Reading Notes: Books in Review

I’ve never been someone who star-rates books. Numbers feel too small for stories that arrive at different moments in our lives. What moves one reader may quietly pass another by—and that doesn’t make either experience wrong.

What matters to me is how a story meets you.

Where did it take your imagination?

What did it stir while you were there?

Did it offer escape, comfort, challenge, or rest?

Books don’t just entertain us—they sit beside us. They hold space when life feels heavy and expand our worlds when our own begin to feel small. And often, the most meaningful part of a story isn’t the plot itself, but what lingers after the final page.

So instead of stars or scores, these reviews are reflections. They are moments spent between the lines—looking at where the story took me, what it revealed, and why it mattered then.

Here’s a look at a couple of the stories that found me lately. Trust me, there are many more...

The Long Game found its way back to me in the most unexpected way—through an Instagram thread. When I realized I had somehow missed this book in the series, I genuinely couldn’t believe it. I read books one through five back in 2021, and somehow—four years later—I was just now finishing the story. It felt like a quiet literary tragedy.

But the moment I started reading, I was home again.

I didn’t need to reread anything. I was instantly taken back to Heated Rivalry, to that version of myself who once lived deeply between the lines. The characters, the tone, the rhythm—it all came rushing back with ease.

This was an easy, fun read filled with witty banter and emotional familiarity. Beneath the humor and chemistry, though, was something heavier and deeply meaningful: the constant need to hide. To hide who you are. To fear the unknown. To brace yourself for judgment based on who you love. To live with the quiet terror that being honest might change everything before you’re ready.

Rachel Reid does a beautiful job bringing forward the hidden world of depression—particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. She captures the isolation, the internal battles, and the slow, fragile work of finding safety. Through welcoming friends, speaking truth out loud, and the support of trained professionals, the story shows that healing is not linear—but it is possible.

This book felt like returning to a familiar place, only wiser than before.

A beautiful, easy read for those who love sports romance with heart, depth, and just the right amount of spice—and for readers who appreciate stories that remind us how powerful it is to finally be seen.

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Wow—let’s talk about a story filled with wit, sharp banter, and the kind of sisterly love that quietly shows growth not just in people, but in a hometown itself.

I picked up Love’s a Witch while attending one of the many bookish events hosted right here in our community by Bookish Modesto. It felt fitting to begin a story rooted in hometown magic while surrounded by readers who understand the pull of a good book.

Love’s a Witch drew me into a world of magic, forgiveness, and learning when to let go. At its heart is a cursed family—called back home by a loving grandmother—to uncover long-buried truths about who they are and where they come from. What unfolds is both whimsical and meaningful, blending family legacy with the slow unlearning of old wounds.

The story also weaves in a hometown romance: two kids who once shared a childhood crush, now grown, finding their way back to each other while unraveling curses and secrets along the way. It’s tender, playful, and full of heart.

I read half this book in one sitting, only stopping because my eyes finally started to drift shut. At one point, my husband looked over and said, “Wow—you must really be enjoying that,” after hearing me chuckle out loud more than once. He wasn’t wrong.

And to my fellow witch-loving readers—don’t worry. Tricia O’Malley isn’t done with us yet. This series invites us deeper into the lives of the sisters, and I, for one, cannot wait to keep exploring their world.

A cozy, magical read full of humor, heart, and just enough enchantment to make you believe in coming home again.