Lia Anshar's Honest Pages

  Title: Unexpectedly Bookish by Elise Kennedy, Rachel Dane (Narrator), Grayson Owen (Narrator) Format: Audiobook Genre: Contemporary Romance Published: September 5, 2026 Rating: 4.5 ⭐ Thank you to the author, Elise Kennedy, and NetGalley for this gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review. Reed and Pearl are total opposites. While Reed has golden retriever energy, Pearl has a dark vibe with piercings and tattoos. They can barely stand each other in person; unknowingly, they've been chatting online this whole time.  It’s such a fun, messy, perfect little setup, and I absolutely ate it up! Beyond being super entertaining, these characters really got to me. Both Reed and Pearl are figuring out who they are, what parts of themselves they’re scared to show, and that they don’t have to hide their messy sides to be loved. The autism and plus-sized representation is also well done. It just made them feel even more real and easy to relate to. And the audiobook, I totally loved it, j...

  Title: Conveniently in Bloom Genre: Contemporary Romance Format: Audiobook Published: August 17, 2026 Rating: 5.0 ⭐ Thank you to Elise Kennedy for this gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review. Lily Parker has no intention of staying in Fairwick Falls for long. She’s already planning to leave town when an accident puts her in physical therapy plus she somehow forgot to get health insurance, so she ends up moving in with her longtime crush, Nash Donnelly. Meanwhile, Nash has his own problem. He needs a wife to keep his position as the bank president and stop his brother from using an old family bylaw to take control of the bank. Apparently, the solution to both their problems is getting married.  I really enjoyed Lily and Nash together. Nash is such a great hero. He's sweet, dependable, and absolutely gone for Lily, while Lily is lively and free-spirited. On the outside, they have opposite personalities, but they work so well together. There’s a lot of silly banter and als...

  Title: The Tea Shop at the Edge of the Wood Format: Audiobook Genre: Fantasy, Adult Fiction Published: September 21, 2026 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) Thank you to Tourmaline & Quartz Publishing and NetGalley for this gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review. In this story, we have Galantina, who lives in her cute cottage at the edge of the woods, gathering herbs, making all kinds of lovely tea blends, basically living a peaceful life. Until one day, a mysterious girl shows up out of nowhere, and suddenly her cottage starts acting "weird", magically weird. And as if that’s not enough, the Duchess needs her to make the perfect tea blend for an important festival. Can she pull it off?  This story feels like a Ghibli movie: warm, gentle, so cozy, with magic surrounding it. There’s a hint of trouble here and there, but so subtle, and that’s exactly why it’s so nice. If you're looking for high-stakes adventure, this is not it. The magic is soft and sweet, not super complicated,...

  Title: The Unfluencer by Mia Heintzelman Format: Audiobook Narrator: A.M. Elizabeth Kay, Sean Crisden Genre: Contemporary Romance Published: September 8, 2026 Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)  Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for this gifted ALC in exchange for an honest review. The Unfluencer by Mia Heintzelman is such a lovely story, and the audiobook experience made it even better! The story follows Whitney Graves, who’s built the most respected gallery in town and isn’t about to let anything, especially not a relationship, get in the way of her dreams. She’s chasing this incredible, one of a kind art collection to really cement her legacy, and that’s exactly how she crosses paths with Warner Easton: the tall, mysterious, billionaire widower who holds all the cards. He’s still putting his life back together after losing his wife, and letting go of her art feels like a big, brave step toward starting over. So when Whitney’s gallery brochure lands in his hands, it truly f...

  Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) Genre: YA, Horror Type: Audiobook Published: June 6, 2026 In this story, we meet Quinn Carpenter who is already having the worst day ever, she just got publicly humiliated at school and feels like hiding forever. But her best friend Kirsten won’t let her wallow; instead, she drags Quinn to Meadow Spire Mall for a refreshing and a little payback plan. Too bad their problems are only just starting. A brutal winter storm slams into town, locking everyone inside. Lights start flickering, people vanish, and something old and terrifying that’s been buried under the mall for decades is finally waking up. This is my first interactive audiobook and I love it! You actually get to make choices that change the story, even though I kept picking the wrong options and nearly “died” so many times I just stopped stressing and went with the flow, LOL. It starts a little slow while setting the scene and building tension, but once things get into action, it becomes great. It’s cre...

  Title: I Made It Home Author: Debra I. Thomas Narrated by: Rose Velorum Genre: Children's Fiction Publication Date: March 02, 2026 My Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I Made It Home by Debra I. Thomas is a warm, gentle, and wonderfully concise story that captures all the familiar feelings of a child’s very first day of school, and as an audiobook experience, it shines beautifully for young listeners. The story follows Aubrey, a little girl stepping into first grade, who feels nervous about the day ahead and especially about her aunt picking her up when school ends. Worries creep in, "What if she doesn’t come?" "What will I do?" But her mom’s reassurance calms her heart, and as the day unfolds, Aubrey finds comfort in her beloved animal friends, shares sweet moments, and even makes brand-new friends at school. At its core, this is a charming tale about friendship, small acts of bravery, and the quiet confidence children discover when facing new experiences. As an audiobook p...

  "'Yasmin, your hair is beautiful, and you can be beautiful too, you just have to lose weight. I know you can do it.' There it is. She'll never love me the way I am. Not completely." I just finished listening to The Blue Dress by Rebecca Morrison, narrated by Samara Naeymi, and this is one of those middle-grade stories that quietly lingers in your mind long after it’s over.  Some stories are loud. This one is quiet but it speaks volumes.  The story follows Yasmin, a Persian immigrant who has recently moved from Iran to the United States. She’s at that fragile, in-between stage of early adolescence where everything feels like it’s shifting at once, friendships, family dynamics, body image, identity. And Morrison captures that season of life with such honesty that it almost feels too real at times.  What struck me first was how grounded the middle school experience feels. Not the dramatic, exaggerated version we often see in the media but the everyday tension of i...

  The Found Echoes of Singing Trees (Audiobook) by Kaby is an enjoyable children’s sci-fi adventure that blends mystery, environmental awareness, and heartwarming collaboration into one engaging story. The story introduces us to Louey, an orange cat, and his companions Chloe and Bassy as they embark on a journey to discover why the echoes of the ancient Forest are disappearing and how to restore the music to keep Marsimble alive.  In the story, readers are given a thoughtful explanation of the planet’s setting and why animals and plants coexist there, which adds an intriguing layer of world-building. While the mystery at the center of the plot is gentle and age-appropriate, it keeps young listeners curious and invested. The adventure is both entertaining and educational, weaving learning naturally into the narrative.  What stands out most is how it highlights the importance of plants and animals and the way they function together within an ecosystem. Through Louey and his...