Mini Book Reviews – November 2024: What To Read & What To Skip

Welcome to my regular round up of mini book reviews of what I’ve read this past month! 

In my list of mini book reviews, I include everything I’ve read recently that I finished.  I like to share both my five star reads and any misses to help you get a better idea of what you should read or might want to skip.

As always, I love to hear if you agree or disagree with my ratings! Let me know in the comments what you thought of my November 2024 mini book reviews.

 

Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen

Annie takes a realistic look at what will happen if our nuclear safeguards fail and a country starts a nuclear war. In this (terrifyingly possible) scenario, North Korea launches a nuclear missile at the United States. Annie walks us through what will happen from the moment of launch in astonishing detail.

I am not normally a nonfiction reader, but she presents all of this information in such a compelling way that I felt like I was reading a thriller. It’s obvious that she did an incredible amount of research and spoke with top government officials as well as scientist directly involved in these programs. But then she weaves together a story showcasing how the world and possibly humanity as a whole can be destroyed in just a matter of hours

I cannot recommend this book enough. It feels important for everyone to read and understand the implications of our nuclear weapons. You will not be able to put this down! | 5 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target 

 

 

 

The Merry Matchmaker by Sheila Roberts

The Merry Matchmaker is a modern take on Emma, with a meddling mom always trying to “help out” her friends and family.  Despite a few mishaps in the past, Frankie just can’t help herself when she finds an opportunity for a new relationship, new job, or new anything for her daughter, employees, or close friend Mitch. She always thinks she knows just what they need or the right push to make their lives even better.

It’s not until her efforts accidentally bring Mitch and her employee, Elinor, closer as part of the town’s Christmas parade that Frankie realizes she needs to take a chance on herself and open herself up to something new. Maybe it’s time for her to focus on her own love life for once and go after the man that she’s known all along is actually perfect for her.

This was such a heartwarming retelling that hit all the right notes! I adored having a middle aged woman as the protagonist who gets a second chance at love. | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target 

 

 

 

Last One At The Wedding by Jason Rekulak

This is a psychological thriller that focuses on the arrogance of the extremely wealthy and the lengths parents will go to protect their children. Frank’s daughter is getting married to the son of a CEO. Maggie and Frank are just recently reconnecting, but he quickly realizes something is off with this family.

Maggie brushes off his fears and Frank is stuck between trusting Maggie and following his own instincts. Over the course of the wedding weekend, Frank discovers that a young woman went missing who was previously connected to Maggie’s fiancé. The family swears they had nothing to do with her disappearance, but Frank isn’t convinced. He starts digging into their past and tries to convince Maggie that she’s making a huge mistake.

This was a slow burn as the reader discovers information and evidence along with Frank – never quite knowing who we can trust and who’s really behind the shady actions. | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target 

 

 

As always, I recommend using Libro.fm if you’re an audiobook listener!! Libro.fm directly supports indie bookstores, but costs the same as Amazon’s Audible! You can get TWO audiobooks for only $15 with my link and code CHOOSEINDIE.

 

*I was planning to listen to Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez and The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson on audio, but realized that one of the narrators is Zachary Webber, who posted multiple videos on social media making truly horrendous comments about the Jewish population. I refuse to support this type of behavior and switched to eBooks instead for these books.

 

 

eBooks:

 

Just For The Summer by Abby Jimenez

I can always count on Abby to write an intriguing romance that you won’t be able to get out of your head. Emma and Justin both seem to have a particular curse where the person they date goes on to meet “the one” after they breakup.

So they agree to try dating each other so they can find the love of their own life next. But the connection between them is instantaneous. This romance is supposed to have a defined end date, but they’re falling fast. Except Emma’s abandonment issues as a result of her horrible mother, who has made a reappearance in her life, keep her from getting too close to Justin.

It was such a struggle to read about Emma’s past and her mother’s effect on her relationships. This truly showed what some couple’s must endure to have a chance at forever love. 4.5 Stars | Buy On Amazon | Buy From Target

 

 

 

The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson

It has all the steam I’ve come to expect from Lana Ferguson’s contemporary romances but is also a well written, heartfelt love story! Childhood friends, Ian and Lila are reunited when he’s chosen to appear in a publicity stint on Lila’s baking show. After an incident that turned his city against him, Ian is back on his home NHL team’s roster, hoping enough time has passed that he can put his past behind him.

Ian knew Lila as a kid, but now she’s all grown up and Ian can’t help but notice. Lila on the other hand, has had a crush on Ian for as long as she’s known him. The chemistry between them is obvious, especially to viewers, so they play up a flirtation for the public to help them both. It doesn’t take long for it to turn real though.

I adored the exploration of this relationship that changed from long ago friendship to a steamy connection! Plus when Ian’s past issues with his father turns into his present, Lila was always there to support him and see him for what he truly is. I also loved Lila’s brother as a side character – he was such a goof and absolutely hilarious. This is an all around fantastic romance novel! | 4.5 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target

 

 

 

 

The Christmas Countdown by Holly Cassidy

Sisterly love forces Callie into a ridiculous set of Advent countdown challenges since her sister, Anita thinks it’s just what she needs to get over her recent breakup. Anita comes up with a series of tasks that Callie must complete to lift her spirits and get her in the holiday mood.

When Callie runs into the local baker, he agrees to complete the challenges with her, opening up all sorts of new possibilities that Callie just wants to shut down. I’m a huge advent calendar fan, so this twist on the traditional opening of gifts was delightful. | 4 Stars | Buy From Amazon | Buy From Target

 

 

To See Even More Book Reviews from this past month, check out my video below!

 

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