Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Emmalita

CBR 5
CBR 6
CBR 7
CBR 8
CBR 9
CBR10 participant
CBR11 participant
CBR12 participant
CBR13 participant
CBR14 Participant
CBR15 Participant
CBR16 Participant
CBR17 Participant
CBR18 Participant
CBR18 Levels
CBR18 Comments

Lives in Austin, Texas. She/her. Loves reading books, writing about books and talking about books. On the CBR Board. May send you an email. Thinking about new challenges. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Emmalita's Quick Questions interview.)

Emmalita's Reviews:

He’s like a star, his gravity pulling Jordan out of his own orbit into Jamie’s.

Last First Kiss by Julian Winters

by Leave a Comment

Julian Winters’s Last First Kiss has some really excellent yearning. Jordan is trying to prove himself in his new role at the family event planning business and humor his mother by going on a blind date that might be the start to his forever love story. But his cousin’s best friend, Jamie, is making both of those things difficult. Jamie, in the guise of practicing, gave Jordan his first kiss. Jordan has never forgotten it, and maybe neither has Jamie. Jordan is trying to plan […]

You’re like a secret door in the wall. You’re an electrical storm in my spine.

The Paris Match by Kate Clayborn

by Leave a Comment

It looks like The Paris Match is my first five star review of 2026, but the truth is I have been reading this book over and over the way some people watch Heated Rivalry. I don’t really know how to talk about The Paris Match. It’s so much more than its summary suggests, and if I really dig into the stuff I loved, I’ll spoil it. What I can say is Kate Clayborn has written a book the rewards close reading. I finally figured out […]

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Grown Up and Queer

One Week to Win the Chocolate Maker by Timothy Janovsky

by Leave a Comment

I tend to prefer Timothy Janovsky’s books that have an element of magic to them. As I read One Week to Win the Chocolate Maker, I realized that Dario’s wealth is essentially a magical power. One Week to Win the Chocolate Maker is a Charlie and the Chocolate Factory retelling with an adult Charlie, the character closest to Willy Wonka’s vibe is a deceased grandfather, and Dario, the chocolate maker, is a pansexual short king. Charlie is in a desperate situation. He lives with his […]

Marriage in Trouble that Did Not Work for Me

Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen

by Leave a Comment

I think there must have been people on social media complaining about dual point of view romances, because I’ve read a few recent releases that were single point of view and they suffer as a result. There are probably good single pov marriage in trouble romances, but I can’t think of any at the moment. Sunk in Love really needed Liam’s pov. Without it, I couldn’t invest in their relationship. Things aren’t going well in Roslyn’s life. She and her mother were in a car […]

I owed my life to a dangerous stranger who scowled ferociously but also gave me boots.

Silver & Blood by Jessie Mihalik

by Leave a Comment

  Confession, I read this a while ago and then life kicked me in the face and reviewing books was very hard. My biggest memory is that I enjoyed reading it so much. I preordered it and I will be attending an in person book launch and an online conversation with Jessie Mihalik and Stephanie Burgis, who also has a book coming out the same day. So the details are fuzzy, but the memory of enjoying Riela and Garrick’s adventure is strong. Riela is such […]

“You never willingly let anyone catch any glimpse of vulnerability.” She narrowed her eyes dangerously. “I believe you’re thinking of yourself now, General.” “No, I’m thinking of both of us.”

Enchanting the Fae Queen by Stephanie Burgis

by Leave a Comment

I had to fight through thickets of bad formatting to read my advance reader copy, and there were a few times I decided to quit and read my copy when it arrived. But I kept picking it back up and then, I finished it! Because I worried that I had missed things, I requested an advance listener copy and listened to it after I finished reading it. So, yeah, I liked it enough to put up with headaches and inconveniences. Enchanting the Fae Queen is […]



Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo