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Review - My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding

Title: My Sister's Big Fat Indian Wedding Author: Sajni Patel Date Finished: January 17, 2022 Book Publication Date: April 19, 2022 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you ABRAMS Kids, Amulet Books and NetGalley for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

4.5-rounded-to-five stars! Sajni Patel isn’t a new author for me. I really loved The Trouble with Hating You and First Love, Take Two, and this book is next in line! This book is young adult and follows Zurika Damani as she immerses herself into her sister’s huge wedding festivities while grappling with her dreams on the side. There’s a contest for a full-ride scholarship at a musical college, and Zurika wants to show them what she’s made off, right on the heels of a Juilliard rejection. The contest, though, falls smack dab in the middle of her sister's wedding. Zurika's ready with a plan, but it might take a village to pull it off. Enter Naveen, who shares this dream with her, and off they go on an adventure to show the world what they’re made off — and maybe prove to themselves that their dreams aren’t as far-fetched as they feel. Naveen is in the same boat, and after hitching a ride with the girl who nearly runs him over, a new rivalry is formed! I loved Naveen so much, because he is exactly what I picture a young Bollywood-esque hero as, with his filmy dialogues, looks, and the way he sets out to make Zurika fall in love with him during this wedding week. Aside from the romance, Sajni Patel does an amazing job of spinning this tale of a young girl who wants to follow her dream of being a musician, which is against any South Asian doctrine — we have the “respectable” careers, and then we have the arts. So many of us have felt torn between these, and I think that watching Zurika be so unsure during her college applications resonated with me because of it — especially given that her older sisters are lawyers, so the bar is pretty high for her! The whole book spans a single week, so I genuinely felt like I was attending the wedding right with them, and having all of those functions that are made impossible by the pandemic right now means that I could live vicariously through them. Desi weddings tend to be huge in splendor, traditions, outfits, jewelry, food and of course, family. This book is basically a week into desi life! There’s the intergenerational conflicts, because we see Zurika interact with aunts and uncles and grandmothers. Whether it’s fairness creams, or body hair, or open criticism about desi communities, Zurika brings a fierceness and need for justice to the table that’s pretty much what we would like to say to our families! I loved how she was scrappy, brutally honest, but was still respectful of the other person’s place in her family. Even if she crossed a line, she made up for it, and that balance is so important. But outside of the extended family, Zurika's also torn and guilty about missing part of her sister's wedding festivities because of the contest. I loved seeing her reasoning play out, and I loved that at the end, she chose what was most important to her, but that didn't mean she had to lose the other as well. A lot of the time, there's this underlying message of "you can have this or that, not both" but that's not always how life works! I grew up with very little books that were about my culture, or followed desi communities. The importance of traditions even when you don't understand them, the importance of family, trying to carry the culture after emigrating somewhere else are all struggles that immigrant families face. Zuri's character and her motivations are important for the next generation of readers because she brings an understanding to the table — a way for young readers to see themselves in her and be able to parse both sides of the coin. Being Gujarati myself, it’s not often that I get to read a book with so much Gujarati lore and reference. This book was absolutely filled with it and we’re all the more better for it. There was also respect paid to Zurika’s mother’s Trinidadian heritage, which was amazing to see. I learned a few things and piqued my interest into learning more! As much as I loved the book, and as much as I did squeal at all the filmy tropes, I did feel that the romance fell a little flat for me. Naveen and Zurika were meant to be introduced (read:

match-making) before they fell into this competition, but by the end, I think they become something between friends and lovers, rather than just lovers. I think I would've liked if that was extended a bit to clarify. Other than that, the last two chapters were filled with everything and compared to the pace of the rest of the book, it was a lot. I think the story would've benefitted from a slightly slower end - though desi weddings end faster than you can blink, so if that's what the author was going for, they're spot on! If you're looking for a Bollywood movie in book form? This is it. It's a whole masala movie, with the sweeping romantic descriptions, the bright colors and chaos of an Indian wedding, and an underlying message that rings true for all of us. Highly recommend!

[book-waas-x]

Review - Bound By Firelight

Title: Bound By Firelight Author: Dana Swift Date Finished: January 12, 2022 Book Publication Date: January 18, 2022 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you Delacorte Press and NetGalley for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

3.5 stars!

South Asian fantasy is probably going to be the death of me. Just look at this cover!

Most fantasy novels I’ve read have always had roots in other parts of the world — from spells cast in Latin, to made up languages — but not many that have taken the richness of South Asian culture, and formed a high fantasy universe around it. They are definitely coming up in popularity though, and I’m all the more excited for it! (Have I mentioned the cover, yet?)

As a South Asian reader, I was hesitant to pick these books up because it is not an OwnVoices novel. However, Dana Swift's respect for South Asian culture shines through these novels. Although not wholly accurate (and this may be because Wickery is not South Asia, only inspired by it), none of it felt to me like it was judgement against South Asian culture, which made me feel better about reading this.

(Rest under the cut)

The first book in this series left us in the aftermath of an explosion that makes Adraa Belwar answerable to her whole country for the lives taken. This book follows Adraa, Jatin and their friends as they work to undo the corrupted magic bleeding through Wickery. The wrongly-imprisoned theme in fantasy novels just does something to me, and this book revolved around it. Just like the first book, the political intrigue follows us into the trials where Adraa is sentenced, into Jatin’s fearless maneuvers to rescue her, and into the future of Wickery. I enjoyed seeing the plot twists, and how the author uses every single element at her disposal to twist it into a new farce — it gives a new meaning to being two-faced! Most of the characters felt more relatable in this sequel, because you could see the different motivations tugging at them, and the choices they had to make to follow a single path. By the end, all the paths lead back to the same point at the apex of the book, where it all comes to a head, but that’s not to say that they don’t face the consequences of each choice along the way. Adraa was beyond strong in this. The first book had an off-beat mention of mind-casting, but this book took it and gave her a new level that had nothing to do with her Touch. Combined with the allies she met on the way, and her refusal to serve the throne above the people, her strength is the firelight of this novel. Jatin was as steadfast as always, completely sure in his love for Adraa. Although he is now pushed into power, and that should lead to a certain amount of development, I felt that it fell flat for Jatin. Most of his choices reverberated with only Adraa’s name — which may have been the point, but we don’t get to see him grow confident into his role as Maharaja of Naupure. It just seems to pop up that he can now alter his tone depending on his audience, and he can be Maharaja because he has the strength and willpower, but we don't see him develop much of that. Given that we do get his POV, I had higher hopes for this! Similarly, many of the fight scenes felt very short and cut-off, lacking details that would enhance each element. I found myself struggling to follow all the colors, fortes and magic spells — especially because every other chapter was a new battle. It all blurred into another, and the plot was very fast paced. If the scenes were slowed down with a few more fillers, this speed may have worked to the author's advantage in the sense that time is not on their side and they have to find the root of the problem as soon as possible. Conversely, established relationships tend to slow the romantic pace down. Jatin and Adraa were very, very cute throughout this novel, and their relationship stayed true to what we know of them. However, it did feel rather stagnant, which may be because of the quick ending. Plot-wise, I can't think of many loose strings, but character-wise, there are quite a few. Although appropriate, I do find myself wishing that we’d gotten to see at least an epilogue further. This book was a scintillating read, and it was a good YA fantasy series for the weekend!

[book-waas-x]

Review - Josh and Gemma Make a Baby

Title: Josh and Gemma Make a Baby Author: Sarah Ready Date Finished: January 6, 2022 Book Publication Date: January 25, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

TW: infertility, endometriosis, miscarriages, IVF procedures

[Thank you Swift & Lewis Publishing LLC and NetGalley for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

This premise was a wild one! I haven’t read a book like this one before!

Gemma is a thirty-two year old divorced woman working for a self-help guru. She’s spent years and years looking for her Mr. Right, but after a disastrous marriage and even worse prospects, she’s decided that she doesn’t want the man — she wants a baby.

The whole premise revolves around Gemma turning towards IVF (in-vitro fertilization) to help her get pregnant as a single mom, but the idea of an anonymous sperm donor freaks her out. So she makes a list of all the qualities she wants to see in her baby, and only one person she knows fits that bill to the last letter — Josh, her brother’s best friend and a constant in her life for the past 24 years. (I say constant, but she knows next to nothing about him and what he does — constant in terms of quantity not quality, I guess!)

Josh agrees to be her sperm donor, but as she starts turning towards Mr. Wrong, she begins to realize exactly where her Mr. Right has been this whole time. The only problem…she doesn’t want to complicate this IVF process by pushing her feelings onto him.

To be perfectly honest, this book was hilarious in so many aspects — Gemma’s family is insane, her support group is unhinged and the dialogues and situations she finds herself in are like no other! The support group has people from very different walks of life, with very different situations in which they’ve all opted for IVF. But somehow, this insane group of puzzle pieces works out in their favour because they get great friends out of it.

Josh’s webcomic is an unpaid main character in this book, in which everyone in Gemma’s life talks and fawns over it and she just hasn’t read it at all in the past two decades. It makes sense that it all comes to a head with it, because there are hints that imply that there’s something Gemma needs to see in it. Also, I liked the little drawings sprinkled throughout!

I really felt for Gemma in the first half of this book, but towards the latter half, I was more confused than anything. It felt like we were taking leaps and bounds with her relationship with Josh in ways that you couldn’t tell how you got there? Somewhere, these events were disconnected enough for me to lose track of the Gemma-Josh train.

If you need a laugh-out-loud contemporary romance that explores the trials and tribulations of trying to enter an unconventional phase of life, then this is for you!

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Review - Bossy

Title: Bossy  Author: N.R. Walker Date Finished: April 2, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

I picked this book up because I was in the middle of recommending M/M contemporary romance to a friend. I noticed this new release and set off on reading it immediately. And honestly? I don’t regret that it’s 4am and I’m drafting this review. Michael Pietersen is a 28-year-old corporate realtor who’s pretty much the titular character. He’s focused, driven, professional and confident in what he does with a dash of passion that almost makes me envy him. He’s cool and collected in the face of his work, and he knows who he is; nothing holds him back from being anything but himself. Bryce Schroeder is a 26-year-old aspiring businessman who’s trying to open his own Singaporean coffee shop in Sydney after being abroad for a few years. The catch? He comes from bank. His father owns one of the biggest hotel chains in Australia, but despite this, Bryce wants nothing more but to build himself up from the beginning. It’s a common trope, but somehow, Bryce made it endearing with his own style — band T-shirts, jeans, and sweet words that don’t quite fit the expected image. Michael and Bryce meet at a bar and leave within five minutes after settling a bet, and they make an arrangement with each other. Friday nights, minimum three orgasms, and no personal talk. For weeks, this works; they have sex all night long without even knowing each other’s names. And then, one of Michael’s coworkers drops his name in front of Bryce, and that plan goes to hell in a handbasket. Finding out Michael’s name, and for Bryce to actually use it, doesn’t add a layer of personal to their arrangement. It only exposes all the small, vulnerable things they’ve been doing together anyway. Bryce has confided in Michael about his father, and Michael’s talked about his own family with Bryce. All before he gets to know Bryce’s name himself. I was so happy that this book didn’t transgress any professional lines, and I especially love that this didn’t turn into a whole “you’re my client, we can’t do this” type ordeal either. This book was not about pain, either. There are so many books, TV shows, movies that say they’re representative, but only speak of painful, difficult stories (some of which are very exaggerated). Coming out in queer stories, arranged marriages in immigrant stories, etc. are all very valid experiences, but to be truly representative is also to include the everyday experience, to show us happy, too! I was so relieved to see that in this book, to just have them being truly happy with each other, and despite the conflict, not being pulled apart. The story didn’t quite pick up for me until Bryce learned Michael’s name (around halfway?), and that might be because of the world-building the author was trying to establish — all the little details that complete the motivation and drive behind the characters. And it may have been predictable how Michael finally gets to know the man he’s been sleeping with all these weeks — they meet up at a real estate showing. There was also a lot of “breaking the fourth wall” where the narrator was speaking directly to the reader, which generally throws me out of the story. Highly recommend it for some cute, contemporary romance with a hint of spice!

[book-waas-x]

Review - Faking It

Title: Faking It  Author: Portia MacIntosh Date Finished: January 26, 2021 Book Publication Date: January 26, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you NetGalley and Homewood Books for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

I found myself laughing so hard during this at some points! 

This Animal Crossing wave is everywhere.

34-year-old Ella has had the Worst Week™. She’s already working a job that doesn’t pay her enough, but salt to the wound, the new employee who she gallantly lets stay on her couch burns her whole apartment down...alongside a restaurant. (The damage a cigarette can cause.)

Being fired and evicted sets a series of events in motion that leads to Ella posing as her twin for a few weeks. The only problem? They live very different lives. Ella’s twin Emma is miles more successful, on paper. She’s got the better job, a husband, and two kids that put Ella in a “less successful” light. 

Ella’s not the one in jail for parking infractions though, so there’s that!

Ella steps into Emma’s shoes, and by that, she steps in all of Emma’s shoes. The model housewife, the mom, the one navigating PTA moms and all the while, deal with her own urges and desires on the side.

It was an easy read, and for once, I found myself reading a romance book where I didn’t care at all about the romance - though it was definitely sweet. I was so much more invested in the anxious drama of Ella’s life, where she’s learning that what’s perfect almost never actually is. I was expecting that this wasn’t going to feel real to me but it did. She’s been estranged from her sister for a hot minute too, and this allows her to learn more about Emma’s life (and her own) and there’s an insight in this book that I didn’t expect at all.

I loved Ella getting through to her sister’s kids, Henry and Millie, and I absolutely loved the underlying message of perfection being super overrated. Ella’s assimilating into a stage of life that she’s not familiar with, that is associated with “perfection”, that she, wittingly or unwittingly, compares herself to. But there’s drama, gossip, sharks and amazing quips throughout, complete with a twist that made me cry just a little bit. You know what I’d like to see? A movie adaptation of this. That’s it.

I haven’t read anything by this author but I’m definitely going to be looking them up now! This was a great, light read that stays with you for a while, and it’s got those plot points you won’t even see coming.

[book-waas-x]

Review - Happy Singles Day

Title: Happy Singles Day Author: Ann Marie Walker Date Finished: January 11, 2021 Book Publication Date: January 19, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you NetGalley and SOURCEBOOKS Casablanca for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

3 stars! We’ve all made bookings that have ended up nothing like they looked on the internet, right? So has Paige Parker. The very first thing that resonated with me about Paige is that she’s a workaholic, much like myself, except I have zero self-control and won’t stop reading. She’s been working for years on her own as a business owner with no breaks or vacations. When she sees an advert for Singles Appreciation Day (SAD, right?), she takes it — and her assistant’s multiple hints — as a sign to get out and spend a week at a cute, quaint inn in North Carolina. For the first vacation she’s taken in years, everything that can go wrong does go wrong. No one mentioned that cars weren’t allowed on the island, the inn looks nothing like it did online, the innkeeper is mean and on top of that, a storm strands her here until she can finally catch the ferry. Lucas Croft, on the other hand, was not prepared for any renters. The inn was his and his late wife’s dream, and in the two years she’s been gone, the inn has become one stiff wind away from inhabitable by guests. One meddling sister later, he’s got an uptight businesswoman on his hands, in his space, in the space his late wife decorated. This is a pure got-off-on-the-wrong-foot trope, at its finest. It’s puppies stuck in a storm that bring them together, and in the week that Paige spends on the island, she loses some of her ice, and forms bonds with Lucas’ sister and daughter. Bonds she didn’t know she could form — kids are not her forte. Maddie, an almost-five-year-old legend, made this book so much more enjoyable, because kids will say the weirdest things. I love how the author showed that although kids might not understand some things, they pick up on more things than we think. There was also the vulnerability between the two characters, as much as the plot could afford them. I was so glad that the ending didn’t turn out to be the female protagonist going back on her word! While I did think that multiple plot points were rushed, including the end, there was an air of fantasy to this story that kept me out of my head for the evening. It was a quick read, and I enjoyed that. I definitely would've liked to get to know the other characters some more, because I felt that I didn't really know Paige and Lucas as much as I wanted to know them. All in all, cute read for an afternoon, curled up on a back porch!

[book-waas-x]

Review - The Innkeeper’s Daughter

Title: The Innkeeper’s Daughter Author: Bianca M. Schwarz Date Finished: November 13, 2020 Book Publication Date: January 12, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you to NetGalley and Central Avenue Publishing for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review]

Review:

Let me preface this by saying it has been a very long time since I’ve read a good mystery book, and historical fiction is one I’ve been meaning to throw myself back into. This one hooked me from just the cover, because it’s so gorgeous, and I don’t think I’m free of its clutches yet.

This book started out very intense, right into the nitty-gritty of it without beating around the bush. There were butts kicked, no names taken, and honestly? This was worth every single letter.

I absolutely regret having to stop reading this for a bit because of stupid exams. And do not be mistaken, I will be back to read this all at once.

Eliza comes from a troubled past, and in one moment of courage, manages to escape. She meets a beacon of light who takes her away from it all. Henry finds her in the street, and whisks her away to his home and entrusts his housekeeper, Mrs. Tibbet, with her. In the weeks of healing that follow, Eliza and Henry grow into a friendship that is unique to both of them — to Eliza who’s seen so little of it and to Henry, who’s seen most friendships weathered by war or lust.

The best part of this book is undoubtedly seeing Eliza grow into herself, but in a way where she’s not just unearthing something dormant. It’s her actively learning and picking up new skills from all the amazing characters around her, it’s her blossoming into her confidence. We never see her really cursing the way she grew up as much as we see her cursing the people she grew up around and I loved that about her — not everything was about getting a reputable status in society as much as it was earning the opportunities she’d been deprived of.

The conflict throws her right back into a dark, gritty world filled with prostitutes, pimps, and a very large misconception about the nuances of pain and pleasure. Henry and his circle of confidants draw her in without a second thought, and while their friendship blossoms into them being lovers, Henry never loses his awe for her intellect. He mentions it over and over in a way that doesn’t feel like he’s trying to persuade; rather, it sounds more like someone who’s prideful of a person close to their heart. Anyway, I loved Henry for his doting, kind nature that seemed quite at odds with how he saw himself.

Eliza is truly what I personally look for in strong female characters: she doesn’t reject traditionally feminine things, but she’s also just as unapologetic in her approach when she deals with people in circles that aren’t (according to “society rules”) meant for her. She plays a huge hand in uncovering this sex trafficking ring that could’ve ruined many more lives, fueled by her motivation to stop men from treating women like objects, and also by the sheer knowledge that it could’ve been her in that position.

Henry was an amazing character as well, because he unearthed many of his layers and roles as the story went on. He was born in a wealthy family and while this wealth is mentioned multiple times throughout the book, he also sees it as a sort of pawn, if you will, to reach for information to make the world a better place. And the sweet way he treats Eliza is the cherry on top, truly.

The author uses dialogue and words that speak of exactly where the story is set, including the multiple cockney accents, the endearing French accent, etc. The story is artfully spun amongst a balance of light and dfive ark themes and with amazing minor characters. Tibby, Emily, Robert, Sara, Allen, etc. all made for a wonderful novel. Bianca Schwarz leaves you breathless by the time the last word comes around and I still haven't caught mine.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a dark suspense with a dash of romance and thrill! There are moments that are very dark, almost sending you spiraling, but there are quirky moments full of Eliza and Henry’s delightful interactions. There’s an eroticism to the historical romance, and a fantasy in being set in a time that doesn’t exist anymore. There’s the sadistic nature of the antagonists, and the determination of the other characters to rescue people from that fate. The only thing I personally didn't like was the age difference between Eliza and Henry, given that she'd just turned 18 and Henry was well a decade older. Regardless, it’s a package I could never regret picking up, only putting down.

Definitely going for a re-read at some point!

[book-waas-x]

Review - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Title: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid Date Finished: January 3, 2021 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

(somebody tell me how to rate more than 5 stars) The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo left me breathless. It’s the only word that comes to mind as I sit to write this review. This book was recommended over and over on every social media platform I’m on, and while I’m normally very wary about reading books with so much hype, this one blew all my expectations out of the water. To this day, it’s the only recommendation that’s affected me this way. Before I picked this up, I was wondering what could have led this woman to have seven husbands in her lifetime. I wondered the different paths the author could’ve taken with the story. After actually reading the book? Safe to say I missed a lot of it by miles. I actually hadn’t heard about the LGBTQ+ storyline before I started reading this, so I was thoroughly shocked by it, but it made so much sense when you take in the historical context of Evelyn’s time. The book starts out by us meeting Monique Grant, a journalist who’s been specifically requested by Evelyn Hugo to write a piece. When she finally meets the living legend, she finds that Evelyn’s intentions were to commission her into writing a biography, to be released after she dies. The actress is ruthless when she sets her mind to something, and she doesn’t let anyone take her for granted. This much was evident even before she started retelling her story. The best part of this book, in my opinion, was how unapologetic Evelyn was for the life she’d lived. In the textbook context of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, many of the things she’d done could have, and were, regarded as scandalous. Yet, she knew the risks she was taking, and took them for herself, and for her true love. She’s completely honest as she recalls all the warped and negative things she’s done, and that in itself is a big ol’ middle finger to the patriarchy she made it big in. The twists and turns of her life are ones that you don’t see until they’re in front of you, but looking back, the hints were all there. The book gave us an insight to the dirty politics of a film industry as well, the steps people can and will take to make it big. But in the midst of all of that, from Evelyn’s narration, we see a plea to be understood, to be humanized. For a woman that’s been sexualized her entire life, and has used that very weakness in people around her to earn more than anyone combined, it’s quite a powerful message. She took all the ways men could have brought her down, and built herself into the legend she is today — all without an ounce of remorse, as she should. All the other characters lend to the story in ways that you can’t imagine the story without them. The lessons Monique learns from Evelyn are ones that a lot of women, myself included, can stand to learn: take what you want with no regrets, and demand your right to take up the same space as the men around you. Unapologetically.

[book-waas-x]

Reading Challenge 2021!

Hi y’all!

So, my best friend and I came up with this reading bingo that you can play either with yourself or with someone else!!

If you’re playing without a partner, here are the rules:

Use a random number generator to pick a number from 1-49.

If you land on 1-32, use the prompt list given below to choose your book. The book must include the trope given!

Any number from 33-49 is a “free” space. You get to choose any book.

Mark the space on your bingo board, and read away!

If you’re playing with a partner, here are the rules:

You and your partner choose 1 day a week. On that day, you both pick a number together.

Use a random number generator to pick a number from 1-49.

If you land on 1-32, use the prompt given below to choose. Confirm the book with your partner to make sure the trope is included.

Any number from 33-49 is a free space, but your partner gets to choose the book you read! 

Both of you mark the corresponding space on the bingo board, and read away!

The aim of the game is to get a bingo, for sure, but it’s also to expand your reading tastes! The game can also be played with more than two people, just adjust your boards and go.

Of course, feel free to adjust any rules. It’s also fun to track which book is read for each prompt. And also...try not to pick your books in advance ;)

[Reading Challenge 2021 - PDF Link]

[book-waas-x]

Review - Fairy Godmothers, Inc.

Title: Fairy Godmothers, Inc. Author: Saranna DeWylde Date Finished: October 12, 2020 Book Publication Date: December 29, 2020 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you to NetGalley and Zebra Books for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review]

Review:

Love laced with a little magic! This story was a new twist on fairytale magic, and I picked this up at 2am and didn’t put it down until it was finished! (I regret nothing) Lucky and Ransom have a heavy history from college, resulting in a few misnomers and a few harsh feelings that result in their walls being thrown up, locked in place and secured with electrical wire. But when their godmothers ask them for a favour, there isn’t a way they can say no — they have to get married. Fake, of course. They both know it. Yup. Sure. I’m a sucker for that trope, but it has to be written in a way that doesn’t make you roll your eyes with disbelief, and this one was amazing! Lucky, funnily enough, thinks she’s the most unlucky thing to ever hit this planet, the name being an ironic jinx to her life. People around her get affected by her “curse” except those that are immune. This curse forms the base of much of the conflict of the story, but her character is the thing I liked the most about her — she has an inexplicable drive to do good, and fix all wrong she might have done, even if it could have been pure coincidence, or karma coming out to play. She’s very self-dependent and always looks to help others even at the expense of herself. Ransom’s character was such a delight because you know he’s a billionaire, you know he runs this whole empire, yet the small-town boy vibes don’t go anywhere. Through the whole story, the billionaire-and-CEO-of-a-chocolate-empire stays at the back of your head, but when you read about him, you almost can’t believe that we’re talking about the same person. It wasn’t like a dual personality thing; he was a humble character whose wealth was probably not even in the top ten things I’d say about him and that was wonderful to see. And then knowing how much he values his employees over his profits? We love that. Gwen, Roderick, the godmothers, the monsters, Red, Grammy, and all the other minor characters lended a new layer of fairytale to the story. It would’ve been awesome to see these expanded on but perhaps in another book! I did have trouble connecting to it at the start, because there were so many things in the air all at once, but it grew on me as it went on, and it was just funny enough to keep me entertained. The little quirks and gags throughout, combined with the ironically down-to-earth characters, made this a wonderfully fairytale read without having to suspend too much belief. I would’ve loved to see more about Lucky’s background and I’m looking forward to seeing if there are any more books in the works! After all, we could all do with a little magic this year ;)

[hazy-october]

source

[elisaa-suu]

Kendine ait küçük bir ev, kitap dolu bir kütüphane, karakterli bir dost, çiçek dolu birbahçe.. Dünyanın en büyük hazinesidir. 💐

[book-waas-x]

Review - Tall, Tatted and Tempting

Title: Tall, Tatted and Tempting Author: Tammy Falkner Date Finished: November 30, 2020 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

4.5 rounded up to 5 stars!!

It's been a very hot minute since I've read a book like this one but would you believe me if I said I got this series' recommendation off TikTok? And the way she has a regular-sexy version and a sexy-lite version for readers who don’t quite prefer that stuff? Legend behaviour.

Tammy Falkner adds another definition to the "rough-around-the-edges" trope, with both of these characters from vastly different backgrounds, meeting over common ground.

Emily, also known as Kit, ran away from the life her dad wanted her to accept — all the way from California to New York. She spends her days earning money by playing on the streets, and at night, if she can get a room, she stays at the homeless shelter.

Logan Reed helps his brothers out at their tattoo parlor; he's Deaf, and while he can talk, he prefers to use Sign language to communicate. An impromptu chance meeting between the two leads to a broken nose, a new tattoo, and a sense of intrigue neither of them can really shake.

But there's more; Kit has dyslexia, and that makes using paper and pen to communicate difficult, so Logan uses his voice around her. Still, as the story goes on, she begins to pick up more and more Sign language as she becomes a part of the Reed family.

I honestly waited to read this series until I got my Kindle and I plowed through the first two books in two days because I was in love with them (you can take this as a review for both books). The way that they both come together, and despite all the foul language and the always sometimes scandalous thoughts, there was always this undertone of respect and admiration between the two of them and I loved that so much.

The only thing that got me was that despite being over two books (and potentially more), the storylines didn’t seem to develop all the way, and there were so many lines of thought to follow and I found myself going back at some points to cross-check a reference.

Seeing them support one another, putting themselves out of their comfort zones was amazing. A Deaf protagonist (the titular character ;)), a woman that knows what she wants and accepts nothing else, and a band of brothers that step up for their own — I am so glad I picked this up!

[elheartthings]

he is so proud of his boy <3

[book-waas-x]

Review - Write Before Christmas

Title: Write Before Christmas Author: Julie Hammerle Date Finished: November 27, 2020 Book Publication Date: November 30, 2020 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

[Thank you NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Review:

As a writer myself, this resonated, strongly.

I expected this to be a lot longer than it actually was, and I was actually kind of sad when it ended!

Matt is a famous fantasy author whose books have been turned into a popular TV show. He’s on a deadline to get his final installment out as soon as possible, but the problem is...he can’t write. Even a change of scenery isn’t helping his cause...until Dani comes along.

Dani is a recently divorced forty-five year old who is scrambling to make things better for her and her teenage daughter by becoming independent. They’re living with her parents right now, but Dani knows she can’t be dependent on them forever.

Through chance meetings, vision boards, crazy yoga classes, and one very endearing life-coach, Dani lands herself a job working as Matt’s personal housekeeper so he can focus on finishing his book without being distracted by other things. As it turns out, he’s still distracted, but this is a distraction that kicks Matt’s motivation into high gear, and he finishes the book!

But naturally, the TV writers aren’t happy with it, and in the midst of premiere party planning, Instagram accounts, Christmas games and a fast approaching deadline for Matt to leave the small town to go back to Indianapolis, he and Dani go through quite a few things while trying to make the most of the time they have.

The only thing that they hadn’t counted on...was love.

I loved Dani so much. She was level-headed, calm and the way she wasn’t completely familiar with most things social media was very cute. Some of the food she made was making me hungry by the end of it! I also loved the way her and Kelsie’s relationship seemed less mother-daughter and more like friends. Matt, on the other hand, had tear-my-hair-out-with-this-block moments that are so familiar to anyone that’s tried to pen anything down and I found myself relating more to him than I thought I would. Watching him take control of his own life was also *chef's kiss*

I did think it was a little incomplete in regards to the divorce storyline, because it didn’t seem like Kelsie had completely come to terms with it at the beginning, and I found myself looking for where that would be discussed. Regardless, this was an amazing, quick read!

[book-waas-x]

Review - Thank You, Next

Title: Thank You, Next Author: Sophie Ranald Date Finished: November 16, 2020 Book Publication Date: November 30, 2020 Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

[Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Review:

If you’re a woman who’s ever been on social media in general, you’ll resonate with this, very strongly (and really, if you’ve ever been on a dating app, yeah).

Zoe is a twenty-eight year old chef who runs the Ginger Cat, a popular pub named after her own cat, Frazzle. She makes an executive decision with her sous chef, Robbie, to join Tinder in a bid to find someone to make her feel less lonely.

Only the twist? Horoscopes.

Zoe believes strongly in her Stargazer app, so looking for Mr. Right, or even the frogs she has to kiss to get there...it seems intuitive that she look for them based on zodiac compatibility. Or so Robbie says, who dares her to go through each horoscope with an open mind.

And thus begins a string of lewd, unwanted pictures, and a shorter string of dates, from bad to worse to alright.

It was amusing to watch her fumble through, and even more amusing to watch the author accurately pin the different types of dates; over the top, much too little, far too casual, outright liars, people who hide things like a whole kid, etc.

I think most people can relate to dating disasters in general (not me because as a personal thing I wouldn’t really touch a dating app with a ten foot pole xD), and that’s what made this book such a fun read. I loved reading about all the different characters, and I honestly started shipping the endgame couple from the very beginning so I was very happy with that ending! I do wish we’d gotten to see a little more of them, but alas, that’s what imagination is for!

(Side note: after all these years of not knowing what Dungeons and Dragons was, this book finally enlightened me!)

Dani’s storyline also has a special place in my heart, with her enthusiasm, and her drive to do the things she wants, even as she stumbles along. Her and Zoe’s friendship was amazing, and I love how things turned out for her!

All in all, this was an amazing light read, and if you’ve ever been subject to the disasters of online dating, you’ll enjoy this one too!

[book-waas-x]

Review - Love In Lockdown

Title: Love in Lockdown  Author: Chloe James Date Finished: November 14, 2020 Book Publication Date: November 23, 2020  Goodreads Links: [Book] [Review]

[Thank you NetGalley and Avon Books for providing this book to me in exchange for an honest review!]

Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

So I might just be in love with this.

When you see a book involving pandemic, especially given that we’re still living through it, parts of you might not want to read it because...yeah it’s difficult. Even through a book, it’s difficult to keep living the same horror we see on the news, especially if reading is your escape from it all.

But this book, to me, symbolizes hope.

This is the first lockdown book I’ve read, because I’ve studiously been avoiding reading any pandemic fiction, but Sophia and Jack intrigued me and I absolutely had to pick this one up.

Sophia and Jack are neighbors on different floors. They meet by chance, when Sophia’s having an emotional moment on her balcony and Jack hears her from the balcony above. And thus, as simple as that, strikes up a wonderful friendship between the two of them.

Slowly but surely, the other people in their building get drawn into a large group of hope and coping, each of them contributing something to stop each other from going out of their minds during the whole lockdown. Even Jack, who can’t leave the house at all, finds a way with Sophia’s assistance to provide what I call a tele-friend service!

Sophia is so bright and bubbly, full of hope and she’s a character that just goes with the flow and I loved that about her. As problems pop up, she weaves around them in her own optimistic way, and given that it’s become so difficult to see a beacon of light, it was refreshing to read that!

Jack is stuck at home, but he’s fun, easy-going, and even stir-crazy, he’s trying to make his neighbours’ lives a little better. There’s the basket he exchanges with Sophia, and the conversations he has with Greg, Bertie and the rest of them. Then he’s also become an uncle for the first time, and that was wonderful to see too!

Sophia and Jack, through these conversations, began to fall in love with one another and even through the obstacles, they still manage to find time and space for one another. I loved reading this because the book wasn’t completely about the romance, and it sure as hell wasn’t romanticizing the pandemic. They don't even see each other's faces until the absolute end!

I absolutely loved the way the author weaved in all the other neighbours’ experiences from Sophia and Jack’s alternative POVs, and Bertie’s story made me cry a little. All in all, this was a great read for anyone looking for a little hope and simple romance in the time of a pandemic!