RAYO READS

📖 BOOK TITLE: ACTUALLY YOURS  📖 AUTHOR : BELINDA MARY  📖 PUB DATE : JUNE 28 2024 📖 THOUGHTS&OPINIONS :  #SeventyfirstBookOf2024 #Arc Amelia and Jake's relationship is one that I love so much. Amelia has always dated the wrong guys in the hope of saving her heart from the stress of falling apart, so after Robbie broke up with her and ghosted her for six months, Amelia's friends decided it was time to set the wrongs right with their dating plan, which is dating men with actual jobs 😂, but even that turns disastrous. I kept rolling my eyes at each failed date attempt because Mr. Right has been there all along, waiting patiently for you to choose him. Jake is the opposite of all the men Amelia has dated in the past, so if she is choosing him, she has to be all in. It turns out that Jake and Amelia have always been for each other 😍😍🥺. I also loved the friendship between the girls❤❤. Even if most of them were married,they always made Amelia feel included

📖BOOK TITLE: KAT GIRL  📖 AUTHOR : SARAH LAHEY  📖 PUB DATE : JULY 12 2024   📖 THOUGHTS&OPINIONS :  #SeventiethBookOf2024 #LetterK Of My Alphabet Challenge #Arc Thank you to Booksirens, the publisher and author of this ARC. I  received this ARC voluntarily in exchange for my honest opinions. The phrase don't judge a book by its cover doesn't apply to me anymore 😂. A book has to be visually appealing before I decide to even read the blurb, and the cover for 'Kat Girl' is so intriguing. I think this is the second book I've read about women in construction, and in both of these books, women have to face sexism and even misogyny just because they are women doing a man's job. After two failed marriages and one lost baby, Kat decided no more men, which directly means no marriage until Liam comes along. For Liam, he wants a partner who he can put down roots with, get married with, and even have a family, but can he move his line in the sand fo

📖 BOOK TITLE: WHEN IT ALL FALLS DOWN  📖 AUTHOR : CHINEDU ACHEBE   📖 PUB DATE : AUGUST 24 2024   📖 THOUGHTS&OPINIONS :  #SixtyninthBookOf2024 #Arc Thank you to the author for this ARC. I received this ARC voluntarily in exchange for my honest opinions. The cover of this book is beautiful, and it was what first drew me in. I loved the characters, particularly Nkechi. The whole story of this book is about how the Ifeanyis navigate a period of forced lockdown, job loss, grief, elections, racism, and an unexpected pregnancy. Obi and Nkechi's marriage has been through a lot, and I am so glad they stuck to each other. Like they say, marriage is a school you will never stop learning from! I loved the whole rant about politics, but over time the politics talk became too much for me. Naturally, I'm not a fan of politics at all. With everything happening in the country, the Ifeanyis came to realize that family is everything. 📖 PAGE LENGTH : 204 PAGES   📖 RA

📖 BOOK TITLE : ALL IT'S WORTH  📖 AUTHOR : JULIE NANG GAVIN   📖 PUB DATE : JUNE 4 2024   📖 THOUGHTS&OPINIONS :  #SixtyeighthBookOf2024 #Arc    Thank you to the publisher, Booksirens, and the author for this ARC. I received this ARC voluntarily in exchange for my honest opinion. I loved the premise of the whole story—rich families, Heiress and Heir to a top company, friendship, and not forgetting a little bit of scandal as well 😉😉. Chloe is a ball of energy who brings light wherever she goes, but she does not think that her summer interning in Thailand at her father's company (Gold Elephant) will bring about a love interest with Evan (her arch enemy). While interning, she finds herself fantasizing about Evan (what! This can't be!). While I ate the whole forbidden love trope between Chloe and Evan, their love story felt rushed; I didn't feel any chemistry between the two main characters. Overall, I enjoyed the story and the continuity of the legacy of

📖BOOK TITLE : MEET ME IN IVY FALLS (BOOK 1) 📖AUTHOR : AMY TRUE  📖 PUB DATE : JUNE 25 2024 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS :  #SixtyseventhBookOf2024              #Arc Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Amy True for this Arc. I recieved this ARC voluntarily in exchange for my honest opinion. I think after this book, second chance romance trope is not for me because there's a whole lot of history and emotional baggage attached to a particular person and that whole drama is just not for me and it is no different with Torran & Beck.  These two main characters have whole lot going on in their respective lives and whilst they still have the chemistry I didn't think they would work out. At some point, I even stop rooting for them but love always prevails. I think I can guess what book two will be about so Amy count me in for every book in this series. 📖 GENRE: WOMEN'S FICTION | ROMANCE  PERFECT IF YOU LOVE: 🌸SECOND CHANCE ROMANCE  🌸DUAL POV 🌸SMALL TOW

Hi, I'm Rayo, and welcome to another chapter! In today's chapter, I'll be discussing my country (Nigeria) and how it puts Nigerian book reviewers at a disadvantage. If you've not been following these weekly specials, I'm going to add the links below (right from chapter 1). Now let's get to the gist. As a Nigerian book reviewer, we don't have access to certain things, which include and are not limited to just these: A. Goodreads giveaways : Of all the giveaways I've seen or come across on Goodreads, not once have I seen one that includes citizens of Nigeria, and honestly, I think Goodreads should be more inclusive in bringing more giveaways that cut across all countries! B. Book Influencer Programs : The other day I was going through the criteria for you to be eligible for these programs, and I saw a particular phrase for almost ten programs I checked, which is 'You have to live in the US'. C. Libraries that actually offer fictional bo

📖 BOOK TITLE: ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF  📖AUTHOR: ONYI NWABINELI  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtysixthBookOf2024 The moment I read the blurb, I knew that I had to read this book. This is a story that hits so close to home. Many times I stumble on parents documenting their children's lives on social media, and while it's not bad in itself, it is the backlash that is the problem, and you can't save your children from these. Countless kid pictures are used as memes to express rage, contempt, laughter, and the rest, and these are pictures saved from the internet. The internet never forgets!! This book gives us an insider's view into social media influencers lives, particularly  "momfluencers." Anuri had to fight for her independence with a woman who raised her. And now I am starting to think: was it all about money, popularity, and fame for Ophelia? Why did she not see reason even when her family was falling apart? I loved that Loki's

📖BOOK TITLE: PAST PRESENT FUTURE  📖AUTHOR: RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtyfifthBookOf2024  💗💗💗 gosh this book 🙌🙌🙌  I love love 💕💕😍 I will admit that it definitely made my eye water . I love love stories, even fictional ones! Now I can't imagine "Today Tonight Tomorrow" without this sequel. Neil and Rowan are officially the couple I am absolutely rooting for!! Neil and Rowan have grown so much, and it is so sad to see them go. Their love story will forever be in my heart. This book was cute and absolutely adorable, even the bittersweet part. I particularly love how Neil handled his depression, and he is so mature, loving, understanding, and caring. Oh, let me stop before I use all the good adverbs and adjectives on him. A KING I STAN💗 and Rowan—I love you—that absolutely sums it up. I guess I'll have to look up recommendations based on this book. Another important thing I loved was how they navigated their committed lon

📖BOOK TITLE: CHRISTMAS IN SPITE OF YOU  📖AUTHOR: K.C. MILLLS 📖PUBLISHER: BLACK ODYSSEY MEDIA  📖PUB DATE:: SEPTEMBER 24 2024 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #ChristmasinSpiteofYou #NetGalley#SixtyfourthBookOf2024               #Arc  Thank you to Netgalley, Black Odyssey Media, and K.C Mills for approving my request to read this E-ARC.  This is the perfect Christmas opposites attract story. So cute and romantic.  I loved it. 😍😍 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ♤  How can an idea be successful if no one supports it enough to prove the idea is good?

📖BOOK TITLE: TODAY TONIGHT TOMORROW  📖AUTHOR: RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtythirdBookOf2024 I think am now a fan of Rachel Lynn Solomon 💕💕 My first book by the author was 'See You Yesterday' and it was amazing 🙌🙌. So I decided to try this book and it was a hit 😍😍. Rowan and Neil(#NOWAN) story is so cute and cheesy and being almost the same age as the characters makes it even more amazing. This is the Academic Rivals to Lovers Story you didn't know you needed. READ IF YOU LOVE: 🌸ACADEMIC RIVALS TO LOVERS🌸 🌸OPPOSITES ATTRACT🌸 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ♧  The thing about opposites: they always have a lot more in common than they think.

📖 BOOK TITLE: THE TELLER OF SECRETS  📖AUTHOR: BISI ADJAPON 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtysecondBookOf2024 The teller of secrets Wow, I guess I'm part of the six percent who rated this book two stars. For me, I enjoyed Esi's point of view, how she saw things, and how easily the book flowed. But I didn't like Esi as a character; in fact, I don't think I like any of the characters😑. The book starts with Esi as a young girl of eleven who has not been taught anything about puberty and the rest, despite living in a family of girls (grown-up ladies). I particularly found that hard to believe.  We see how Esi grows from that 12-year-old girl who wanted to try everything and anything (apart from wee😂) just to belong to a self-sustaining young lady who is now in control of her life.  📖RATINGS:  2 STARS ⭐⭐

📖 BOOK TITLE:   THE HAIRDRESSER OF HARARE  📖AUTHOR:   TENDAI HUCHU  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtiethBookOf2024 You will ask me why this book deserves four stars, and I will explain because it seemed real. Vimbai and Dumi's story didn't feel like a story; it felt like I was conversing to Vimbai herself.I'm not sure how the author achieved it, but it felt really real. Also, I appreciated how this book depicted things as they are. The country is horrible; there is no need to sugarcoat it. Although I knew what was going to happen before the conclusion, it was still enjoyable.  Normal is relative, right? 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📖 BOOK TITLE: THE SUN SETS IN SINGAPORE  📖AUTHOR: KEHINDE   FADIPE  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtyfirstBookOf2024 Somehow, I dragged my way through this book to see how this handsome stranger upended each lady's lives. It turns out that this novel was clearly not about Lani at all, but how these three women, Dara, Amaka, and Lilian, managed their lives through some specific situations.  I wasn't interested in the plot at all; it was tiring and depressing, to say the least. 📖RATINGS: 2 STARS⭐⭐

📖 BOOK TITLE:   THE HAIRDRESSER OF HARARE  📖AUTHOR:   TENDAI HUCHU  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #SixtiethBookOf2024 You will ask me why this book deserves four stars, and I will explain because it seemed real. Vimbai and Dumi's story didn't feel like a story; it felt like I was conversing to Vimbai herself.I'm not sure how the author achieved it, but it felt really real. Also, I appreciated how this book depicted things as they are. The country is horrible; there is no need to sugarcoat it. Although I knew what was going to happen before the conclusion, it was still enjoyable.  Normal is relative, right? 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐

📖BOOK TITLE:   ASAP  📖AUTHOR: AXIE OH  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyninthBookOf2024 To the encore, we didn't know we needed #MinLee 💕 .Sori,  after being a trainee for so long, decided she didn't want to be an idol or be under scrutiny from the public. She knew what she wanted, and she wants Nathaniel, but that dream is suddenly farfetched when her mother's company, Joah Entertaimment is on the verge of bankruptcy.  So she puts away that dream and works her ass off with the new talent, Hyemi, on the Girl Group ASAP. But love will always have its way, won't it? Sori-Yah. I am so happy that you got everything you wanted and more ❤. You absolutely deserve it.  P.S. You're my favorite 🙌💕💕 READ IF YOU LOVE: 🌸 SECOND-CHANCE ROMANCE 🌸 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES : ● It’s never too late to try something new.

📖BOOK TITLE:   XOXO 📖AUTHOR: AXIE OH  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyeighthBookOf2024 #LetterX Of My Alphabet Challenge  So I enjoyed this book 😍😍, I particularly loved how the author explained in detail about the environment and culture. Being a foreigner to the Korean world, I understood everything perfectly well 😍😍. If you want to know what it takes to date a K-pop idol, just ask Jenny. I'm sure she will have a lot to say about what it takes to make their relationship work.  Apart from the love story, I loved the friendship between Jenny and Sori (glad she got her own story 🙌) and also the friendship group between Angela and Gi Taek. READ IF YOU LOVE: 🌸 Love At First Sight 🌸 🌸 Forbidden Love 🌸 🌸 K-POP🌸 #JenWoo💕💕  📖RATINGS: 4 STARS   ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ○ You can’t be there for other people if you’re not first there for yourself.

📖BOOK TITLE: DELE WEDS DESTINY  📖AUTHOR: TOMI OBARO  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyseventhBookOf2024 So Goodreads recommended this book to me because I've read "A Broken People's Playlist by Chimeka Garricks". Dele Weds Destiny tells the story of three ladies with very different lives who meet at university (and while I am aiming for that sort of friendship, I can almost say I won't have that sort of friendship as I am in my third year; anyway, back to the review; this is not about me!).  I enjoyed the stories of all three ladies, namely Funmi, Zainab, and Enitan, especially Zainab's story, because she discovered what she wanted at a very young age and went for it, so sad that the story didn't end particularly well for her.  Within the story of these three ladies, we have a wedding. Honestly, I felt there shouldn't have been a wedding in the first place, and then after the whole story about the ladies and the so-called wedding, we h

📖BOOK TITLE: THE SHELF  📖AUTHOR: HELLY ACTON 📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftysixthBookOf2024 I absolutely devoured this one, and immediately I saw the book cover on Hooked on the Book on Facebook. I just knew I had to read this one, and it didn't disappoint at all. The Shelf was beautifully written, and the characters were well suited to the task. The women in this book are breaking gender and relationship stereotypes. Of all the characters in this book, my least favorite will be Flick (no offense to the Women Community 😂😂) and Jamie (What a Dickhead !!!).  I am not really a big fan of reality TV shows, but I absolutely love the concept of The Shelf. Looking forward to more books by this author.  #shelflife 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: □ We can’t always choose what happens to us, but we can always choose how we react. □ Choose your words carefully. Words can be weapons of mass destruction and leave lifelong scars. □ The secret to having it all is knowi

📖BOOK TITLE: THE YEAR I LIVED TWICE  📖AUTHOR: ALEX WOOLF  📖PUB DATE:  MARCH 7 2024  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyfifthBookOf2024 Anyone who knows me knows I'm a sucker for time-travel-infused novels, and this book did justice to the theme. But even at that, most of the events were half-baked to me. Still, I enjoyed the book, even if it had a slow progression. I particularly enjoyed the twist at the ending. I'm sure even Jason was surprised at the person who almost took the lives of his oldest pal and brother. At the end, I found myself asking questions because I was a bit confused about the outcome of events, but I can't add these questions to avoid spoilers.  One thing I want to ask is, "Does Jason keep reliving the same year until he saves his brother?" To be honest, I was expecting a better ending 😑😑😫. 📖RATINGS: 3 STARS ⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ♤  The past isn’t always the best guide to how we should live now. But it does provide some valuable

📖 BOOK TITLE: THE LITTLE DREAMS OF LARA CLIFFE  📖AUTHOR: MILLY JOHNSON  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyfirstBookOf2024 Another Quick Read, Lara is on her hen- do with her friend when she meets someone she thought she had a future with. she didn't expect those old feelings wull come crashing in but it does. She meets up with him and talk things through and she did all these for closure. 📖RATINGS: 3 STARS ⭐⭐⭐

📖BOOK TITLE: THE DONOR  📖AUTHOR: CLARE MACKINTOSH  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftiethBookOf2024 Wow that ending was just what this book needed! It's scary isn't it to see what lengths a person will go to ruin a person's life but girl we get it - we know you are grieving,  we know it's tough but please get help!!! Stop dumping all your unresolved feelings on an innocent person.  I loved how the book portrayed the theme perfectly! 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ◇  The pain we inflict on others doesn’t take away our own despair. ◇  A mother’s love is stronger than anything else in the world.

📖 BOOK TITLE: THE JOYS OF MOTHERHOOD  📖AUTHOR: BUCHI EMECHETA  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftyfourthBookOf2024  I read this some years ago, and when I saw Goodreads recommend it to me, I knew I had to read it again. All waves of nostalgia hit me as I read this book again ❤😍.  This is a work of art, wonderfully written, and perfectly executed🤧😌.   Ignorance is indeed the worst thing that can ever happen to a person. Gather knowledge and use it wisely. Just like when Adaku gathered a little knowledge, she knew she had to run (I perfectly understood why she had to leave), but Nnu Ego, the traditional wife to the core, held on to those old beliefs and thought her children would believe them too. Parents, your children are not a retirement package; stop treating them as such!! Stop reminding them at every opportunity how much you sacrificed for them to be where they are. Trust me, they know how much you did for them and are still doing for them, and they are putting a

📖 BOOK TITLE: BOOKWORM 📖AUTHOR:   ROBIN YEATMAN  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftythirdBookOf2024 WTF did I just read? Very random plot lines and a wife who devises several ways to kill her husband without getting her hands dirty  Seriously😑😑 📖RATINGS: 2 STARS ⭐⭐

📖 BOOK TITLE: SEE YOU YESTERDAY  📖AUTHOR: RACHEL LYNN SOLOMON  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FiftysecondBookOf2024 Time travel never fails to captivate me, and this rom-com was flawlessly accomplished. Bloom is just starting college and believes that it will change her life, but her first day was so horrible that she had to sleep in the common room instead of her dorm, which is where the nightmare of September 21st began. 📖RATINGS: 4 STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 📖QUOTES: ○Some of us fight with our words, and some of us with our time, but we all know that our wallets speak the loudest. ○There’s a difference between liking something and wanting to do it the rest of your life. ○When we’re together, every day feels like we’re on an adventure. ○I could wake up on the same day a thousand times, and every single one would be different because of you. every single one would be life-changing. because of you.

📖BOOK TITLE: THE NIGERWIFE  📖AUTHOR: VANESSA WALTERS  📖THOUGHTS&OPINIONS:  #FortyninthBookOf2024 I wouldn't categorize this book as a thriller. Having read the blurb, I was very excited to start the book, but it is more of a women's fiction than a thriller. I had a lot of hopes for this book; the cover gave everything it should, and the blurb got me drawn into the story. I wanted to know Nicole's story!!! The beginning started great, the middle was kind of lacking, and the end got me thinking about why I read the book at all. Personally, I felt Nicole's story needed a lot more work; I couldn't quite understand her. I loved the whole premise—getting to know her beyond being an Oruwari wife and mother. When she went missing, in my mind, I was like, This story just got started, but even that was half baked. The ending brought up so many questions that I couldn't even explain myself.  📖RATINGS: 2 STARS ⭐⭐