Mar8

One Of Those Weeks

Posted on by
Standard
One Of Those Weeks

Oh hey! Have you ever had One Of Those Weeks where everything just feels kind of off? There was plenty of good for this past week like my girls afternoon with my mom and some excellent shifts at work. However, a situation occurred that left me in a bit of a slump and the rest of the week felt like a juggling act. I mean that metaphorically in terms of keeping myself in check to still be successful for the remainder of the week. I also mean it quite literally too…

Can anyone please tell me why when you’re already feeling low that you have to just start dropping everything in sight too? Lol, amidst all of the blahs I turned into the biggest butterfingers and it just added to all of the annoyance. Where do I even begin?! Let’s see, I dropped one of the bunny’s water dishes that spilled all over the bathroom floor, I dropped my work phone in a public bathroom, and as I put groceries into our tiny freezer an avalanche of frozen food went toppling. In honorable mention, I spilled my seltzer water dangerously close to my laptop, the bunny’s heart of romaine snack took a nosedive to the floor, and my funny bone got knocked hard against a door frame at work. There has been nothing funny about it!

While all of this was a massive pain, the worst was yet to come. Something that I have feared and hoped would never happen… My septum ring fell out on Thursday morning. *Dun dun dunnnnn* While I was in the bathroom, I noticed that my second septum ring that clicks together had come apart. I tried to fix it but my acrylics made that incredibly difficult and the ring ended up in my hands. In that moment, I went into a full on panic. Every single frustration caught up to me and this was the cherry on top. Honestly, I almost called off for the day right then and there. Nose piercings are notorious for closing quickly and if I couldn’t get the ring back in ASAFP then a trip to the piercing parlor was in order.

I tried several times to get the ring in to no avail and at that point I had to weigh my options. There were only two: Keep trying or give up. As best as I could, I tried to center myself with deep breaths and gave it one final go. Blessedly, the ring went in and Johnny was able to come in with the assist to snap it shut. Praise be to he! Between a crummy work sitch and a relentless case of the dropsies I think I would have gone into a tailspin if my septum closed up too. This actually just happened before I sat down to write this bum mood stream of consciousness. And, on the bright side, at least this unfortunate part of my week ended up a-okay!

It is five AM on Thursday morning and after all of this straight up nonsense, I am beyond ready for a break. Bring on the weekend! *Face palm*

What makes you feel better after experiencing frustration? What has annoyed you recently? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar7

New Pastel Pink & Peach Nails

Posted on by
Standard
New Pastel Pink & Peach Nails

Howdy! This past Tuesday was the freaking best. In between shifts I got to have ALL of the girl time with my adorable mom. We started our day at Elysian Nails for a fill for me and a mani for her. Then, we enjoyed a spot of shopping at TJMaxx. I got the cutest new top and I can’t wait to show you all! My mom doesn’t get her nails done often but when she does, I always have to joke that she gets the same shade of pale pink or beige every single time. I mean, if it’s not broken don’t fix it lol. The joke is on me, though, because pale pink is where it’s at and I just had to take a note from my mom’s book to welcome pastel shades for spring. Check it out:

Although I typically live in All Black Everything, I loves me a pastel color. However, they wash me out badly so I have zero pastel hued clothing in my wardrobe. That’s okay, though, because I can rock them on my nails! As I consulted the trusty nail polish book, I immediately locked in on the pastel peach and knew I was going with that for sure. The next order of business was finding a color to compliment it. I wasn’t feeling any of the lavender shades which is too bad because that would be pretty too. So, pink it was, and I landed on the softest pastel ballet slipper pink. This combo was giving all things spring flowers, Easter candy, and Jordan almonds and they almost look good enough to eat! 😀

It was SO nice to get pampered with my mom beside me at my happy place. Elysian Nails is one of my beauty sanctuaries and I live for when I can share in it with friends and family. As I gabbed with my nail tech, I couldn’t stop looking over at my mom’s station. She was getting primped with oils, lotion, and a hot towel and was loving every minute of it. Her tech did such an amazing job with the cuticles and shaping the nails that it almost looked like she got a fresh set. We both walked away completely thrilled with the results and our matching pale pink nails. I can’t wait for another trip to Elysian together and who knows – maybe I’ll get her to pick hot pink polish next. ❤

My Tuesday was the pick me up I needed after a super long but fun weekend. There’s nothing like some pampering and shopping with my favorite gal to put the pep back in my step!

What is your favorite form of self care? How often do you get your nails done? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar6

Groovy Movies: Scream 7 Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Groovy Movies: Scream 7 Edition

Hi! As you all know, I am a huge horror movie fan and like to see them in theaters as often as I can. One that I was really looking forward to going to was Scream 7. The Scream franchise is such fun. It’s got the gore and the kills but they are also hilarious and don’t take themselves seriously in the slightest. I have always found that the Scream movies give their viewers exactly what they want to see and fall under the “if it’s not broken then don’t fix it” motto. Unfortunately, I don’t think any of us wanted what Scream 7 had to offer because it was a massive snooze fest. Let’s discuss in a spoiler free setting, as always, but before we begin let me place a trigger warning for graphic violence. Here we go:

^^^ As per ushe, I have no rights to this video!!

Sidney Prescott has made a new life for herself. She is married with children, runs a coffee shop, and is determined to leave her trauma in the past. Of course, her life can never remain normal for long so cue a call from Ghostface. The new killer gives Sidney a buzz at work and requests that they see each other face to face in a video call. Who she sees on her screen is impossible, right? He died years ago but his threat is very real. He is outside her daughter, Tatum’s, school and her and her friends are in big trouble.

Tatum and her mom have a rocky relationship. Sidney keeps her past buried while Tatum wants to learn more which results in blowout fights. Tatum is about to get a crash course in that fateful night that turned Sidney into a living legend and all that can be done now is to survive. With help from her friends, mom, and a few fan favorites – it’s time to hunt Ghostface. However many there are, this ends now. Who is behind the masks this time? Watch Scream 7 to find out!

Scream 7 was a smidge under two hours and it was honestly two of the longest hours of my life. The opening scene set the stage for some classic Scream shenanigans and then it just kept going… and going… and going. In the entirety of the movie, there were only three or so major action scenes. The remainder was a whole lot of nothing – tender moments between mother and daughter, friends freaking out, and snippets of the oddest musical ever. The lackluster plot was followed up by perhaps the most disappointing Ghostface reveal of the franchise and when the movie ended (Thankfully!), all I could say was “oh”.

This movie plugged along at a painfully slow pace and provided jump scares that were few and far between. Maybe I would have liked it more if I cared about the additional cast members but they were hard to get behind. Tatum and her friends were seriously just annoying and Tatum was the whiny, bratty teen to the T. Even when the focus shifted to Sidney and Gale, their scenes felt half-hearted and wasn’t enough to strike my interest in any way shape or form. The only good parts of Scream 7 took place on brief video calls and five minutes isn’t enough to save two hours of straight up boredom. So disappointing!

In a shocking turn of events, I will be awarding Scream 7 with… no stars. This was, hands down, the weakest movie in the franchise and it is not worth your time and money at the theaters!

What is your favorite scary movie? What is your favorite Scream movie? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar5

Jammin Jumpsuit OOTD

Posted on by
Standard
Jammin Jumpsuit OOTD

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new OOTD here on lifewithlilred! As you read yesterday, we attended a minor league hockey game this past Saturday and this is what I wore to the big event. I knew we were going to do a fair bit of walking to get to the arena and our seats so I decided to err on the side of comfort. I am SO glad that I did because the seating situation left a lot to be desired. They were incredibly cramped and while it still wasn’t ideal even with what I was wearing, I couldn’t imagine sitting through the game in stiff jeans. Hey, it was a small price to pay for a good time and it felt heavenly to make the walk back to the car and stretch my legs afterwards! Take a look at this Jammin Jumpsuit fit:

Who? What? Wear?

Jumpsuit: Fervour, ModCloth

Tank Top: Rachel Zoe, TJMaxx

Moto Jacket: Zara

Heeled Combat Boots: BCBG, TJMaxx

Cross Earrings: EmLeigh’s and Mama B’s

As I went through my mental Rolodex for this outfit, I was trying to think if I had any clothes that fell under the “sporty” category. My options were, admittedly, very limited and I kept circling back to my Fervour jumpsuit. While it might not be Sporty Spice, it was casual, cool, and comfy and I decided to go for it. This jumpsuit is just so damn cute! Of course, I love the embroidered skeleton motif but the shape is ultra trendy with the dropped crotch and armpit area too so you can pair it with a fun bralette. Since we were going to a hockey game, I didn’t go the bralette route because cold. So, I paired it with a white tank underneath to keep that region covered. I actually like this jumpsuit better with the tank top so I never have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions!

To keep warm in, I opted for my go to moto jacket by Zara. I am all about the industrial studs and cloth hood. This jacket also has a heaviness to it without being overly warm which worked for the fifty degree temps outside. Surprisingly, not so much for inside the arena. As we walked to our seats at the hockey game, I was overheating! Despite the ice, it was also a very comfortable temperature when we took our places and even sans jacket I was a-okay. All the cheering, stomping, and clapping kept me nice and toasty! But, hey, you never know when you are going to need a jacket and now I know I don’t need anything too heavy for next time. And there will definitely be another hockey game in our future. 😀

To wrap this look up, I went for a pair of army green heeled combat boots by BCBG. These boots are so sturdy and were made for walking! That’s just what I did in them and I could have kept on going for miles. Well, maybe two or three lol and they added a muted pop of color to an otherwise All Black Everything OOTD. For jewelry, I didn’t want to be bogged down with anything other than earrings and chose a pair of black gemstone adorned crosses. These were purchased at an adorable boutique in Marietta, Ohio and are a lovely reminder of an amazing Valentine’s Day weekend Johnny and I spent there! ❤

Not quite sporty but close enough, this Jammin Jumpsuit OOTD was just right for an afternoon of minor league hockey!

Do you wear athletic clothes often? What is your favorite minor league sports team? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar4

Cleveland Monsters Game

Posted on by
Standard
Cleveland Monsters Game

Hi!! I don’t know about all of you, but Johnny and I had a fantastic weekend! On Friday we had our nieces over for a slumber party and on Saturday we discovered our new favorite thing: Hockey. We had the absolute best time going to the Rocket Arena to see Cleveland’s minor league team, the Monsters, playing against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. My brother, Andrew, was going with a couple of his friends and we were delighted when the offer was put on the table for us to tag along. Andrew is a HUGE sports fan and we love attending minor league baseball games together. The Monsters game was the same vibes but on ice and I have a feeling this will be the first of many Monsters games in our books!

After arriving in downtown Cleveland we made the short trek to the Rocket Arena for a four o’clock hockey jamboree. We loaded up on snacks and drinks and made it to our seats just in time for whatever it’s called when a hockey game starts. The puck off, perhaps? Lol. Just like that, the game was SO on and it was nonstop fun for the next two plus hours. Andrew and I were the odd ones out cheering for the Penguins but we rep Pittsburgh pride and refused to budge for the Cleveland Monsters. Even if they did end up winning the game two to one! For the entire game we were cheering, heckling, and reveling in the FIVE fights that broke out during the game. It was fast paced, action packed, and there was no telling what craziness was going to happen next!

Just like the minor league baseball games we go to, minor league hockey featured so much more than just a sports game. During pauses there were contests with audience participation like stacking Oreos with hockey gloves on and musical chairs. There were breaks to dance and get rowdy, a drum performance, and a dance team that put on a show too. It was a full on spectacle and if every sport had games like this, I think we would actually find a way to learn the rules of football lol. We might not know the ins and outs of hockey but we definitely know a good time when we see it. 😀

Of course, everything that transpired on the rink was exciting but the atmosphere at the arena made it so much better. There is nothing like being in a big crowd where everyone is just enjoying themselves whether that be with clapping and whooping or heckling! We had a great view of the rink and I truly think we got the best seats in the house. A group of guys a few rows behind us spent the entire game heckling with the most hilarious sentiments we have ever heard. In the midst of all of the cheers, these guys would follow up with “Rip his ankle off!” or “We’re so disappointed in you!”. I’ll tell you what, we were all on pins and needles to hear what they were going to say next!! Hockey freaking RULES.

My only regret about the Cleveland Monsters game is that we haven’t attended one sooner. It’s better late than never, though, because I am already dying to go back for more!

Do you like going to hockey games? Does your city have a minor league hockey team? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar3

Labubu Or Lafufu?!

Posted on by
Standard
Labubu Or Lafufu?!

Hello! It’s so amazing how quickly trends come and go. Less than a year ago it was all Labubu everything and I feel like they are nonexistent now! When Labubu came out, I would be a liar if I said I didn’t covet one. They are truly the textbook definition of “ugly cute” and I do love me a collectable. During the Labubu craze, I visited a store that sold them and walked out when I saw the eighty dollar price tag. That was that, I suppose lol. For Christmas, my husband offered to buy me one and I politely declined as I just can’t justify a purchase like that. I had honestly forgotten about them until I returned home from work last Thursday to a surprise:

When I walked in the door, I immediately clocked what I am ninety-nine percent confident is a Lafufu clipped to Johnny’s backpack. I literally gasped! He ceremonially removed it from his bag and proudly handed it to me. As soon as it was in my arms I hugged it to my chest like a kid! One of Johnny’s coworkers bought them in bulk and offered one to him which he gladly accepted as he knew how much I would love it. How right he was because I just can’t get enough of this fuzzy little something. I burst into a smile every time I see it. 🙂 ❤

I’d like to go back and retract my statement of being ninety-nine percent confident that this is a Lafufu to one hundred percent sure. I gave it a quick cuddle in between typing this and one of its little hands fell off lol. I’m SO sure that a real Labubu doesn’t have that problem! You know what I have to say about that? Who cares? Certainly not me! Real or fake, I finally have one of my own. It might not have the official QR code or sturdy hands and feet but it is mine and I think it’s perfect. I know my nieces will want to take my Lafufu home with them when they see it but this lil buddy is staying safe and sound at chez moi! 😀

I was going to ask all of you to chime in on the Labubu/Lafufu status but I answered that question myself. So, in conclusion – YAY because it is the best Lafufu in the world!

Do you have a Labubu or Lafufu? What is your favorite collectable? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar2

Hearing Loss From Noise Exposure: How Loud Is Too Loud?

Posted on by
Standard
Hearing Loss From Noise Exposure: How Loud Is Too Loud?

Everyone loses their hearing a bit as they get older. However, some people experience much more drastic hearing loss at a younger age – often as a direct result of noise exposure. It’s important to identify when things get too loud so that you can take steps to either protect your ears or turn down the volume. Below is more information on exactly how loud noise damages the ears, how to identify unhealthy noise levels, and how to preserve your hearing:

How does noise exposure cause hearing loss?

Our auditory system is complex and delicate. Hair cells within our ears are responsible for picking up sound waves. When the vibrations are too strong for extended periods, these hair cells and their connected nerve endings can die. Some noises can even be so loud that they instantly rupture our ear drums, leading to instant hearing loss. While sometimes hearing can return, damage can often be permanent.

How loud is too loud?

Our hearing starts to become damaged once sounds reach 85 decibels. As the volume exceeds this, hearing damage occurs more quickly. Below are a few different decibel levels, what they equate to, and how quickly hearing loss occurs:

Safe volume:

  • 60 decibels: Normal speaking volume
  • 65 decibels: Dishwasher in next room
  • 70 decibels: Vacuum cleaner
  • 75 decibels: Busy restaurant
  • 80 decibels: Alarm clock

Hearing damage occurs within hours of prolonged exposure:

  • 85 decibels: Food blender
  • 90 decibels: Lawnmower
  • 95 decibels: Hand drill

Hearing damage occurs within minutes of prolonged exposure:

  • 100 decibels: Factory machinery
  • 105 decibels: Helicopter up close
  • 110 decibels: Rock concert
  • 115 decibels: Chainsaw

Instant hearing loss:

  • 120+ decibels: Jet engines, fireworks, gunshots

Signs noise exposure is causing hearing loss:

If you notice ringing in your ears, it’s a sign that hearing damage has already occurred. This ringing can often go away if you make sure to take a break from loud noises the next day, but could become permanent if you keep exposing yourself to loud noise. Muffled hearing is another sign that permanent damage has taken place. If you notice yourself struggling to hear people in conversations, turning up the volume higher on the TV, or not hearing people calling your name, it might be worth seeing an audiologist and getting your hearing checked. Hearing aids can help to restore some hearing, while treatment may also be possible for tinnitus (ringing in the ears).

How to protect your hearing:

Make sure to wear ear protection in loud environments – this could include ear defenders or earplugs. There are specialist earplugs that you can buy for music events that can quieten noise while still providing some clarity. Otherwise, if you can, try to limit time spent in loud environments. When listening to music on headphones, you should also try to avoid listening to music at overly loud levels (many devices will now warn you if the volume is too loud). When buying power tools and appliances, look into quieter options that can help to reduce your exposure to loud noise and wear ear protection when operating.

Hear loud and clear with the tips above!

Featured Image By: Pexels

Mar2

Lil Red’s Book Club: Ward D By Freida McFadden Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: Ward D By Freida McFadden Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we will be discussing a thriller by Freida McFadden called Ward D. Freida McFadden’s books have always fell under my “just okay” category. They are quick reads and twisty but are they mind blowing? No. Are they far fetched? Always! However, Ward D was probably one of the best books that I have read by her and landed under my “pretty good” ranking. Honestly, it’s quite a boost! Before we begin our discussion, I will be placing a trigger warning on Ward D for mental health, child abuse, disturbing content, and graphic violence. Now, let’s get to it:

Amy is a medical student and tonight she is scheduled to work and learn in Ward D, the mental health unit of the local hospital. It’s not that she’s nervous or anything. More like terrified. It will be the night shift in a locked ward with people who are potentially dangerous. Her biggest fear, though? Being mistaken for a patient as Amy has had her own share of mental health issues too. It’s safe to say that Amy has no interest in studying psychiatry further, but it’s just for one night. All she needs to do is make it through.

After being buzzed into the locked ward, Amy gets the lay of the land from Dr. Beck and nurse Ramona. It would be a relatively quiet night in Ward D but there is a glaring issue. A dangerous patient is in one of the seclusion rooms and will be transferred to a more secure setting in the morning. All of the other patients are fearful of him and have made this perfectly clear to Amy with claims that he is going to kill all of them this very night. Dr. Beck’s advice? Stay far away.

The atmosphere in Ward D is tense with patients acting out and it only gets worse. There is a ghost of Amy’s past who is also a patient tonight. Her name is Jade and she was Amy’s best friend in the world until the girls turned sixteen. Jade went from a good girl to an absolute wild child in a matter of years and put Amy into a lot of problematic situations. Some would result in a grounding or possibly a suspension from school. Others would put both girls behind bars. Since then, Amy has turned her life around and is fulfilling her dream of becoming a doctor. Jade, on the other hand, has been in and out of mental health wards for the past eight years.

Between the stress of the patients and the fear that Jade might reveal Amy’s darkest secret, her own mental health begins to deteriorate swiftly. Amy begins seeing shadows, hearing animal like noises from the seclusion room, and even seeing blood on the floor. Is she hallucinating or is something far more sinister happening on Ward D? As the night continues, coworkers and patients alike seem to have simply disappeared. Amy no longer has to get through the night but survive it. Will she evade the man in the seclusion room? Or is this just all in her head? Read Ward D to find out!

One of my biggest qualms with Freida McFadden books are their lack of originality. They all read like plots of thriller books that I have read before with sloppy twists that feel like an afterthought. This, combined with the far fetched nature of her plots has always made her books lackluster for me. Ward D, however, actually read like something new and made for an unputdownable experience. I finished the book in a day! Although I figured out all of the twists and turns in Ward D, is was still a refreshing read with a plot that I was actually interested in that took place in a unique setting.

Ward D was definitely a page turner and I really liked that it all transpired in the course of one night shift. It made the situation at hand feel so much more dire because you just knew that something major was going to happen as the hours counted down. This book also flip flopped to eight years prior which gave a chance to learn more about Amy and Jade’s friendship as well as the hallucinations that Amy suffered from. These flashbacks made Amy shift into an unreliable narrator to the point that it was hard to tell what was real at all. I would never call myself a huge McFadden fan but she was onto something with Ward D!

Overall, I am going to rate Ward D with a six out of ten stars. This is the highest I have ranked any of McFadden’s work since reading The Housemaid series and I have no problems with recommending this book!

What is your favorite Frieda McFadden book? What is your favorite thriller novel? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Mar1

Bath & Body Works February 2026 Freebie

Posted on by
Standard
Bath & Body Works February 2026 Freebie

Hello! This past Tuesday I had to make a quick stop at Bath & Body Works to cash in a freebie coupon and it couldn’t have come at a better time. I am a huge fan of their wallflower plugins and the Halloween bulb I had in my bedroom decided to stop working over the weekend. I was missing my sugar cookie scent desperately after mere days of being apart and it needed rectifying immediately! With an additional twenty-five percent off coupon, I was able to snag a new bulb on the cheap and scored a free travel size body cream too. That was also perfect timing because I have some travel coming up in March (More on that soon!)! Check it out:

Not only do the wallflowers provide divine fragrance throughout my apartment but they are so practical too. Their light up options make for an excellent nightlight and my nieces really appreciate that when we have slumber parties. Bath & Body Works had plenty of ultra cute bulbs to pick from and I was enamored with what one of the salespeople showed me after she said I was giving “snake vibes” lol. It was the prettiest emerald green snake with gemstones all over it! I absolutely loved it but I knew my nieces would say otherwise so I opted for the pink butterfly or should I say bowterfly instead. This ballet slipper pink butterfly is just so darling and a friendly reminder that spring is almost here! It looks great on its own but the light up function adds a touch of fairy magic. I knew my nieces would be all about my selection but after seeing it in its glory at home, I think I might be about it more. 😀

For my freebie, I went with a travel size body cream in Waikiki Beach Coconut. When I score a free item, I like to throw caution to the wind and pick out scents that are not my usual go tos. Sometimes it works out, other times not so much. But, even if I don’t like the fragrance it’s not like I will be using it for forever! The past few times I had a freebie coupon I was unimpressed with the travel size selection and my sentiments were the same this time around. I had tried everything available already! Out of the handful of options displayed, Waikiki Beach Coconut was my fave. In my opinion, no coconut scent will ever be better than that of The Body Shop’s. While Waikiki Beach Coconut is nice, it also has some floral mixed into a very pure coconut fragrance which I could definitely do without. However, you can’t beat free!

I am so happy to have another wallflower back in its rightful place with an extra treat for good measure. Great success!

What is your favorite Bath & Body Works scent? Do you use a plugin at your house? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah

Feb28

Lil Red’s Book Club: The First Time I Saw Him By Laura Dave Edition

Posted on by
Standard
Lil Red’s Book Club: The First Time I Saw Him By Laura Dave Edition

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new edition of Lil Red’s Book Club! In a spoiler free setting, as always, we are going to be discussing the sequel to Laura Dave’s thriller, The Last Thing He Told Me, called The First Time I Saw Him. I read The Last Thing He Told Me five years ago and I have to admit that I don’t remember much of it. However, I guess I liked it well enough because I gave it an eight out of ten stars in my review! Perhaps I would have liked the sequel more if I had a better recollection of its predecessor because The First Time I Saw Him really missed the mark for me. There is no content in this book that requires a trigger warning so let’s get right to it:

It has been over five years since Hannah’s husband, Owen, has disappeared off of the face of the earth due to providing evidence against a dangerous crime organization. It was all for the safety of Hannah and his daughter Bailey and they have been rebuilding the pieces of their lives since he vanished. Bailey is now a college graduate and Hannah is still making fantastic pieces of hand carved furniture. They have also grown very close to Bailey’s maternal grandfather, Nicholas, who was also part of the crime syndicate that Owen turned against. Nicholas also played an integral role in protecting Hannah and Bailey. After decades of loyalty to the big boss, he left with the promise that as long as Nicholas is alive that no harm would come to those he loves.

Unfortunately, that promise is swiftly broken upon Nicholas’s passing and the crime family wants blood. They still hold a grudge towards Owen for his betrayal and as he is in hiding, the only way to get to him is to get to Hannah and Bailey first. Almost as soon as the death of Nicholas is announced on the news, snatchers from the organization are deployed to Hannah and Bailey’s homes. Luckily, they have prepared for this situation for a long time. They hoped that their plan of escape would never have to happen but they are now thrust into it with both of their lives on the line.

Hannah and Bailey are on the run and the name of the game is to get as far away from their usual haunts as possible. Through back roads, safe houses, and the help of a friend with a private jet, they end up in France. Who they meet upon their arrival is certainly not who they were expecting but their help could provide the protection they need and a way to find Owen again. While Hannah and Bailey prepared and perfected their escape plan for over half a decade, other plans were being made too. Plans for a last ditch effort should the truce between Nicholas and his former employer no longer be honored. Hannah and Bailey have one final go at a normal life with or without Owen. Will the help from an unlikely ally see it through? Or will the family they could be simply vanish? Read The First Time I Saw Him to find out!

The only thing I really remember from The Last Thing He Told Me was essentially a wild goose chase. Hannah and Bailey on the run, their initial poor relationship, plans being made, plans changing, and the ever watchful organization hot on their tail. The First Time I Saw Him was basically the same thing minus Hannah and Bailey being besties now. Regardless of how long it has been since I read the first book, I had the nagging feeling as I read its sequel that I have read it all before. The bones of The First Time I Saw Him were so similar to its predecessor that it felt more like a review than a brand new book.

What I remember liking the most about The Last Thing He Told Me was its sense of urgency that was so palpable on each page. Both Hannah and Bailey had no idea what was happening as they avoided peril and I could feel their anxiety so clearly. That swell of emotion was just not there as I read The First Time I Saw Him because its plot had already been done before. Yes, it was scary that Hannah and Bailey were put in this situation once again but it was also such a crazy story that it felt like a really bold move to rinse and repeat it. While I enjoyed Laura Dave’s writing, the sense of deja vu was much too prominent and The First Time I Saw Him felt like something borrowed over something new. This might sound harsh but it just felt like a lazy effort on Laura Dave’s part and I was happy to be done with the book or, rather, the CliffsNotes of the first one.

Overall, I am going to rate The First Time I Saw Him with a three out of ten stars. It was well written but that didn’t save the repeat plot one bit!

What are you currently reading? What should I read next? I want to hear from all of you, so leave me a comment and let’s chat! Much love. -Sarah