It’s time for my monthly book review post! These are the books that I finished in December 2020 and hopefully this will be my last super long book review post as I’m planning to adjust how I do things starting with my January reads. I will be linking up this post with the Show Us Your Books Link Up, and as always, the Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments! This month, I tried to get to a lot of books I had missed earlier in the year and most of them were quick and enjoyable. I also read one book this month that I reviewed separately: Confessions in B Flat.
Title: One To Watch
Author: Kate Stayman-London
Genre: Contemporary
Publisher: Dial Press, 7/7/20
Source: Book Swap
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram / TBR Pile
My Rating: 5 Stars
Bea is a plus sized influencer who is tired of the lack of body diversity on Main Squeeze. She also has a broken heart. So when she’s asked to be the next star of Main Squeeze, she does it for her career, not for love.
“Bea Schumacher is a devastatingly stylish plus-size fashion blogger who has amazing friends, a devoted family, legions of Insta followers—and a massively broken heart. Like the rest of America, Bea indulges in her weekly obsession: the hit reality show Main Squeeze. The fantasy dates! The kiss-off rejections! The surprising amount of guys named Chad! But Bea is sick and tired of the lack of body diversity on the show. Since when is being a size zero a prerequisite for getting engaged on television? Just when Bea has sworn off dating altogether, she gets an intriguing call: Main Squeeze wants her to be its next star, surrounded by men vying for her affections. Bea agrees, on one condition—under no circumstances will she actually fall in love. She’s in this to supercharge her career, subvert harmful beauty standards, inspire women across America, and get a free hot air balloon ride. That’s it. But when the cameras start rolling, Bea realizes things are more complicated than she anticipated. She’s in a whirlwind of sumptuous couture, Internet culture wars, sexy suitors, and an opportunity (or two, or five) to find messy, real-life love in the midst of a made-for-TV fairy tale. In this joyful, wickedly observant debut, Bea has to decide whether it might just be worth trusting these men—and herself—for a chance to live happily ever after.”
This book made me smile so much. It was so sweet in so many ways. There was representation of many experiences, identities, and emotions. I loved the various formats included like blog posts, tweets, text and chat chains, etc. Bea was such an amazing character to route for! I could imagine the show as if I was watching it, but I was reading it – even better!
Title: In A Holidaze
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio, 10/6/20
Source: Scribd
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
I really enjoy Christina Lauren and this was a cute one to listen to. I am amused by how many books this year have had a Groundhog Day concept – this was one of them.
“It’s the most wonderful time of the year…but not for Maelyn Jones. She’s living with her parents, hates her going-nowhere job, and has just made a romantic error of epic proportions. But perhaps worst of all, this is the last Christmas Mae will be at her favorite place in the world—the snowy Utah cabin where she and her family have spent every holiday since she was born, along with two other beloved families. Mentally melting down as she drives away from the cabin for the final time, Mae throws out what she thinks is a simple plea to the universe: Please. Show me what will make me happy. The next thing she knows, tires screech and metal collides, everything goes black. But when Mae gasps awake…she’s on an airplane bound for Utah, where she begins the same holiday all over again. With one hilarious disaster after another sending her back to the plane, Mae must figure out how to break free of the strange time loop—and finally get her true love under the mistletoe.”
I can understand why this book didn’t work for some people – the time loop concept didn’t quite work the way it was meant to – but it was a sweet book overall full of family Christmas traditions and fun. I really enjoyed Mae and her love story as she worked to find happiness.
Title: Tales of Nash
Author: Ann Worthington
Genre: YA
Publisher: DartFrog Books, 7/21/20
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
When seventeen-year-old Nash gets into a bad situation with drugs, his mother sends him to spend the summer with his grandfather.
“At first, leaving his friends in Portland to live in the woods seemed like a horrible idea. Who lives without television, video games, and the internet? But, with patience and guidance from his grandfather, the beauty of nature casts its spell, and Nash flourishes like the garden under his care. But when Nash is arrested and accused of murder, he is paralyzed by fear and doubt. Did he make the biggest mistake of his life? He must decide whether to tell the truth about what happened, or say nothing and let a jury decide.”
The story is written simply, almost like a journal, in chapters alternating between the past and the present. It kept me turning the pages and I cared about the characters. I imagined that this would be a good book for my 13 year old, who is a more reluctant reader than my other kids. He may end up picking it up, although he hasn’t yet! I love the idea of nature as a healer and the forest setting in this book was enjoyable.
Title: Five Days
Author: Wes Moore
Genre: Non-Fiction
Publisher: RandomHouse Audio, 6/9/20
Source: Library Audio App / Publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Trying to check off some Net Galley reviews
My Rating: 3 Stars
This is the story of Baltimore in the days after the death of Freddie Gray. It seemed very similar to what went on this past summer in MN and saddened me, as this took place 5 years ago.
“When Freddie Gray was arrested for possessing an ‘illegal knife’ in April 2015, he was, by eyewitness accounts that video evidence later confirmed, treated ‘roughly’ as police loaded him into a vehicle. By the end of his trip in the police van, Gray was in a coma from which he would never recover. In the wake of a long history of police abuse in Baltimore, this killing felt like the final straw—it led to a week of protests, then five days described alternately as a riot or an uprising that set the entire city on edge and caught the nation’s attention. Wes Moore is a Rhodes Scholar, bestselling author, decorated combat veteran, former White House fellow, and CEO of Robin Hood, one of the largest anti-poverty nonprofits in the nation. While attending Gray’s funeral, he saw every stratum of the city come together: grieving mothers, members of the city’s wealthy elite, activists, and the long-suffering citizens of Baltimore—all looking to comfort one another, but also looking for answers. He knew that when they left the church, these factions would spread out to their own corners, but that the answers they were all looking for could be found only in the city as a whole. Moore—along with journalist Erica Green—tells the story of the Baltimore uprising both through his own observations and through the eyes of other Baltimoreans: Partee, a conflicted black captain of the Baltimore Police Department; Jenny, a young white public defender who’s drawn into the violent center of the uprising herself; Tawanda, a young black woman who’d spent a lonely year protesting the killing of her own brother by police; and John Angelos, scion of the city’s most powerful family and executive vice president of the Baltimore Orioles, who had to make choices of conscience he’d never before confronted. Each shifting point of view contributes to an engrossing, cacophonous account of one of the most consequential moments in our recent history, which is also an essential cri de coeur about the deeper causes of the violence and the small seeds of hope planted in its aftermath.”
I felt like this book was trying to make the story more readable by including short chapters from different points of view. I never really felt grabbed by it, although it might have been different in print than it was on audio.
Title: Dear Justyce
Author: Nic Stone
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Crown, 9/29/20
Source: Library
Why I Read It: Gabbie read it for book club so I did too
My Rating: 4 Stars
Dear Justyce is the sequel to Dear Martin and focuses on a side character for Dear Martin, Quan. He is in juvenile detention for shooting a police officer and he writes letters to Justyce, who takes on his case.
“Vernell LaQuan Banks and Justyce McAllister grew up a block apart in the Southwest Atlanta neighborhood of Wynwood Heights. Years later, though, Justyce walks the illustrious halls of Yale University . . . and Quan sits behind bars at the Fulton Regional Youth Detention Center. Through a series of flashbacks, vignettes, and letters to Justyce–the protagonist of Dear Martin–Quan’s story takes form. Troubles at home and misunderstandings at school give rise to police encounters and tough decisions. But then there’s a dead cop and a weapon with Quan’s prints on it. What leads a bright kid down a road to a murder charge? Not even Quan is sure.”
This book makes you think about the justice system and how different teens are treated when they are involved with the police. I think I liked Dear Martin better than this sequel, and I still prefer The Hate U Give to both!
Title: You Have a Match
Author: Emma Lord
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Wednesday Books, 1/12/21
Source: Net Galley / Swap for the print book
Why I Read It: Buddy read / Getting ahead on ARCs
My Rating: 4 Stars
I enjoyed Emma Lord’s previous book, Tweet Cute, and I requested this one from the publisher. While it seemed strange to be reading about a summer camp in the winter, I enjoyed the setting and the story about family and friendships.
“When Abby signs up for a DNA service, it’s mainly to give her friend and secret love interest, Leo, a nudge. After all, she knows who she is already: Avid photographer. Injury-prone tree climber. Best friend to Leo and Connie…although ever since the B.E.I. (Big Embarrassing Incident) with Leo, things have been awkward on that front. But she didn’t know she’s a younger sister. When the DNA service reveals Abby has a secret sister, shimmery-haired Instagram star Savannah Tully, it’s hard to believe they’re from the same planet, never mind the same parents ― especially considering Savannah, queen of green smoothies, is only a year and a half older than Abby herself. The logical course of action? Meet up at summer camp (obviously) and figure out why Abby’s parents gave Savvy up for adoption. But there are complications: Savvy is a rigid rule-follower and total narc. Leo is the camp’s co-chef, putting Abby’s growing feelings for him on blast. And her parents have a secret that threatens to unravel everything.”
I am told that this premise is based off of The Parent Trap! It was cute and sweet with a focus on self acceptance and family. There is also a bit of a love story, which was sweet as well. Abby is a photographer, and I liked the descriptions of her photos!
Title: The Vanishing Half
Author: Brit Bennett
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: Riverhead Books, 6/2/20
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Anticipated Read
My Rating: 4 Stars
This nuanced book contained deep issues and quite a story about sisters, family, racism, gender, loss, and family.
“The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it’s not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it’s everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters’ storylines intersect?”
Many people have called this book their favorite book of the year and I can certainly understand why, with it’s great writing and issues covered. I read it quickly and enjoyed the experience. I think for me, I’m not a character-driven fan and I maybe needed just a bit more plot for this book to be a 5 star read.
Title: Girls Like Us
Author: Randi Pink
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 10/29/19
Source: Rock Star Book Tours
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I did a book spotlight for this book at the end of last year, but never got around to reading it!
“It’s 1972, and four teenage girls—three, black, in rural Georgia, and one, white, in Chicago—confront unwanted pregnancies before Roe v. Wade made abortion legal. In rural Georgia, Izella is wise beyond her years, but burdened with the responsibility of her older sister, Ola, who has found out she’s pregnant. Their young neighbor, Missippi, is also pregnant, but doesn’t fully understand the extent of her predicament. When her father sends her to Chicago to give birth, she meets the final narrator, Susan, who is white and the daughter of an anti-choice senator.”
The end of the book bounces to a current time when with a conservative majority Supreme Court, Roe v. Wade is at risk. This book is as current as it is historical and powerful as well. The author did a great job of relating the past to the present and in bringing current issues to light.
Title: Jo & Laurie
Author: Margaret Stohl & Melissa De La Cruz
Genre: YA Historical Fiction
Publisher: Listening Library, 6/2/20
Source: Library Audio App / Net Galley via Publisher
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my Net Galley shelf
My Rating: 3 Stars
In trying to reduce my Net Galley shelves, I have been listening to some of the books and reviewing them on Net Galley afterwards. I think this book would be great for Little Women fans, as it is written in a similar style to the original.
“1869, Concord, Massachusetts: After the publication of her first novel, Jo March is shocked to discover her book of scribbles has become a bestseller, and her publisher and fans demand a sequel. While pressured into coming up with a story, she goes to New York with her dear friend Laurie for a week of inspiration–museums, operas, and even a once-in-a-lifetime reading by Charles Dickens himself! But Laurie has romance on his mind, and despite her growing feelings, Jo’s desire to remain independent leads her to turn down his heartfelt marriage proposal and sends the poor boy off to college heartbroken. When Laurie returns to Concord with a sophisticated new girlfriend, will Jo finally communicate her true heart’s desire or lose the love of her life forever?”
I enjoyed that this was written as if Jo is the author of Little Women and it points out the differences between her book and her “real life.” It was very meta. It wasn’t a favorite for me this month, but if you like retellings and are a fan of Jo and Laurie, you will probably like this one.
Title: What If It’s Us
Author: Becky Albertalli & Adam Silvera
Genre: YA Rom Com
Publisher: HarperTeen, 10/9/18
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed What If It’s Us and found it really cute and funny. It had me laughing out loud in a lot of places!
“ARTHUR is only in New York for the summer, but if Broadway has taught him anything, it’s that the universe can deliver a showstopping romance when you least expect it. BEN thinks the universe needs to mind its business. If the universe had his back, he wouldn’t be on his way to the post office carrying a box of his ex-boyfriend’s things. But when Arthur and Ben meet-cute at the post office, what exactly does the universe have in store for them . . . ? Maybe nothing. After all, they get separated. Maybe everything. After all, they get reunited. But what if they can’t nail a first date even after three do-overs? What if Arthur tries too hard to make it work and Ben doesn’t try hard enough? What if life really isn’t like a Broadway play? But what if it is?”
I think I love this author and will gladly read all of her books! As an aside, in this book, there was a scene in which Ben’s family makes dinner for Arthur’s family. Arthur’s mom is mortified when she realizes they are Jewish because they are having ham for dinner. This is not a problem for Arthur’s family, as they do eat pork, but I appreciated this scene because in some books a character is said to be Jewish, but is also shown to be eating pork or seafood with no acknowledgement that these foods actually aren’t kosher.
Title: Head Over Heels
Author: Hannah Orenstein
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Atria Books, 6/23/20
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this book about the gymnastics world in which the 2020 Olympics were able to go on as planned and Covid did not exist.
“The past seven years have been hard on Avery Abrams: After training her entire life to make the Olympic gymnastics team, a disastrous performance ended her athletic career for good. Her best friend and teammate, Jasmine, went on to become an Olympic champion, then committed the ultimate betrayal by marrying their emotionally abusive coach, Dimitri. Now, reeling from a breakup with her football star boyfriend, Avery returns to her Massachusetts hometown, where new coach Ryan asks her to help him train a promising young gymnast with Olympic aspirations. Despite her misgivings and worries about the memories it will evoke, Avery agrees. Back in the gym, she’s surprised to find sparks flying with Ryan. But when a shocking scandal in the gymnastics world breaks, it has shattering effects not only for the sport but also for Avery and her old friend Jasmine.”
I assume everyone knows about the scandal that rocked the gymnastics world when some very inspiring and strong gymnasts stood up and came out against their abuser, the doctor who made them believe that what he was doing to them was all in the name of medicine. The scariest book I read in 2020 was The Girls by Abigail Pesta, in which the author interviewed 25 victims this happened to and they all said they didn’t know they were being abused when it happened to them. This scandal was indeed mentioned in this book, but what I loved was that Avery wanted to make a difference for younger gymnasts and to combat the other problem of verbal abuse by coaches as well. If I was a gymnast, this is something I would be all in for! Though there was a romance in the book, it wasn’t the main focus, which I think was really on personal growth and recovery.
Title: Happiness For Beginners
Author: Katherine Center
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Grffin, 3/24/15
Source: Gift
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
Katherine Center is a favorite author of mine and after this one, I have read all of her books. I love this redone cover which matches some of her other books that I also own!
“Helen Carpenter can’t quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming―she hopes it’ll be exactly what she needs. Instead, it’s a disaster. It’s nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn’t anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example―or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn’t anticipate that her annoying brother’s even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course―and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can’t. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found.”
I loved the wilderness survival adventure in Happiness For Beginners and how Helen changed her life on purpose. Choosing to be happy seems like a theme in Katherine Center’s books and I am here for it. A quote that I liked was: “The things we remember are what we hold on to, and what we hold on to becomes the story of our lives.”
Title: They Never Learn
Author: Layne Fargo
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Gallery / Scout Press, 10/13/20
Source: Library
Why I Read It: Heard it was good
My Rating: 5 Stars
This super quick and fun thriller ended up being one of my favorites of the year, containing everything I love in a thriller, including a twist that I did not guess!
“Scarlett Clark is an exceptional English professor. But she’s even better at getting away with murder. Every year, she searches for the worst man at Gorman University and plots his well-deserved demise. Thanks to her meticulous planning, she’s avoided drawing attention to herself—but as she’s preparing for her biggest kill yet, the school starts probing into the growing body count on campus. Determined to keep her enemies close, Scarlett insinuates herself into the investigation and charms the woman in charge, Dr. Mina Pierce. Everything’s going according to her master plan…until she loses control with her latest victim, putting her secret life at risk of exposure. Meanwhile, Gorman student Carly Schiller is just trying to survive her freshman year. Finally free of her emotionally abusive father, all Carly wants is to focus on her studies and fade into the background. Her new roommate has other ideas. Allison Hadley is cool and confident—everything Carly wishes she could be—and the two girls quickly form an intense friendship. So when Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, Carly becomes obsessed with making the attacker pay…and turning her fantasies about revenge into a reality.”
I enjoyed reading this book and the way it made me cheer for a vigilante serial killer!
Title: Rodham
Author: Curts Sittenfeld
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Random House Audio, 5/19/20
Source: Library Audio App
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my Net Galley shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I have to start by saying it was really weird to be reading an alternate story about a living person. I kept wanting to know what was true to her life and what wasn’t! However, I loved this book and thought it was what should have been for Hillary – if she had not married Bill and gone on to follow her own political career from the beginning.
“n 1971, Hillary Rodham is a young woman full of promise: Life magazine has covered her Wellesley commencement speech, she’s attending Yale Law School, and she’s on the forefront of student activism and the women’s rights movement. And then she meets Bill Clinton. A handsome, charismatic southerner and fellow law student, Bill is already planning his political career. In each other, the two find a profound intellectual, emotional, and physical connection that neither has previously experienced. In the real world, Hillary followed Bill back to Arkansas, and he proposed several times; although she said no more than once, as we all know, she eventually accepted and became Hillary Clinton. But in Curtis Sittenfeld’s powerfully imagined tour-de-force of fiction, Hillary takes a different road. Feeling doubt about the prospective marriage, she endures their devastating breakup and leaves Arkansas. Over the next four decades, she blazes her own trail—one that unfolds in public as well as in private, that involves crossing paths again (and again) with Bill Clinton, that raises questions about the tradeoffs all of us must make in building a life.”
There were so many tidbits of humor in this book. The way Trump was portrayed was hilarious. Aside from thinking that I wish things had turned out the way they did in this book, I also was left thinking that Hillary deserved better.
Title: How To Save a Life
Author: Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Lake Union, 7/1/20
Source: Book swap
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 4 Stars
This was the second Groundhog Day inspired book that I read this month! (The first being In a Holidaze). I liked that it was uniquely from the male perspective, which is not something I read often in books by female writers.
“Dom is having a very bad day—one he literally can’t escape. When Dom bumps into Mia, his ex-fiancée whom he hasn’t seen in almost a decade, he believes they’ve been given a second chance and asks her out. When Mia dies tragically on their date, Dom makes a desperate wish: to be given the chance to save her life. And when he wakes the next morning to the shock that she’s alive, he thinks his wish may have been granted. But day after day, no matter what he changes about their time together, she still meets a terrible fate. Dom frantically searches for answers to save his beloved Mia and rekindle their former love. But the further he digs, the more obsessed he becomes, making him realize that slowing down time may be the only way to see things clearly. As he’s forced to confront the truth about himself and those he’s closest to, Dom vows that he’ll watch Mia die a thousand times if it means he can save her once.”
I was able to predict some of the things that happened in this book. I appreciated that Dom was meant to confront his life and the ways that he interacted with others before he could escape the day he was reliving. Overall, this was an enjoyable story, although the repeated deaths were a bit sad!
Title: Ties That Tether
Author: Jane Igharo
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 9/29/20
Source: Book of the Month
Why I Read It: Heard it was good
My Rating: 3 Stars
This book had such a great concept. I just didn’t think it was very well written and it had one of my pet peeves in books – where the characters say each other’s names in every sentence. People don’t talk like that!
“At twelve years old, Azere promised her dying father she would marry a Nigerian man and preserve her culture, even after immigrating to Canada. Her mother has been vigilant about helping—well forcing—her to stay within the Nigerian dating pool ever since. But when another match-made-by-mom goes wrong, Azere ends up at a bar, enjoying the company and later sharing the bed of Rafael Castellano, a man who is tall, handsome, and…white. When their one-night stand unexpectedly evolves into something serious, Azere is caught between her feelings for Rafael and the compulsive need to please her mother. Soon, Azere can’t help wondering if loving Rafael makes her any less of a Nigerian. Can she be with him without compromising her identity? The answer will either cause Azere to be audacious and fight for her happiness or continue as the compliant daughter.”
I thought a lot more could have been done with the concept of interracial dating and keeping the wishes of a traditional parent. Unfortunately, this didn’t work for me.
Title: Wild At Heart
Author: KA Tucker
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: KA Tucker, 2/18/20
Source: Amazon / Kindle
Why I Read It: Book Club on Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
I read and enjoyed The Simple Wild earlier this year and when I had a Kindle book credit, I had purchased Wild at Heart, but hadn’t read it yet. My new Kansas City area book club via Instagram picked this book to read this month (as well as the short novella that follows this one in the series – but I didn’t read that one yet!).
“Calla Fletcher returns to Toronto a different person, struggling to find direction and still very much in love with the rugged bush pilot she left behind. When Jonah arrives on her doorstep with a proposition she can’t dismiss, she takes the leap and rushes back to Alaska to begin their exciting future together. But Calla soon learns that even the best intentions can lead to broken promises, and that compromise comes with a hefty price—a log cabin in rural Alaska that feels as isolating as the western tundra. With Jonah gone more than he’s home, one neighbor who insists on transforming her into a true Alaskan, and another who seems more likely to shoot her than come to her aid, Calla grapples with forging her own path. In a world with roaming wildlife that has her constantly watching over her shoulder and harsh conditions that stretch far beyond the cold, dark, winter months, just stepping outside her front door can be daunting. This is not the future Calla had in mind, leaving her to fear that perhaps she is doomed to follow in her mother’s fleeing footsteps after all.”
This second book had more of the wilds of Alaska than the first, which I found interesting to read about. It was a sweet continuation of Calla and Jonah’s story with a lot of love scenes that are cut after they are begun at the end of each chapter. Calla was still her privileged self, but I enjoyed her relationships with her new neighbors, especailly Ray, the cranky man next door. When I logged onto the Zoom meeting for our discussion, I was surprised that the author was present! I felt a bit star-struck, but enjoyed talking with her about Alaska and her future book plans! (There will be another one featuring Marie!)
Title: A Princess For Christmas
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Avon, 10/13/20
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Buddy Read on Instagram
My Rating: 4 Stars
I normally would avoid books about Christmas, but the steamy romance group I’m a part of picked it for our last read and the publisher offered it as a book to review, so I decided to go for it. It ended up being cute and sweet, as well as somewhat steamy, which does surprise some people!
“Leo Ricci’s already handling all he can, between taking care of his little sister Gabby, driving a cab, and being the super of his apartment building in the Bronx. But when Gabby spots a “princess” in a gown outside of the UN trying to hail a cab, she begs her brother to stop and help. Before he knows it, he’s got a real-life damsel in distress in the backseat of his car. Princess Marie of Eldovia shouldn’t be hailing a cab, or even be out and about. But after her mother’s death, her father has plunged into a devastating depression and the fate of her small Alpine country has fallen on Marie’s shoulders. She’s taken aback by the gruff but devastatingly handsome driver who shows her more kindness than she’s seen in a long time. When Marie asks Leo to be her driver for the rest of her trip, he agrees, thinking he’ll squire a rich miss around for a while and make more money than he has in months. He doesn’t expect to like and start longing for the unpredictable Marie. And when he and Gabby end up in Eldovia for Christmas, he discovers the princess who is all wrong for him is also the woman who is his perfect match.”
This book was self-described as a Hallmark Christmas Movie but with steamy scenes. I enjoyed the scenes in the Alps as I could picture the snowy winter wonderland and especially wanted to attend their Cocoa Fest! It had some meaning as well, with both characters having lost parents. It does take place around Christmas time, but is more of a wintery story in my opinion!
Title: Whisper Network
Author: Chandler Baker
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 7/2/19
Source: Library Audio App
Why I Read It: Book Group
My Rating: 4 Stars
I had this book on my TBR list although I have seen that it has gotten mixed reviews. I chose to listen to the audio, and I thought the narrator did a good job differentiating between the characters.
“Sloane, Ardie, Grace, and Rosalita have worked at Truviv, Inc. for years. The sudden death of Truviv’s CEO means their boss, Ames, will likely take over the entire company. Each of the women has a different relationship with Ames, who has always been surrounded by whispers about how he treats women. Those whispers have been ignored, swept under the rug, hidden away by those in charge. But the world has changed, and the women are watching this promotion differently. This time, when they find out Ames is making an inappropriate move on a colleague, they aren’t willing to let it go. This time, they’ve decided enough is enough. Sloane and her colleagues’ decision to take a stand sets in motion a catastrophic shift in the office. Lies will be uncovered. Secrets will be exposed. And not everyone will survive. All of their lives―as women, colleagues, mothers, wives, friends, even adversaries―will change dramatically as a result.”
This book reminded me of a workplace Big Little Lies. Ames was a huge jerk and abuser and the women tell their individual stories involving him throughout the book, up until their big reveal of what happens as a result. I am glad that I read this book, although I can see why some people may not enjoy it.
Title: More Than Just a Pretty Face
Author: Syed M. Masood
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction / Romance
Publisher: Little, Brown Book For Young Readers, 8/4/20
Source: The Novl
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed this sweet story of a romance between two Muslim teenagers. Danyal doesn’t consider himself smart and is a 19 year old still in high school when his history teacher signs him up for a competition where he needs to research and make a speech about Churchill. He learns so much, as the reader does as well while reading this book.
“Danyal Jilani doesn’t lack confidence. He may not be the smartest guy in the room, but he’s funny, gorgeous, and going to make a great chef one day. His father doesn’t approve of his career choice, but that hardly matters. What does matter is the opinion of Danyal’s longtime crush, the perfect-in-all-ways Kaval, and her family, who consider him a less than ideal arranged marriage prospect. When Danyal gets selected for Renaissance Man, a school-wide academic championship, it’s the perfect opportunity to show everyone he’s smarter than they think. He recruits the brilliant, totally-uninterested-in-him Bisma to help with the competition, but the more time Danyal spends with her . . . the more he learns from her…the more he cooks for her . . . the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.”
I really liked the descriptions of dating in Muslim culture, the food descriptions, and the friendships described in this book. I will mention though that I have seen some Own Voices Muslim reviewers stating that this is not an appropriate Muslim romance, so it should not be expected to be one.
Title: The Ex Talk
Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
Genre: Rom Com
Publisher: Berkley, 1/26/21
Source: The publisher via Net Galley
Why I Read It: Trying to be up to date on ARCs!
My Rating: 5 Stars
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read this romance that features a Jewish main character. On top of that, I loved this story of a pair of co-workers pretending to be exes and falling in love along the way!
“Shay Goldstein has been a producer at her Seattle public radio station for nearly a decade, and she can’t imagine working anywhere else. But lately it’s been a constant clash between her and her newest colleague, Dominic Yun, who’s fresh off a journalism master’s program and convinced he knows everything about public radio. When the struggling station needs a new concept, Shay proposes a show that her boss green-lights with excitement. On The Ex Talk, two exes will deliver relationship advice live, on air. Their boss decides Shay and Dominic are the perfect co-hosts, given how much they already despise each other. Neither loves the idea of lying to listeners, but it’s this or unemployment. Their audience gets invested fast, and it’s not long before The Ex Talk becomes a must-listen in Seattle and climbs podcast charts. As the show gets bigger, so does their deception, especially when Shay and Dominic start to fall for each other. In an industry that values truth, getting caught could mean the end of more than just their careers.”
The one issue I had with the Jewish representation in this book was that Shay stated that she wasn’t eating oysters because she didn’t like seafood. This would have been an excellent time for the author to point out that oysters (and other seafood) actually aren’t kosher. Besides that, I loved that the family celebrated Passover as well as Hanukkah and that Judaism was important to them. As I said, I also enjoyed the love story of Shay and Dominic and thought that they had believable chemistry.
Title: Regretting You
Author: Colleen Hoover
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Montlake, 12/10/19
Source: Book swap
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my shelf
My Rating: 5 Stars
I had heard mixed reviews about this book but I ended up really liking it. I think if you go in expecting a straight forward romance, you might not enjoy it as much. Instead, it is more of a story of a mother and daughter and what happens to them after the loss of their husband / father.
“Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn’t want to follow in her mother’s footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn’t have a spontaneous bone in her body. With warring personalities and conflicting goals, Morgan and Clara find it increasingly difficult to coexist. The only person who can bring peace to the household is Chris—Morgan’s husband, Clara’s father, and the family anchor. But that peace is shattered when Chris is involved in a tragic and questionable accident. The heartbreaking and long-lasting consequences will reach far beyond just Morgan and Clara. While struggling to rebuild everything that crashed around them, Morgan finds comfort in the last person she expects to, and Clara turns to the one boy she’s been forbidden to see. With each passing day, new secrets, resentment, and misunderstandings make mother and daughter fall further apart. So far apart, it might be impossible for them to ever fall back together.”
There are two stories in the book – Morgan’s and Clara’s – and they obviously combine with each other, as they are mother and daughter. I really enjoyed reading this book.
Title: The Mall
Author: Megan McCafferty
Genre: YA Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 7/28/20
Source: Library Audio App / Net Galley via Publisher
Why I Read It: Had been waiting on my Net Galley shelf
My Rating: 3 Stars
My last audio book of the year was another that I wanted to listen to in order to review and check it off of my Net Galley shelf. I wanted to enjoy this 90s nostalgia filled book that was set in a NJ mall, but it just wasn’t all that entertaining.
“The year is 1991. Scrunchies, mixtapes and 90210 are, like, totally fresh. Cassie Worthy is psyched to spend the summer after graduation working at the Parkway Center Mall. In six weeks, she and her boyfriend head off to college in NYC to fulfill The Plan: higher education and happily ever after. But you know what they say about the best laid plans…Set entirely in a classic ‘monument to consumerism,’ the novel follows Cassie as she finds friendship, love, and ultimately herself, in the most unexpected of places.”
Cassie was an annoying character who didn’t seem like a very good friend. She pretty much redeemed herself in the end, but this read was light and somewhat shallow overall.
In conclusion, in December I read 24 books, 23 of which are reviewed in this post. This month I read 16 print books, 2 e-books, and 6 audio books. My favorite books this month were One To Watch, Girls Like Us, Head Over Heels, They Never Learn, Rodham, and The Ex Talk.
I will be writing another book review sooner than normal, as I have decided to split these up throughout the month, so stay tuned!
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?