All Aboard WOW Wednesday

 

There is something about a train—the rhythm, the destination, the nostalgia—that just makes for the best stories. Whether it’s the magic of a snowy holiday romance or the wonder of a child’s first journey, trains always seem to lead to an adventure.

This week, the train theme is in honor of my son's 22nd birthday this week.  He was obsessed with trains when he was younger and I’m Taking a Trip on My Train was one of his absolute favorites, and revisiting it brought back so many great memories. It’s a reminder that the best books are the ones that travel with us through the years.

What’s on your reading "track" this week? We’d love to see what you’re diving into, whether it’s a cozy escape or a new discovery.

I'm Taking a Trip on My Train by Shirley Neitzel  The rhymes and the rebuses made this a bedtime favorite where my son could read along and as a mom I could relate to not wanting to take my own trip on his trains strewn on the floor while he was playing with them throughout the day. 

The Mistletoe Express by Tara Baisden - it wouldn't be a proper 'train' week without a little holiday magic. The Mistletoe Express by Tara Baisden is the ultimate small-town romance. With its snow-covered setting, cozy holiday atmosphere, and that classic 'meeting on the train' trope, it’s exactly the kind of feel-good story that makes you want to curl up with a soft fuzzy blanket, even in July if your air conditioner is cranking!  It’s the perfect reminder that sometimes, the best destinations aren't places—they're the people we find along the way.

The Elsewhere Express by Samanta Sotto Yambao My search for a train-themed cover led me to this gem. The cover itself is beautiful, but the story is what truly stuck with me. It’s a magical, dreamlike tale about a train that appears specifically for those who have lost their sense of purpose. Sometimes, I could use a reminder that even when I’m feeling lost, the right journey has a way of showing up when I need it most. It’s a poetic read about finding your true calling, even in the middle of a surreal adventure.

How to Join the WOW Link-up

Want to join in on the fun? Participating in What’s On Wednesdays is easy! Every Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a specific book-themed prompt to help us all get our reading lists organized. Here is how you can join the link-up:

1. Write your own post: Create a blog post that features your books based on that week's theme.

2. Add your link: Come back here to my weekly WOW post and click the "Add your link" button below.

3. Spread the love: Link back to my post so your readers can find the rest of the group, and be sure to hop around and visit a few other bloggers who have linked up!

New to the meme? Don’t worry about needing to be perfect. The goal is just to connect, share our love for books, and maybe find a few new favorites for our TBR piles!

Next Week’s Theme: Spectacular Spectacles

Since I’m rarely seen without my own glasses, I’ve developed a soft spot for characters who wear them, too. We'll be  celebrating all the characters who aren't afraid to rock their frames. Whether it's reading glasses or stylish shades, we want to see the covers that feature some seriously spectacular spectacles

Sparks are Flying! A WOW Wednesday

 

Happy Wednesday, everyone! Since we are counting down to the Fourth of July, I decided to lean into the theme with a "Red, White, & Blue" edition of Waiting on Wednesday. There is just something about a little bit of friction, small-town charm, and explosive chemistry that makes for the perfect summer read!

Here is what is fueling my reading fire this week:

Fireworks and Frenemies by Elle Rush- You know I can never resist a good small-town romance trope, and this one has been calling my name!

Sparks Fly by Hazel Henry - I found this book last week and added it to my TBR because the cover is gorgeous but also, sometimes I just need a YA summer romance and this one looks like it's perfect to pack for my family's upcoming getaway.

The Hometown Hero's Fourth of July by Tanya Agler- To finish out my trio is a brand new Harlequin release that just came out today with just enough angst as former high school sweethearts, Josh and Erin square off as they both want to buy the same piece of land. Sparks are sure to fly as the town is divided - can't wait to watch this one play out. 

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

How to Join the WOW Link-up

Want to join in on the fun? Participating in What’s On Wednesdays is easy! Every Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a specific book-themed prompt to help us all get our reading lists organized. Here is how you can join the link-up:

1. Write your own post: Create a blog post that features your books based on that week's theme.

2. Add your link: Come back here to my weekly WOW post and click the "Add your link" button below.

3. Spread the love: Link back to my post so your readers can find the rest of the group, and be sure to hop around and visit a few other bloggers who have linked up!

New to the meme? Don’t worry about needing to be perfect. The goal is just to connect, share our love for books, and maybe find a few new favorites for our TBR piles!

Next Week’s Theme: ALL ABOARD:

Next week my son will celebrate his birthday and  his favorite things when he was younger were trains. In honor of the many times, we had picnics at the park by the train station, next week's theme will be all about trains. I'm looking for books with a train or train tracks featured on the cover—if you have a favorite, start getting your links ready to share!

Petals & Pages: A WOW Wednesday

Welcome to this week's What's On Wednesdays, hosted right here by Lesley at Let's Get Lost in A Good Book!

I’m keeping our weekly series—WOW—growing with a beautiful new theme: books that feature botanical names in either the title or the author's name. My thumb is definitely not green, but that doesn't mean I don't appreciate the beauty of a flower, even just in name form.  Since we are moving into the heart of the season, it felt like the perfect way to let our reading list flourish and start this journey with you all. Here are three books that are on my TBR, each one featuring a floral name in some aspect. 

Scarlett and the Kiss Thief by Ivy Smoak - I have absolutely loved every book I’ve read by Ivy Smoak, and this title is simply blooming with potential! It’s the perfect Young Adult romance to tuck into your bag for a sunny afternoon spent tending to your own garden beds.

King of Nothing by Aurora Rose Reynolds - I am always ready to pick up anything by Aurora Rose Reynolds, and this one fits our botanical theme just perfectly! It’s a thorny, captivating read that is sure to grow on you.

The Lilac House by Barbara Josselsohn - Since the lilac is state flower of my New Hampshire, I was immediately drawn to this title! Even though the setting is the Adirondacks, this story has a cozy, hometown feel that makes it the perfect botanical pick no matter where you live. 

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

How to Join the WOW Link-up

Want to join in on the fun? Participating in What’s On Wednesdays is easy! Every Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a specific book-themed prompt to help us all get our reading lists organized. Here is how you can join the link-up:

1. Write your own post: Create a blog post that features your books based on that week's theme.

2. Add your link: Come back here to my weekly WOW post and click the "Add your link" button below.

3. Spread the love: Link back to my post so your readers can find the rest of the group, and be sure to hop around and visit a few other bloggers who have linked up!

New to the meme? Don’t worry about needing to be perfect. The goal is just to connect, share our love for books, and maybe find a few new favorites for our TBR piles!

Next Week’s Theme: Red, White, & Read: Our Independence Day Lineup. To celebrate America's 250th birthday, let's explore some dazzling reads that capture the spirit of our nation's milestone!

Catching Feelings: A Fake Dating Tuesday Trope Talk

One of my favorite tropes is the Fake Dating scenario. It never fails that both the girl and the guy promise to be exclusive while they are fake dating, to make it believable. They promise that it's only going to last while it's fun and that the expiration date is when one of them meets someone that they want to date for real.  And most importantly, both swear that they won't catch feelings.  That last one, it's a lie.  Every single time, it's not just one that catches feelings, it's both.  And then they each try to play it off like there's no feelings involved.  It's always interesting to see which one is going to crack first! 

Here are 3 books with the Fake Dating trope.

Real Fake Love by Pippa Grant - I read this one a few years ago and easily gave it 4-stars. Henri is a hoot and Luca needs her to help stave off his grandmother who is famous for her evil eye.  Henri tends to fall in love too fast and too often so she needs Luca to teach her how not to fall in love. Does it work?  What do you think? 

Only on Gameday by Kristen Callihan - this book is #5 in her Game On series and is on my wishlist.  I read and liked The Hook-Up Game (Book #1) awhile ago and being a series in order girl, I will get to it after I read books 2-4. Only on Gameday features Fake Dating and Childhood Friends to lovers and a Shy Girl.  Sounds good to me! 

The Fake Out Flex by Ash Kelly, book 1 in her Hockeymances series.  A new author to me, but it checks off so many tropes that I love:  hockey sports romance-✓, Fake Dating-✓, Brother's Best Friend-✓ and Small town-✓.  

If Fake Dating is one of your favorite tropes, post about it on your blog and then share the link here.  I am always looking for more fakers to fall in love with! 

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

Small Town Romances - Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course e-books! And audiobooks, because audiobooks count too! 

The Stacking the Shelves meme was originally hosted at Team Tynga’s Reviews but since 2021 has been hosted by Reading Reality.  

Scorecard: 

 

6 books added to my TBR

4 Authors that I've read and loved before

4 Small town romances

2 new to me authors 

2 pink covers

First Line Friday Brewing Up a New Adventure

First Line Fridays is a weekly book meme hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

Here’s how it works!

• Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
• Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
• Finally… reveal the book!

            "One coffee, black, for Graug, Storm of the Dread Fields! I call as I set the hot cup of coffee on the pick up counter."  

A man dressed in gleaming metal armor walks up with a brisk nod of his head in thanks before grabbing the cup.

These lines are from an author's debut, published in 2022.  Side note, the author is an online friend of mine - we "met" in the early 2000's on a couponing forum that we helped moderate. Even though I've never met her in person, we are still friends on Facebook and when she announced that she was publishing a book, I jumped right on to Amazon and purchased a copy to support her adventure.  The book is on my TBR list, but I haven't gotten to it yet. 

Genre: A Romantic Cozy Fantasy

Summary: 

When Katherine meets enigmatic and dangerous Hunter she learns her world may not be exactly as it seems. Teaming up with a ragtag group of tenuous allies, Katherine and Hunter must come together to take the first steps in defeating a powerful evil, finding friendship, family and love along the way. 

any guesses? 

It's Side Quest by J. Lofton.  

Have you read Side Quest or Looted (book 2)  ? If so, let me know your thoughts in the comments.  Also, share your First Line Fridays posts if you have them. I would love to check them out.

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

What's on Wednesday #1: The WOW Link-up

Welcome to the very first What's On Wednesdays, hosted right here by Lesley at Let's Get Lost in A Good Book!

I’m kicking off this new weekly series—let’s call it WOW—with a fun theme: books featuring coffee cups on the cover. My first WOW confession? I don’t even drink coffee! But I love the idea of the coffee cup as the ultimate morning "kickstart." Since this is the first post of this new meme, it felt like the perfect way to get things moving and start this journey with you all. Here are three books that are on my TBR, each book features a coffee cup on the cover.

The Kiss Class by Ellie Hall: Hockey romance and a coffee cup on the cover? Consider me sold! This combines two of my favorite things into one irresistible read, making it the perfect choice to pair with your morning brew.

Java Hearts & Cupid Darts by Kimberly Krey: The title alone is enough to make me smile! This one rounds out my first list perfectly—it's charming, on-theme, and sounds like a delightful read for anyone looking for a little romance.

Coffee Cup Confessions by Trish Williford: This one was a must-include for my first week. The cover is just so fitting for this "kickstart" theme, and it feels like the perfect companion for a quiet morning reading session.

(This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.)

How to Join the WOW Link-up

Want to join in on the fun? Participating in What’s On Wednesdays is easy! Every Wednesday, I’ll be sharing a specific book-themed prompt to help us all get our reading lists organized. Here is how you can join the link-up:

1. Write your own post: Create a blog post that features your books based on that week's theme.

2. Add your link: Come back here to my weekly WOW post and click the "Add your link" button below.

3. Spread the love: Link back to my post so your readers can find the rest of the group, and be sure to hop around and visit a few other bloggers who have linked up!

New to the meme? Don’t worry about needing to be perfect. The goal is just to connect, share our love for books, and maybe find a few new favorites for our TBR piles!

Next Week’s Theme: Botanical Names For our second WOW link-up, let’s celebrate the magic of the garden. Your challenge is to share a book that features a botanical name—this could be in the title (think Lily, Rose, Willow) or an author with a floral-inspired name. Let’s see what blooms on your bookshelves!