Tackling TBR

Posted on February 24, 2026March 18, 2026 by tacklingtbr

Then You Happened

by J.S. Wood

Thanks so much to the author and Hambright PR for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner }
My reviews and content can also be found on Goodreads, StoryGraph, on Instagram @Tackling_TBR, and on TikTok @TacklingTBR.

Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Genre: romance, contemporary romance

Tropes: friends to lovers, single parent, slow burn, he falls first, friend zoned, found family, golden retriever MC

Page Count: 312 pages

Book Blurb

After finding out his friends find his nonstop quest for love to be a little excessive. Derek has decided to put a stop to dating altogether.

Now, he’s stuck in a no-go zone just in time for someone new to enter the friend group.

Elizabeth is a single mom who has been out of the dating pool for a long time, but when she meets Derek, the sweet and caring friend of a friend, she thinks things are about to change.

When things don’t go quite as she expects, she accepts his friendship and begins a journey to help him reinvent his father’s failing hardware store to keep the legacy alive.

Spending hours together working, they begin to see that their feelings are not so easily brushed aside and when push comes to shove, their friendship blossoms into a romance they’ll never forget.

But when things get hard for the hardware store, and real life starts to butt in to their relationship, they have to decide if they can weather the storm, or if things will end for good.

Review: 2.5 stars

TW: discussion of loss of parent (off page, prior to events)

There were a lot of things to really love about this book.

I really liked Elizabeth as our FMC – I mean, a sweet single mom who goes to the mat for her friends and family? What’s not to love?

I thought it was SO SWEET that Derek turned out to have a connection to Elizabeth’s past. Truly is there anything sweeter than a second chance romance or a childhood crush coming back into your life?

I also really loved reading the parts about Elizabeth helping Derek to turn things around for his hardware store.
A storyline about two characters bringing their different expertise or passions together for a good cause or small business (think: the handsome local contractor helping rebuild the old inn that she just inherited from a distant relative) will almost always be an automatic win for me.

But all of that being said, there were also some things that made this a somewhat challenging read for me.

Among the tropes that I have a hard time with, or that I can only take in small doses before it starts to get to me a bit, are a miscommunication trope, a third act breakup (when it doesn’t feel like it makes sense within the plot), and an extended friend zone. And this book had all three in spades.

While the concept of a friend zone in real life immediately annoys me (but that’s a soap box for another day), I understand its place as a trope in romance books and media. It’s an easy way to build up the tension of a slow burn and to explain away why a romance might be a bit slow to start without making a reader want to yell.

But everything in moderation. By the time these two characters finally talked to each other (hello, miscommunication trope) enough to take each other out of their mutual friend zoning my kindle told me that I was literally 46% of the way through the book. And this isn’t exactly a short read, sitting at 312 pages.
It was just entirely too long for me, and by the time it was resolved with a single, simple conversation, I just sort of found myself rolling my eyes at the whole ordeal.

The other thing that made this a tough one for me has to do with the way Derek, our MMC, seemed to be made to act like an asshole (through some almost toxic masculinity-leaning remarks and actions) in order to manufacture a third act breakup that felt a bit forced for the sake of the trope rather than feeling necessary or natural in the storyline that had been built up until that point. I’m not saying that there’s no way a third act breakup could have worked here if that’s what the author wanted, but I personally felt that the way that it did didn’t really feel like it fit with the vision of Derek that the whole book had given me up to that point.

All of those are very personal things that I could very well be the only one bothered by. And any one of them on their own wouldn’t have caused any real issues for me. But the combination of all three just left large portions of this book feeling long and drawn out for me, and like I was just reading in order to get through until the next, sweeter parts.

Overall I didn’t love or hate this book, it just ended up being okay for me. I wouldn’t have any trouble recommending it to friends or fellow readers if I knew that it fit tropes or a style that they were looking for, but I would probably first make brief mention of the issues that I had with it to make sure they wouldn’t have the same struggles that I did.

Link to purchase on Amazon:

Posted on February 17, 2026March 18, 2026 by tacklingtbr

A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage

by M.K. Oliver

Atria Books

Thanks so much to the author and Atria Books for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book via Edelweiss+ in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner }
My reviews and content can also be found on Goodreads, StoryGraph, on Instagram @Tackling_TBR, and on TikTok @TacklingTBR.

Publication Date: February 17, 2026

Genre: mystery, thriller, fiction, dark humor, contemporary, crime, adult

Page Count: 384 pages

Book Blurb

A whip-smart and darkly funny crime novel—perfect for fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer and The Maid—that follows a wife and mother with a deadly secret that she must suppress if she wants to maintain her picture-perfect façade.

Meet Lalla Rook. Lalla has a lot on her plate: She needs to guarantee her husband makes partner, secure her dream house in Hampstead, and get her daughter into a prestigious prep school. And on the afternoon she stabs a stranger seven times after he breaks into her living room, she has a four-year-old’s birthday party to host.

With an unambitious partner, two demanding children, and a barely adequate large house in a nice (if not quite fashionable) part of town, Lalla’s life isn’t quite perfect yet. And she can’t pretend she hasn’t missed the adrenaline rush that comes with transgressing. Besides, as a wife and mother, she’s already an expert multi-tasker. So, disposing of a body, framing a friend, and being the world’s best mother can easily be managed alongside the usual domestic minutiae.

It’s just that her husband Stephen seems distracted, her daughter’s drowning of the class hamster is affecting her academic future, and then there is the unexpected intruder. Who is this man and what does he want from her? Because Lalla has a past she’d rather keep hidden—and the sudden appearance of the police means that avoiding them will be yet another task to cross off her to-do list.

Funny, calculating, hypercompetent, and ambitious, Lalla is your next favorite antiheroine. Just don’t mention it to her mother-in-law.

Review: 3 stars

TW: murder/death, violence, dub-con/non-con in marriage, domestic violence, stalking, blackmail

Lalla Rook certainly isn’t a woman that I’d like to get on the bad side of.
As far as main characters go she isn’t exactly the most easily relatable, but I think that that’s part of what made her so much fun to read. She is quick, calculating, and cold – not exactly the ride-or-die lady that I need in my life – but for better or for worse she certainly knows how to get shit done. And, despite her many MANY moral shortcomings, I still felt myself rooting for her to get her happy ending.

I will say that overall the book wasn’t a perfect read for me.
While I definitely appreciated the short chapters (there’s something so satisfying about being able to tell yourself that you read a few chapters, even if in reality it was only about 20-30 pages), the book still felt a bit too long at times.
I loved the moments of dark humor that were sprinkled throughout the book, but I do wish that there had been just a little bit more of that and really leaned into that side of the story and character. I think that it would have helped a bit, at least for me personally, in those handful of times that it felt a bit like it was dragging.

I think that, in the end, this read was squarely middle of the road for me. I did definitely enjoy it, and would recommend it to friends – but it probably won’t be making my top reads of the year.
And while I look forward to watching the upcoming adaptation whenever it releases, I don’t know that I’ll be picking the book back up for a reread any time soon.

Link to purchase on Amazon:

Posted on March 4, 2025March 16, 2026 by tacklingtbr

Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave

Minotaur Books: 5 stars

Thanks so much to the author, Minotaur Books, and Netgalley for the gifted advanced e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts. All opinions are entirely my own. { partner } All of my reviews can also be found on Instagram @Tackling_TBR and on Goodreads.

Publication Date: March 4, 2025

Genre: MYSTERY, THRILLER, CONTMPORARY, ADULT, HUMOR, SUSPENSE

Page Count: 309 pages

TW: murder/death, violence

Y’all, Mrs. Haggerty is an icon.

I loved (to hate to love) her from the very beginning, and she truly gets to shine in this book.

Okay, now on to the rest of the review.

I’ve said it before, but I truly believe that (with the exception of the first, because you can’t beat the original) this series only gets better and more fun as it goes along. It really has become my favorite series of books that is currently being released, and I find myself looking forward to getting to the end of one year/beginning of the next when I get to read the next installment.

Sounds dramatic, but here we are. These books are a familiar favorite sweater, in my opinion, and I want to stand outside of Finlay Donovan’s window with a boombox or a “To me, you are perfect” sign. She would probably hate it, and Vero would mercilessly mock it, but I would do it all the same.

I think that if you enjoy a romantic mystery where the characters’ stakes are sky high but it all still feels light and silly, with a ride or die female friendship reminiscent of The First Wives Club (one of my favorite movies, maybe I’m sensing a pattern?), then this is the series for you.

They should definitely be read and enjoyed in series order, however, so if you’re seeing this then go back to Finlay Donovan is Killing It and work your way back – meet me back here when you’re done, I’ll have a bottle of wine at the ready to discuss everything Finlay.

My Reviews for the rest of the Finlay Donovan series:

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Knocks ’em Dead

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

Posted on March 5, 2024February 12, 2026 by tacklingtbr · 1 Comment

Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice

Minotaur Books: 5 Stars

Publication Date: March 5, 2024

Genre: mystery, Thriller, Contmporary, Adult, Humor, Suspense

Page Count: 320 pages

TW: murder/death, violence

Finlay and Vero hit the road – what a fun, carefree adventure I’m sure they’re in for! Well, maybe not. We know what books we’re reading at this point, right? Right.

Let’s be honest, none of us are reading these books for the realistic scenarios – the situations are silly, the stakes are high, and the books are truly just a dang good time. I seriously love the characters so much, and this is a rare series that (aside from the perfection of the first book) I really believe just gets better as it goes on.

If you haven’t seen it mentioned before, I will say that these certainly need to be read and enjoyed in series order. While the murders that need solved (or, well, hidden) are different from book to book, there is enough of a through line with the overarching plot and returning character relationships that you will definitely be missing some of the fun. But with that in mind I will, as always, be recommending this book and series to any of my friends that will listen and haven’t already picked them up.

My Reviews for the rest of the Finlay Donovan series:

Finlay Donovan is Killing It

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun

Link to Purchase on Amazon:

Posted on February 20, 2024February 20, 2024 by tacklingtbr

February 18 – February 24

New Releases and Publications

Hello, friends – and happy Tuesday! Welcome to another round of new releases that I was lucky enough to get an early copy of, and have either already read or are upcoming on my #TBR.

These books could be gifted from the publisher through sites like NetGalley or Edelweiss+, they could be electronic copies gifted directly to me from the publisher or the author, an early audiobook copy through the publisher or Libro.fm, or even a physical copy that has been sent to me from the author or publisher. I am so thankful for all of the reading opportunities that I am given through these various sources, and I am excited to share these new releases!

In these weekly posts I will include a 20% review if I am currently reading the book, as well as a link to my full review if I have already finished the book. And if I have not yet started the book by the time this is posted, I will leave those spots blank and edit the post to add them in later!

I See Buildings Fall like Lightning

Author: Keiran Goddard

Publication Date: February 20, 2024

Genre: fiction

Page Count: 256 pages

Thanks so much to the author, Europa Editions, and Edelweiss+ for the gifted, advanced e-copy of this book!

Description from Goodreads:

Told through the alternating perspectives of five childhood friends from the same housing estate in England, I See Buildings Fall like Lightning is a story about friendship, place, loss, addiction and the ways in which lives, minds, and bodies can be limited by material conditions; it also speaks powerfully to the ways in which humor, loyalty, and family can bestow meaning and life even in the toughest circumstances.

Only Rian has made it out of the estate and moved away to another city, but his money doesn’t stop him clinging to a vision of the past that is quickly slipping away.

Oli is fading by the day, drinking and snorting his way through the endless boredom.

Things are looking up for Conor, but he is never too far away from chaos.

Patrick and Shiv are as in love as ever, always the calm in the eye of the storm, but even they are rocked when old secrets begin to open new wounds.

Bold, ambitious, and stylistically striking, I See Buildings Fall Like Lightning lays bare the economic, psychological, and spiritual impact of poverty, explores the redeeming and transforming beauty of friendship and examines the true limits of hope and forgiveness.

20% Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I start reading this book!)

Review:

(This will be added at a later date, once I have finished this book!)

Due to hatred shared publicly by an employee under St. Martin’s Press, as well as a lack of action on the part of St. Martin’s Press, I am one of many readers and bookish content creators currently taking part in the #SpeakUpSMP boycott.

Therefore, while there are additional books that I am grateful to have received and that are being published this week, I will not be sharing anything about them at this time.

I look forward to sharing more about these books in the future, provided that the needs and demands of the boycott are met, and at that time I will update this post to include them.

For more information on the boycott, head to @ReadersForAccountability on TikTok.

Posted on February 11, 2024February 11, 2024 by tacklingtbr

Once Upon A Book Club: Young Adult Box December 2023

Recent Release by Lex Croucher

I am so excited to have received another box from one of my favorite bookish subscription services, Once Upon a Book Club! This time I received the Young Adult box for the month of December, with the clue “Round Table Romance!”

Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!

Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!

About the Box

This Round Table Romance box was Once Upon a Book Club’s young adult box for the month of December! Each box contained a copy of the book, a bookplate/sticker with the author’s signature, and four wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!

Page 21

“He ducked just as the ink bottle smashed against the door next to his head; ink poured down the wood and pooled on the floor, soaking his boots.”

Black, scented Inkwell Bath Salts, from Camelot Co., in a themed, glass inkwell bottle.

Page 86

“’Good evening,’ he said from the floor. Gwen slammed her book shut and stood up.”

A hardcover copy of Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert.

Page 204

“She cast around for something to stop the bleeding; her half-finished embroidery was on the table by the fire, and she hesitated for a minute before tearing off a long strip of the pearly-white fabric and returning to Arthur so she could wrap his arm.”

A cream-colored linen scarf with embroidered florals in bright pinks, greens, and oranges, measuring 35×71”.

Page 325

“They both watched the cut black stone rotate slowly between them at the end of its chain.”

A cut crystal black tourmaline pendent on a silver necklace chain.

About the Book

Due to hatred shared publicly by an employee under St. Martin’s Press, as well as a lack of action on the part of St. Martin’s Press, I am one of many readers and bookish content creators currently taking part in the #SpeakUpSMP boycott.

Therefore, while I am very grateful to have received this book and box from Once Upon A Book Club, I will not be sharing the title or cover of the book at this time.

However you’ll find the author’s information is all still listed below – As this is only a marketing boycott, rather than a boycott on consumption, please feel free to still show the author all of your love and support!

I look forward to sharing more details about this book in the future, provided that the needs and demands of the boycott are met, and at that time I will update this post to include them.

For more information on the boycott, head to @ReadersForAccountability on TikTok.

About the Author

(Photo and bio taken from the author’s website, at the link below!)

Lex Croucher grew up in Surrey, reading a lot of books and making friends with strangers on the internet, and now lives in London with an elderly cat.

With a background in social media for NGOs, Lex now writes historical-ish rom coms for adults (REPUTATION, INFAMOUS) and historical fantasy rom coms for teenagers. GWEN AND ART ARE NOT IN LOVE is their YA debut.

Check out Lex’s Instagram here!

Check out Lex’s website here!

Learn more about Once Upon A Book Club, or order your next read, here!

Posted on November 10, 2023February 9, 2024 by tacklingtbr

Once Upon A Book Club: Adult Box September 2023

Scenes of the Crime by Jilly Gagnon

I am so excited to have received another box from one of my favorite bookish subscription services, Once Upon a Book Club! This time I received the Adult box for the month of September, with the clue “Murder, She Wrote!”

Take a look below for information on the book and gifts that I received in this box and more – but keep in mind that there will be spoilers on the gifts!

Thanks so much to the folks over at Once Upon a Book Club for gifting me with this box! Check them out for yourself, and use my code TACKLINGTBR at check out for a discount!

About the Box

This Murder, She Wrote box was Once Upon a Book Club’s adult box for the month of September! Each box contained a copy of the book, a bookplate/sticker with the author’s signature, and four wrapped gifts to tie into the book – bringing the book and reading experience to life!

Page 57

“‘Please. Anything in the wine rack is fair game. And we have an entire cellar to dig into if there’s nothing there that appeals.’ Brittany flicked her long hair over her shoulder and plucked a single almond off the board.”

A small serving tray for a charcuterie board made of açaí wood.

Page 100

“‘Actually, I think I’ll beg off too,’ Lydia said, slipping the dog-eared playing card between the pages of her book again and laying it down on the counter. A faded jester’s head peeked out over the top.”

A copy of The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz, with a dog-eared bookish playing card joker inside.

Page 342

“My fingers closed around the corkscrew in my pocket, its cool, sleek shape growing less and less reassuring by the moment. I flicked open the twisted strip of metal, pressing the pad of my thumb to the end, testing its sharpness.”

A gold toned corkscrew.

Page 375

“‘So?’ Vanessa tugged off her gigantic sunglasses to fix me with an expectant stare as I slipped into the passenger seat.”

A pair of oversized, black sunglasses with gold accents, with a brown carrying sleeve and lens wipe.