, a teenage girl whose trying to navigate the murky cusp of girlhood and womanhood while simultaneously uncovering the disturbing and dark secrets her town and the men she thought she could trust have kept hidden in the tunnels below.

“That’s when I understood the raw truth of it: the men in charge were looking out for themselves. We were on our own, the girls of Pantown.”

Gripping, atmospheric, and creepy, this novel is beautifully written, with interesting, well-written characters who keep the plot flowing, leaving the reader engaged and on the edge of their seat until its conclusion. It was also an eye-opening depiction of violence women endure at the hands of toxic masculinity—and the lengths to which these men, especially those in a position of power, will go to cover it up. It had me continuously theorizing who I thought may or may not be involved in the overarching mystery, and while I was right in the end, I was still left shocked and never once felt like the conclusion of the story was predictable!

I highly recommend The Quarry Girls! And I cannot wait to read more from this author.

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

TL;DR: Just read the damn book. Please.

“People think that intimacy is about sex. But intimacy is about truth. When you realize you can tell someone your truth, when you can show yourself to them, when you stand in front of them bare and their response is “You’re safe with me”—that’s intimacy.”

Evelyn Hugo, an iconic actress that has refused to give an interview for years, is finally ready to share her story—every last deliciously scandalous detail of it. She specifically requests Monique, a journalist working for Vivant magazine, to have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, Monique is just as confused as her boss at Evelyn’s demand. She’s not particularly notable in the journalism world, so why her? As she interviews Evelyn, unveiling the details of her unwavering ambition, an unexpected forbidden love, and that life is not always as black and white as it seems, Monique comes to discover that her and Evelyn’s worlds are entwined in a way she never expected.

“I have no idea that in less than a week, Evelyn Hugo will finish her story, and I’ll find out what this has all been about, and I will hate her so much that I’ll be truly afraid I might kill her.”

THIS BOOK. How do I even begin? This book was absolutely incredible. From the very moment I read the first line until I [tearfully] finished the last, I was hooked. I laughed. I cried. I laughed some more. I audibly gasped. This book is spectacular, in every sense of the word.

Taylor Jenkin Reid’s writing is undeniably captivating, fully enveloping the reader in the world she creates with ease. The entire time I felt as if I was reading the autobiography of someone who really existed. All of the characters were incredibly well-written, so well that they came to life in my head, each of them endlessly complex and painfully human.

But Evelyn. Her character was on a whole new level. Intoxicating. Cunning. Independent. She is the definition of a badass bitch. You love her. You hate her. You want to be her. You want to strangle her one minute, then hug her the next. She was the perfect embodiment of opposites— selfish yet selfless when it counted; brutally honest about her manipulative schemes and lies; cold-hearted but loved as deeply as the ocean. She was intimidatingly self-aware of herself, and I admired the hell out of her for it. There’s a lot that can be learned from a character like Evelyn.

Not only is this story about Evelyn and her seven husbands, but it is a story of self-discovery, undying love, and true friendship. If there is a friendship anyone would be lucky to experience in their lifetime, it is one as pure and authentic as Evelyn and Harry’s. I absolutely adored their relationship, possibly even more than the forbidden love at the forefront of the story. “If there are all different types of soul mates … then you are one of mine.” I melted.

I loved that Reid's story had so many layers, slowly peeled away one after the other. It touched on many difficult topics in a simultaneously humorous but introspective way—emphasizing how life is not always clearly black and white. There was great representation: two biracial main characters, a bisexual character, a lesbian character, and a gay character. Each character's personal triumphs and struggles were addressed in a thoughtfully nuanced and authentic way.

OH AND THE TWIST AT THE END BROKE MY SOUL.

Anyway, I could go on and on about how immaculate this book is. If you’re considering reading it, just do it. You won’t regret it.

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

Disclaimer: Contains spoilers.

“He is half of my soul, as the poets say.”

Okay, I have never read The Iliad. Or The Odyssey. Or any Greek literature at all, really. Of course, I have general knowledge of The Trojan War. I’ve heard of Odysseus and Achilles. But I basically went into this novel a virgin to much of what it was based upon.

That being said, I absolutely loved this book, and I will be reading more novels based on Greek mythology because of it. Madeline Miller retells the story of The Iliad whilst weaving in the romance between Patroclus and Achilles. Her prose is elegant and poetic in such a simplistic way. It draws you in and allows you to clearly visualize the scene or deeply feel the emotion she is describing.

A few of my favorites, without spoiling too much:
“... her lovely dark eyes spilling water warm as summer rain.”
“The keen edge of my envy was like flint, a spark away from fire”
“Our bodies cupped each other like hands.”

I adored the bond that Patroclus and Achilles shared. They were always fiercely loyal to one another and never wavered from their affection and concern for one another. Achilles was so sweet to Patroclus, always protecting him. Patroclus, my precious baby, was so wholesome. I wanted to grab him and keep him in my pocket. He had a heart of gold, and I felt that he was oftentimes Achilles's conscience—his moral compass when he lost his way.

Miller also shows us how love can not only bring us peace and happiness but also destroy us. Patroclus’s care for Bresis leads him to betray his true love, Achilles. His love for Achilles drove him to fight in the war when he promised he would not. And Achilles’s love for Patroclus drove him to kill the exact man whose death would bring his own demise.

Oh, and the ending?
Absolutely shattered me.
“Go… he waits for you.”
STOP. I lost it.

The Song of Achilles is undeniably beautiful and tragic. It will fill your heart with love and then take a hammer to it and break it into a million pieces. And it's so, so worth it.

↠ 5 stars ⭐︎

This book was so wonderfully nerdy and adorable! My heart was so full while reading this.

Olive is a third-year biology Ph.D. candidate at Standford. Olive loves her best friend, Anh, dearly and wants nothing more than for her to be happy and prove she’s moved on from her last relationship so she can date her crush guilt-free. But scientists require proof, and Olive decides to provide it by kissing the first man she sees… who just so happens to be the infamous Dr. Adam Carlsen, the professor known to be the most unapproachable and critical in the department. After the news spreads like wildfire, and to Olive’s surprise, Adam offers to help keep her charade going by being her fake boyfriend. As they start spending more and more time together, she starts to learn there’s more to Adam than his antagonistic and unapproachable reputation, and what starts as a fake relationship starts to bloom into something she never could have hypothesized.

Aw, I loved this book sooo much! It was humorous, nerdy, and romantic. I adored the chemistry Olive and Adam shared from the very beginning. And the one sex scene we got was HELLA steamy! Worth the wait and the perfect culmination of the mutual love and palpable chemistry between the two of them.

“And she… she loved him even more for it. For looking at her like she was the beginning and end of his every thought.”

I absolutely loved Olive! She was witty, intelligent, and relatably awkward with a heart of pure gold. The lengths to which she went to see her friend happy were endless and heart-warming. And she was absolutely hilarious. I thoroughly enjoyed her sense of humor and commentary. I loved seeing her (and Anh!) being total badass scientists making significant discoveries as women in STEM and learning about the frustrations and insecurities that come along with it.

Adam is the no-bullshit, harsh, and unapproachable professor, but when we learn about his reasoning behind it, it showcases how truly passionate he is about science and his students. Despite his steely and sullen personality, Olive brings out a softness in him. The ways in which he showed Olive he genuinely cared about her were precious. He was always encouraging her and truly believed in her and the work she was doing. He was her #1 fan all along!

“I wish you could see yourself the way I see you.”

OMG AND

Spoiler

the fact that he was The Guy in the bathroom when she was debating if grad school was even worth it. MY HEART. WAS EXPLODING. The sweetest meet-cute, honestly.

All of the side characters were also thoroughly enjoyable! I felt they all added something to the story. There was never a character where I questioned their relevance to the storyline. Oh, but

Spoiler

fuck Tom. Forever. I was SO HAPPY about Adam's reaction toward the recording.

The hype around this book is entirely valid! It’s an exceptional story that warms your heart with love and friendship and makes you giggle along the way. The science references appealed to my science-loving brain, but it also was never too much that it may confuse anyone not familiar with the subject! An all-around great grumpy-meets-sunshine love story and I highly recommend it.