March 2026

Another month is in the books for 2026! This was kind of a crazy month for new music – from Harry Styles to Katelyn Tarver to Ryan and Rory… There was always something new. 2026 in general has had some great new releases, so I kept track of my favorites here.

Other than the new releases, I listened to a ton of The Summer Set – you can read more about that here! Guys, my favorite band is SO cool – I was still vibing with the Heated Rivalry tracklist, and I discovered a new band called People R Ugly. Their name may be crazy, but their music really hits. They opened for The Summer Set in Boston.

Here’s my official playlist for March:

  1. Une journée parfaite – Dumas
  2. Boyfriend – Wingtip
  3. Wasn’t Thinkin’ – Ryan and Rory
  4. The Price – Katelyn Tarver
  5. Kiss Her You Fool – Kids That Fly
  6. Self Respect – Bleachers
  7. Second Wind – Daniel Seavey
  8. Homewrecker – sombr
  9. I’ll Believe in Anything – Wolf Parade
  10. All To Myself (Rave Mix)
  11. All The Things She Said – t.A.T.u.
  12. One Last Night – MR. FANTASY
  13. Who We Are – Hozier
  14. All The Things She Said – Harrison
  15. 80’s Films – Jon Bellion
  16. All My Friends – The Summer Set
  17. Taste Back – Harry Styles
  18. American Girls – Harry Styles
  19. I Don’t Wanna Party – The Summer Set
  20. Under the Influence(r) – The Summer Set
  21. Jukebox (Life Goes On) – The Summer Set
  22. Legendary – The Summer Set
  23. All Downhill From Here – The Summer Set
  24. Miserable – The Summer Set
  25. Flowers – The Summer Set
  26. Dizzy – The Summer Set
  27. A Heart Still Breaks – Knox
  28. All We Ever Do Is Talk – Del Water Gap
  29. BRAIN DEAD – People R Ugly
  30. BETTER – People R Ugly
  31. Get Over It – People R Ugly
  32. DUMB – People R Ugly
  33. Still – Niall Horan

If this looks good to you, click here to listen to the playlist! If you only listen to a little bit of it, take my advice and listen to Flowers right into Dizzy – it’s SUCH a satisfying transition.

The Ex Vows – Jessica Joyce

The Ex Vows – 5/5 ✩

I truly haven’t been moved by a book like this one in years. I loved every moment of Georgia and Eli’s story. These two characters felt so realistic – I could feel the love they share, the yearning between them, the hurt that’s festered but the pull that remains between them. Their need for stability for stability felt like my own, their struggles with their jobs was a feeling that sizzled deep in my bones, their need to be needed but inability to ask for it like a buzz under my skin, and their growth by the end of the novel a feeling embedded deep in my heart.

The Ex Vows is about Georgia and Eli, two former best friends turned lovers who are forced to come back together to help save their mutual best friend’s wedding. While Georgia is against their reunion, it seems like Eli is ready and willing to have a talk years in the making. As much as she tries to push him away, ultimately, Georgia can’t fight the spark between them, but getting back together isn’t as easy as just having a conversation, their history runs too deep for that.

I thought the chemistry and tension between these two was refreshingly realistic and it felt like a privilege to see how much they grow from the first page to the very end. It’s been a long time since a book made me cry like this one did, but there’s no denying how much I could feel these characters’ emotions and how proud I felt by the end. I loved every second of it.

February 2026

February… February was full of really high highs, and really low lows. I feel like the momentum from January traveled into February – I was still listening to a lot of music from Heated Rivalry. I think it’ll take awhile for that to change – but we also lost James Van Der Beek in February, and this news really hit me hard.

James has been, and forever will be, one of my favorite actors. His kindness was unparalleled and although I didn’t know him personally, I still felt his loss tremendously. I listened to a lot of the music from Dawson’s Creek after the news, which you’ll see in my February playlist below.

  1. I Don’t Want To Wait – Paula Cole
  2. I’ll Believe in Anything – Wolf Parade
  3. All The Things She Said – t.A.T.u.
  4. Untouched – The Veronicas
  5. All The Things She Said – Harrison
  6. My Moon My Man – Feist
  7. Teenage Dirtbag – Wheatus
  8. I’ll Be – Edwin McCain
  9. One Last Night – MR. FANTASY
  10. Homewrecker – sombr
  11. Shake Tramp – Marianas Trench
  12. Haven’t Had Enough – Marianas Trench
  13. Desperate Measures – Marianas Trench
  14. All To Myself (Rave Mix) – Marianas Trench

January 2026

January was those months where you just feel completely unstoppable.. It was the perfect way to start the new year.

The thing that stands out most to me, music wise, is being in Hawaii with two of my best friends, singing along to I’ll Believe in Anything, All The Things She Said, and Untouched. Also, exploring the island making a music video to Treasure by Bruno Mars. I can’t think of any of those songs now without smiling.

Here’s the official playlist:

  1. I’ll Believe in Anything – Wolf Parade
  2. All the Things She Said – t.A.T.u.
  3. Untouched – The Veronicas
  4. I Just Might – Bruno Mars
  5. All The Things She Said – Harrison
  6. Aperture – Harry Styles
  7. Man I Need – Olivia Dean
  8. So Easy (To Fall In Love) – Olivia Dean
  9. Die to Fall – The Maine
  10. My Moon My Man – Feist

If you want to see the Treasure video, click here! Nicole is so creative – go show her some appreciation!! We’ve also done a music video to Don’t Stop Believin‘ (the Glee version, obviously).

Would Your Favorite Band Do This?

This past weekend, I had such a pinch me moment at The Summer Set’s concert in Boston.

Music has always been something that defined my life. When I think about different stages of my life, I oftentimes remember it in terms of what music I was listening to at the time and I grew up very lucky being able to go to so many of my favorite artist’s concerts.

It was my love for Hot Chelle Rae that really took my affinity for concerts to the next level, in 2012, and it was through them that I discovered bands like The Summer Set. To be honest, I don’t really remember a time in my life, music-wise, where I wasn’t listening to them.

I became a fan of The Summer Set because of the songs Someone Like You and Thick as Thieves. I remember discovering these two songs on Pandora and then finding the rest of their music on Youtube. At the time, their discography was only the Love Like This and Everything’s Fine albums and …In Color and What Money Can’t Buy.

When I saw that The Summer Set was going on tour, I BEGGED my parents to take me. I was a young teenager with no license, living outside of the city, so that meant relying on my parents to bring me. Luckily, I had played Someone Like You and Thick as Thieves for my dad when I first heard them, and he really liked both songs, so convincing him wasn’t too difficult. Or, at least, looking back with rose colored glasses, it wasn’t.

That first show was on March 17th, 2013.

Since then, I’ve seen them a handful of times – through Legendary, Stories for Monday, their hiatus, Blossom, and now, Meet Me at the Record Store. I’ve seen them play basements, bars, clubs, you name it. I feel like I grew up with this band (and that’s because, if we’re being honest, I did).

Last week, the band sent out a text asking if any fans in Boston were top listeners last year. I was a top listener on Spotify, so I replied immediately and sent them my Wrapped. They responded, asking how many hours I’d listened and a little while later, I saw a post on Instagram asking Jordyn S. if she would come to soundcheck before their show in Boston on Sunday.

And y’all… The way my heart FELL. I was at work, trying to maintain composure, thinking there is simply no way the post was about ME?! Even after messaging privately, I still was in a state of disbelief, but Sunday came rolling around and I was let inside for soundcheck.

I hung around the venue for a little while before the band was ready for soundcheck and it felt a little surreal seeing so many people setting up different things in the space and bringing different equipment inside and on stage. I’ve been to many concerts, but I’ve never seen what goes on before or after a show.

Once the whole band was there and they started running through songs, they let me choose between some songs that weren’t on the setlist that I still wanted to hear live. They played Algorithm & Blues, Punch Drunk Love, and When We Were Young, which weren’t on the setlist, then they ran though For the First Time.

I’ve never been in a position where an artist I like is playing their music for an audience of two (two, because I brought my friend Nicole with me), I don’t think many people have. The venue was quiet except for some crew members milling about the building, and once the band started playing, it was like a full concert… just for me.

I’m a relatively quiet person – I take things in and digest them before I really react to them – and when they finished each song, I wasn’t sure… Do I cheer, do I clap, what do I do? I hadn’t had a moment yet in my head where I could really absorb what was going on and take everything in, and even though while they were playing, it felt loud like a real concert, once they stopped, the venue was quiet. I wasn’t used to the quiet.

It was during Punch Drunk Love that it really hit me. I was able to soak in what was going on and it was such a pinch me moment. Like a holy shit, this is my FAVORITE band right here and they are playing for ME.

I didn’t have my phone out, there was nothing distracting me, and I just let myself take in what was happening. I sang along, danced a little where I was standing, and just let myself have a moment of gratitude for the space I was in.

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think something like this would happen. I’ve met the band before in passing, but I never imagined I’d be in a room with just them, listening to them play some of my favorite songs.

After they finished playing, they invited Nicole and I on stage where we got to talk a bit and take some photos.

The experience still felt so surreal, and I kept thinking of that 14 year old girl who saw The Summer Set for the very first time on St. Patrick’s Day in the basement of The Middle East. I don’t think she’d believe she’d be standing on stage, almost 13 years later to the date, with The Summer Set.

Later that night, Nicole and I had barricade for the show – Yes, I will forever be a diehard on the barricade for TSS. I danced my heart out, I screamed along to every song, and I even got a little teary to Legendary and Figure Me Out. I was kind of overwhelmed by the gratitude I felt for being able to be in this moment – to have followed a band for so long and to allow myself to feel so lucky I could experience something so special.

Summer Set shows are always some of the most fun concert experiences and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve had to see them over the years. And what is beginning to stand out more for me now is that I feel like I picked such a special band to love. A band who want to do things for their fans, a band who will go out of their way to treat their fans well, a band who seem like a group of genuinely good people.

So, to Jess, John, Brian, and Stephen…

I’m still sorry for not asking you to play Gloria, but thank you for what you do, thank you for your kindness, thank you for inviting me to soundcheck, and keep making music for as long as it makes you happy.

The Shippers – Katherine Center

The Shippers – 3.5/5 ✩

The Shippers by Katherine Center follows JoJo as she tries to follow through on a plan to get her childhood crush to fall in love with her. What she doesn’t anticipate is her childhood best friend to help her on the journey… Or, does he actually hinder her?

JoJo is such a fun protagonist and as an avid cruiser, I loved reading a novel set on a cruise ship.

Something that I think is so special about this book is the family dynamics that are at play.

JoJo’s relationship with her relatives is critical to the novel. Her relationships highlight who she is as a person, her flaws, and her growth as a young woman. What also stands out is how the presence of her found family, her childhood neighbors, helps to juxtapose the child she once was with the woman that she’s become.

I also think Katherine Center wrote such a strong male lead. The way that Cooper, JoJo’s childhood best friend, talks to her and about her is something some people can only dream of. While their relationship is filled with miscommunication, its chaos and maturation is a joy on the page.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital galley in exchange for an honest review!

Game Changers Series – Rachel Reid

Like most women in our generation, the show Heated Rivalry has taken over my world this winter. Truly, 10000/10 ✩, cannot say enough good things. And because I’m me and I love to read (and also because I couldn’t get enough of the world Jacob Tierney built) I knew I needed to go back to the OG source material and pick up Rachel’s books.

Overall, I really loved the series. I wasn’t sure if I would. Because I love the show so much and we don’t meet all of the books’ characters in the series, I didn’t really think I’d have an interest in many of the books – but boy was I WRONG. And I’ve never been happier to be wrong (and if you know me, you know I hate being wrong!).

I tore through Game Changer, then Heated Rivalry and the Long Game.

Maybe I’m biased because I loved the show so much, but I genuinely feel like Heated Rivalry is a masterpiece. The yearning, the POV shifts, the love Shane and Ilya share.. . It’s masterful. I would re-read this book 100 times over if that wouldn’t be frowned upon by the outside world (although, I think my fellow fans would understand). I also am so blown away by how faithful the adaptation is. I think I’d trust Jacob Tierney with every adaptation going forward. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a page to screen project so faithful.

When I started reading, I chose to read the series completely out of order (going from Game Changer to Heated Rivalry to The Long Game, then to Role Model, Tough Guy, and Common Goal).

What surprised me most about the series though was Role Model. We don’t meet Troy or Harris in the tv series, so to be honest, my interest in this book was almost non-existent when I picked it up.

But I was roped into Troy and Harris’ story from the very first page – I just couldn’t put the book down. I loved Troy’s growth throughout the book and I loved how much his and Harris’ characters juxtaposed each other, while also bringing out the best in each other. I read the majority of the book on a plane, and I remember thinking to myself ‘Wow, these people around me are really missing out’. I had BUTTERFLIES reading this book and I had to resist the urge to sit there and kick my feet smiling the entire time I read. If anyone was watching me, they were probably wondering why I was smiling so big and for so long on our mid-day, six hour flight.

Now that I’ve finished the whole series, I think a ranking is in order. I do plan on re-reading the series, but after my first read through..

My Ranking of The Game Changers books

  1. Heated Rivalry
  2. Role Model
  3. The Long Game
  4. Tough Guy
  5. Common Goal
  6. Game Changer

Now, I KNOW this is a hot take and most people will disagree, but let me justify a little bit.

#1 – Heated Rivalry will forever take the number one spot. I love how fun this book is. Like I said, I love the yearning and I think there’s a sense of joy and a type of character growth in this book that you don’t see in the others. Even though we don’t see Shane and Ilya together as an official couple until the very, very end of this book, I loved the build up and I loved being along with them on their journey as they fell in love and learned how to accept and embrace this love they share.

#2 – I loved the overlaps between The Long Game and Role Model, but I put Role Model above The Long Game because as much as I love Shane and Ilya, I felt happier reading Role Model. Like I said, I loved Troy and Harris and seeing their innocent love blossom into something real was so special. Which leads us into #3…

#3 – The Long Game falls in at #3 because I love the happy moments between Shane and Ilya. There are so many moments I just had to pause and smile. I can’t wait to see so many of these scenes on the screen (especially the wedding with Ruby and Jade and the trophy room scene, OBVIOUSLY). And I understand why this book wasn’t all fluffy and fun and I empathize with Shane and Ilya because I understand why they can’t just come out and be happy. I also understand Ilya’s struggles and I love watching him come to grips with his emotions and not only get to a place where he knows he needs help, but actually acting on it. And I don’t blame Shane for not seeing how much he was struggling, but I also don’t love that Shane could be so blind to what Ilya was going through at times. But that’s not to say I didn’t love the book, because I did. I think I was just hoping some of the story could be happier, but I do understand why it couldn’t be and that’s why it falls at #3 instead of #1 where people usually put it.

#4 – I loved getting inside Ryan’s head in this book. We met him so briefly in Heated Rivalry, so I loved getting more background on his character to fully understand why he was so scared on the plane with Ilya in HR and then seeing him grow with Fabian. Because I read Role Model and The Long Game first, I remember reading how proud Ryan was to see Fabian on stage at his show, and I really enjoyed seeing how they actually came together on the page.

#5 – Seeing Kyle back in this book was a joy and I loved getting into the nitty gritty of Eric’s life. I really enjoyed how these two created a safe space amongst themselves and I loved the yearning.

#6 – This is the other Hot Take… I KNOW people don’t usually put Game Changer as last on their list, but I do have a very specific reason for doing so. Scott and Kip’s love is so crucial to the entire arc in this series and I love them together, but I was SAD during so much of this book. I felt like some parts of it dragged a little too long, and I just wanted Scott and Kip to be able to be together and be HAPPY. And of course, I do understand why they couldn’t be and I really feel for Scott in particular. I never felt like he was trying to string Kip along, in fact, I felt like he was very open and honest with him in terms of what he could give. What I dislike is that he was in a position where he felt like he couldn’t give more, even though he wanted to. The fact that he couldn’t openly be with the person he loves made me sad, and on the flip side, I was sad for Kip because he also deserved to be with someone who could love him openly and honestly. I really do hate to put Game Changer in the bottom spot because I adore Scott and Kip, and contrary to this ranking, they are actually high up there on my list of favorite couples. I just wish they could have been together sooner, but I do love seeing them happy in Common Goal.

I’m curious to see if these rankings will change at all when I re-read. I plan on doing a tandem read and reading the series as it takes place chronologically – so if something changes, loons, I’ll report back!