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Jacqueline Jay | Book reviews and 📸

@jacquejreads

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Lover of all things beautiful. Join me on this journey of taking pictures and reading in nature #booklover
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The Summer Girlfriend x Kristina Forest | Heart Beach #1 Mouthwatering cutesy book… Fake dating to love trope… Big money business with the heart of family at the center. Synopsis: Noelle Lewis doesn’t have time for long walks on the beach, brunch with the girls, or summer vacations. She’s too busy saving up to go back to college. After recently getting laid off from her bookseller job, her main gig is now serving as a “stand-in” bridesmaid, which doesn’t pay enough for the upcoming semester’s tuition. But then the perfect, if not unconventional, opportunity arises… Jeremiah Smith II, grandson of the founder of Smith’s Sweets—a well-known baked goods company—once lived a life of frivolity. Since his grandfather’s death, Jeremiah’s tried to clean up his act, but it’s hard to focus when his family requests that he join them at their summer house in Heart Beach, New Jersey, where his most painful memory lies. To avoid going there, Jeremiah claims he already has plans with his girlfriend, and of course, his family tells him to bring her. The problem? Jeremiah doesn’t have a girlfriend. After a chance meeting, Noelle and Jeremiah come to an agreement. He’ll hire her to be his stand-in girlfriend for the weekend, and she’ll use that money toward her tuition. She figures it will be quick, easy money, but as it turns out, Jeremiah’s family is lovely, and Jeremiah is even lovelier. Soon, a weekend agreement turns into an entire summer, and Noelle and Jeremiah will have to keep their hearts in check, or else it’s sink or swim for them both. 🩵 “Heart Beach has a way of making summer feel endless” 💭 I hope reading this book makes it feel like summer for you. I had such a pleasure meeting @kristinaforest_ at the Adult Contemporary Romance and the City event hosted by @penamerica and held at @ptknitwear . Having @tiawilliamswrites @kristinaforest_ and @bringme_books in one room on one stage was everything! What was the last author event you attended?
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Happy Thriller Thursday! Thank you partner @celadonbooks for the advance reader copy! 📚✨ I had a great time buddy reading this with my friend @jacquejreads! We always have such great discussions! HEATHER is a dark, gritty, slow-burn thriller that immediately drew me in. I both read the physical copy and listened to the audio, and it’s an absolute page-turner! The story follows Callie Hauser, the newly appointed police chief of Pine Lakes, a small New Jersey town facing a devastating rise in drug overdoses. Callie’s personal life collides with her work when her mother, Jenna—who has long struggled with addiction—disappears after Callie is forced to arrest her for a DUI. As Callie searches for her mother, she uncovers long-buried secrets from Jenna’s past, starting with a traumatic moment in Jenna’s youth: discovering the body of a newborn baby, and the sudden disappearance of another teenage girl suspected to be the mother. Told through alternating timelines, Mullen exposes the darker underbelly of Pine Lakes. At the center of the past is a predatory figure known as “the Coyote,” whose ties to small-town power and corruption allowed him to exploit vulnerable young women in an era before MeToo. In the present, Callie is drowning in chaos: searching for her missing mother, tracking down who is bringing fentanyl into her community, and caring for her best friend’s daughter after a suspicious hit-and-run. Mullen masterfully explores how male power, sexual exploitation, and small-town corruption become deeply intertwined. It’s a haunting look at generational trauma, loss of innocence, complicity, and secrets—so many secrets. I also listened to this book and I switched back and forth between versions. Perfect for fans of God of the Woods and We are all Guilty Here. Swipe for official blurb and audiobook thoughts. QOTD: Has this one made it onto your reading list yet? What’s the last slow-burn thriller that completely hooked you? 👇 Or What are you reading this week? . . #ThrillerThursday #Bookstagram #BookReview #BuddyRead BookCommunity Audiobook Spotlight Author: Caitlin Mullen Narrators: Bailey Carr, Christine Lakin, and Mia Wurgaft Publisher: Macmil
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🎉 HAPPY RELEASE DAY 🎉 Thank you @netgalley and @vikingbooks for the ARC of Friends and Family: A Novel by @nataliebaszile 📚Friends and Family: A Novel by @nataliebaszile 📖 Published by @pameladormanbooks @vikingbooks 📅 Release Date: October 6, 2026 (TODAY) 📚 ARC Rating: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Whew! This book took me on an emotional journey! I went in without reading the synopsis, and within the first few chapters, Babs had me ready to DNF. By the end, though, I realized my reaction to her was part of what made this book so powerful. Babs had me in THERAPY! At its core, this book made me think about what happens when we don’t talk about race. Avoiding these conversations doesn’t make race disappear. Instead, it can prevent people, especially Black people, from fully showing up as themselves. Love and good intentions aren’t always enough. True allyship requires listening, acknowledging differences, examining our biases, and sometimes being uncomfortable. There were also moments when I recognized parts of my younger self, the desire to be accepted, staying quiet, and making excuses for behaviors that made me uncomfortable. Whew…and that “invisible suitcase” concept hit me HARD. I had the BEST experience reading this with a diverse group of women through an Instagram buddy read. This was easily the most commentary I’ve had in a buddy read all year! The different perspectives and conversations added SO much to the experience. I even took this book on our family cruise and couldn’t put it down, or stop talking about it with my husband and children. 🚢😂 A MUST READ! It frustrated me, challenged me, made me reflect, and reminded me why conversations about race matter. #FriendsandFamilyANovel #NataliBaszile #PamelaDormanBooks #VikingBooks #InstragramBuddyRead
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📚 Friend Friday: Books on My TBR Thanks to My Bookstagram Friends 📚 If you’re anything like me, your TBR has truly exploded after you started spending any meaningful amount of time here on Bookstagram. This community fosters connections with so many readers with incredible taste. Over time you learn where your taste most overlaps with your book friends, and maybe also where it doesn’t 😆, and you build the kind of trust that leads you to add a book to a TBR before you know anything about the plot! I’ve had this post idea on my list for a little while, but I was inspired to go ahead and create it by my friend Maggie’s recent post. Maggie also happens to be the first friend whose book recommendation you’ll see in the post! Whenever I come across a post that makes me want to add a book to my TBR, I save it to my personal Book Recs folder for future reference. I’m so glad I found a way to bookmark these posts so I can go back and find (1) which books I wanted to add to my list and (2) which friends recommended them, put them on my radar, or convinced me that I needed to grow my TBR by another book. I hope all these tagged friends know how influential and appreciated they are in my reading life! And to be clear, there’s way more books and book friends where these came from. I’m already planning to do a part 2 of this post next week! ❓What’s one of your favorite “Bookstagram made me read it” books? Do you remember whose recommendation influenced you to pick it up? 🏷️ #bookrecommendations #Bookstagrammademereadit #onmytbr #bookrecs #tbr
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Happy #FollowFriday, Booksta besties! ☀️📚 How’s your summer reading going? Need your next 5-star read? Looking for new bookish mutuals to fill your feed with amazing recs? I got you! Today I’m showing some love to 18 incredible Bookstagrammers who are ALWAYS bringing the heat! Thanks to them, my TBR stays growing… and honestly, I loveeeee it! From their thoughtful reviews and bookish experiences to the visuals, their content never misses. But one of my favorite things about Bookstagram is finding people who truly get it. The endless yapping about books and talking about how a story made us feel somehow turning complete strangers into lifelong book besties. This community is filled with so much genuine love, support, and some of the BEST bookish conversations. I’m beyond grateful to be a part of it. 🫶🏽 Whether you’re into literary fiction, thrillers, historical fiction, second chances, suspense or you simply read for the vibes there’s an account here you’re going to love! 📖 Show these amazing creators some love in the comments! And tag your favorite Bookstagrammers below so I can discover even MORE incredible accounts to follow. 💕📲👇🏽
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The Heirs by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé Meet the Button siblings: Octavius, Fila, Bilal, Romeo and Perdita. They were all adopted by the wealthy Leonates Burton and trained using his infamous “Button” Method to turn them into child prodigies. They all strived to meet their father’s expectations as best as they could. Unfortunately, as all the children gather for the annual Prodigy Ball, Leonates is found dead, suspected of being murdered. And his five heirs are immediately considered suspects. As the investigation begins, we learn each of Button’s children’s backstories and that all of them have something to hide and a reason for murder. This story is YA and reads like YA so keep that in mind. That being said, I really enjoyed learning about the Button kids, their secrets and their loyalties. It is sort of a locked room suspense but the element of danger is not present. The story was engaging right until the very end as comes to its conclusion. I enjoyed the audiobook narration and even though there was only one narrator, he did a great job at keep up the tension in the story and differentiating the various characters and their personalities. Thank you to @jacquejreads for buddy reading this one with me during my summer break. Thank you @macmillan.audio @feiwelandfriends for a gifted ALC of this murder mystery through the #macaudio2026 influencer program. It was published on 6/2/2026. ❓Do you have any geniuses in your family or friend group? Maybe YOU are the genius? What kind of pressure do you suspect that puts on a person? The Heirs • Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé • Macmillan Audio • Feiwel and Friends • YA suspense • YA Reads • Book Review • Audiobook Review • Buddy Read
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ℬ𝓞𝓞𝓚 𝑇𝓞𝓤ℛ 📚🎟 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗩𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗿 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 📌I loved this book! I didn't know anything about Mary Church Terrell and Anna Julia Cooper prior to reading.Their experiences at Oberlin College, and the struggles they faced being Black women integrating into a school that wasn't truly ready for them, were eye-opening. 📌There was so much packed into this story: the importance of education, racism, the fight for women's rights, equality, friendship, and simply refusing to accept the limitations that others tried to place on them. 📌The author's note at the end was the chef's kiss. I love when historical fiction authors tell us what was real, what they changed for the story, and give us a little more history before we close the book. 📌This was a buddy read with two of my Booksta friends, and I think all three of us finished early 😂 That should tell you something! Thank you @hearourvoices for including me on this tour! 💭: 𝘿𝙤 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣? #TheLadiesHall #HearOurVoices #HOV #VanessaMiller #Booklovertamisha 💬 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆.” Knowing the impact these women went on to have makes that line stand out to me. They weren't just trying to make things better for themselves. They were opening doors and making their voices heard for the women coming behind them. 💬 "𝑾𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒃.” Historical fiction is always a win for me when I finish feeling like I learned something, and The Ladies Hall definitely did that.
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💫The Filling Station - review + GIVEAWAY!💃🏻💫 🎧 10 hrs 19 min | @thomasnelson | @angelpean ⚠️ Content warnings Susie of @books_susie_reads and I decided to make our historical fiction buddy read a regular thing and we want to invite YOU to join us! More info to come! ✨ Presenting: Past Perspectives! A Historical fiction book club with books by diverse voices!✨ In celebration, we’re EACH giving away a copy of The Filling Station! To enter, by 10pm CT on August 18: • Follow both of us. • Like and share this post. • Tag a friend. ✨ Winner announced Wednesday, August 19. Must be in the US or Canada. Visit Susie’s page for another chance to win! BACKGROUND After losing everything in the Tulsa Race Massacre, sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice narrowly escape to The Threatt Filling Station where they find safety and community. IMPRESSIONS I am ashamed to say that I knew next to nothing about The Tulsa Race Massacre - a two-day long terrorist attack at the hands of white supremacists. The Black residents of the Greenwood District of Tulsa, OK in 1921 were attacked, murdered, and had their homes, businesses, and livelihoods destroyed. Putting the story in the formidable hands of Margaret and Evelyn, Miller masterfully weaves the harrowing story of the Massacre and the strength, commitment, and perseverance of the members of Greenwood while they try to rebuild their community and sense of safety. Margaret exudes eldest daughter energy and the passion she holds for both Greenwood and her family is captivating. Secondary characters and found family bring hope and tenderness to an otherwise dark time and their devotion to each other is undeniable. AUDIO I’m currently in my Angel Pean and Vanessa Miller era! Angel’s fervor and commitment to the story, community, and characters shined through with every word! GIVES When Stars Rain Down by Angela Jackson-Brown and Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez RECOMMENDATION No question! Audio or physical, but I highly recommend a tandem read because you’ll want to annotate and utilize the links that Miller has put in the author’s note. 💭 QOTD: Did you learn about The Tulsa Race Massacre in school?
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Diverse books & diverse flavors…OddFellows was MADE for the Completely Booked girlies (and guys)!! What book and ice cream pairing are you doing!?
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RUNNER x Ashton Lattimore Mystery.. hopes, dreams, and badass women… The underworld of rum running during the Prohibition Era …Martha’s Vineyard in the 1920s. This was more than a historical fiction plot twist masterpiece. This was a book about love, betrayal, and financial survival. Synopsis: Martha’s Vineyard, 1923. The sea is a gift that keeps on giving to Lena Jameson’s father, Earl, a fisherman turned successful rumrunner... But when Earl and his entire crew are lost in a mysterious shipwreck that some whisper was no accident, his loved ones are left reeling and penniless…Lena decides to take over Earl’s rum-running business. For a crew, she ropes in Walter, her roguish big brother who leans too hard on the bottle, Sam, her steadfast local boyfriend…, and Dee, a glamorous young woman summering in the Vineyard from Boston, who offers Lena a glimpse of the future she still wants for herself—and who’s keeping an explosive secret. The foursome takes off on a journey from the quaint, colorful streets of Oak Bluffs through gangland Boston and down to the jazz-filled clubs of Harlem in its early Renaissance, all in search of quick money—and the truth about the shipwreck. 💜“she walked a thin line between being sheltered and being burdened… the same family that covered and protected her bore down heavy on her freedom, and even the love of a good man sometimes felt like just another link in the chain holding her at bay.” 🍹“Was that all there was to being a woman? Hauling other people’s mistakes and responsibilities around until you collapsed under the strain, waiting bitterly for somebody to thank you for your struggle? It hardly seemed worth it.” 💜“nothing was perfect-not even freedom.” 💭Thank you to @ballantinebooks and @randomhouse for the #gifted copy as well as @netgalley for the #ARC. I loved how family, loyalty and the events of the time were interwoven into this historical fiction 5 star read. This was plot twisty and well researched and I did not see any of the events coming. I cannot wait for the next book from @ashtonlattimore. What was the last book that made you autobuy an author?
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City of Widows by Nadia Hashimi I absolutely love all the books written by @nadiahashimibooks and she is one of my favorite auto read and auto buy authors! This newest novel starts in February of 2020 when the US is withdrawing from Afghanistan. Life in Afghanistan was already starting to change as the Taliban began returning to power. This story is about the brave women who risked their lives to make life better for other Afghani women. Rahima was married young to an abusive warlord and escapes with her young daughter, Hawa. She takes on the name Marjan and does whatever she can to survive, by putting Hawa in an orphanage, to working any menial job. Her path crosses with Soraya who joins an all-female army and Mona, a journalist who is committed to informing people of the truth even no matter what danger it puts her in. In a desperate attempt to escape the country, the airports are flooded and papers are hard to come by and her husband finding her is always a threat. Will all three women and the now adult Hawa survive? Hashimi always writes about strong women and the obstacles they face with bravery and this new novel is no different. You can feel the desperation and the fear Marjan is experienced but also her determination, resourcefulness and resilience as she doesn’t give up. Absolutely heartbreaking to read at times but I loved it! I just wish their stories weren’t based on the reality of life in Afghanistan. This was a fantastic buddy read with @jacquejreads. We actually finally met each other just before starting this book when she flew into SF earlier this spring and we hit it off! Thank you @netgalley @williammorrowbooks for an early digital copy and to @bookclubgirl for a gifted physical arc through a giveaway! It publishes tomorrow, 7/28/2026. ❓Have you met any friends from the booksta community in real life? Tag them in the comments! City of Widows • Nadia Hashimi • William Morrow Books • Historical Fiction • Afghan Voices • Buddy Read • Giveaway Winner • Book Review • Advance Readers Copy #cityofwidows #nadiahashimi #williammorrowbooks
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The Great Wherever by Shannon Sanders The novel starts in DC with Aubrey who has just been dumped by the man she thought was going to marry her, all while still grappling with the grief of losing her father. Then she finds out that she has inherited some land in Tennessee from her father’s side that is to be split between her and a few other relatives she has never met. So she heads to the south to meet them and learn about her father’s family who were one of the first Black landowners in that county. Here she learns of the struggles and the drama of her family and the eventual fracturing and estrangement they experienced from each other. Told through the voices of her ancestors from the “the great wherever” (afterlife) as well as an “unknown ancestor” this novel offers a unique perspective into the past. The ancestors and their banter injected plenty of liveliness and personality into this family saga as they told their stories and offered their own commentary. This was another buddy read with @jacquejreads and I so appreciated her help with keeping the characters straight! I had the ALC and she sent me a pic of the family tree which helped me immensely. The narrator did a great job on capturing the different personalities of the characters in this one, but I still think multiple narrators might have made the audiobook a little easier to follow. Thank you @henryholtbooks and @macmillan.audio for a gifted ALC of this novel through the #macaudio2026 influencer program. It was published on 7/7/2026. ❓Do you believe in an afterlife? Or that your family members continue to look over you after they pass? The Great Wherever • Shannon Sanders • Henry Holt • Macmillan Audio • ALC • Audiobook Review • Buddy Read #thegreatwherever #shannonsanders #macmillanaudio #henryholtbooks
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