Play! By Sephora May 2016

Play! By Sephora is a new monthly subscription box b Sephora. It costs $10 a month and you received 5 beauty and skincare samples plus a perfume sample each month. Previously, you needed to put yourself onto a wait-list and wait to receive an email before you could subscribe, as they were rolling it out to limited quantities. However, I think that as of the month of May it is now completely open to the public.

In addition to the products, Sephora includes a booklet that includes information about the product, the brand, and then tips of how to use the products. Also at the back of the book is a Play! PASS. This Pass gives you a complimentary one-on-one session with a Sephora artist as well as an extra 50 Beauty Insider points when you scan the pass at the register with any purchase. If you have the Sephora app, you can also scan the images of the products to learn more about them.

One of the differences between this box and other boxes is that it is not personalized. Everyone who signs up for this subscription receives the same products. The theme changes each month and the products follow that theme. This month’s theme was The Forces of Nature, featuring natural products.

As a heads up, the boxes are a little bit larger and will not fit into a small apartment sized mailbox. For reference, a Birchbox box is able to fit almost perfectly into my mailbox, but this one has no chance. Therefore, I’ve had to go to the post office both months to pick up my box.

The products I received this month were as follows:
 

Atelier Cologne in Orange Sanguine (Full-size $120)- This perfume has notes of blood orange, bitter orange, jasmine, geranium, amber woods, tonka beans, and sandalwood. It’s a very nice citrus smell that is a bit masculine. I feel like this could almost be a unisex scent. When I first smelled it I wasn’t quite sure about it, but once I put it on I liked it. It definitely has a cologne scent as opposed to a perfume and I enjoyed it. It is a bit expensive though.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask (Full-size $28)- This product is a nutrient-rich repair treatment that is meant to strengthen, restore moisture, repair split ends, and increase elasticity. It is an overnight treatment which kind of confuses me, but is neat. You are meant to massage it in and then wash it out in the morning. I am not a morning shower person, so I don’t know how often I will use this but I will try to give it a try at least once.

TARTE Tartiest Lip Crayon in Latergram (Full-size $18)- This Lip Crayon is a two-in-one lip liner that works as both a liner and a lip primer. The color itself is a bit brown for my tastes, though I might have a lipstick that it matches. I also didn’t find it to be smooth when I used it on my hand. It felt like I needed to use a lot of force to get a decent line. It is hard to get off though so it should las a while!

Left Swatch-TARTE in Latergram Right Swatch- Bite in Kimchi

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Kimchi (Full-size $26)- Bite Beauty is a brand that makes lipsticks with all edible ingredients. Their lipsticks are known to be highly pigmented as well as nourishing. I currently own a lipstick of theirs and I really like it. The pigment is great, it doesn’t feel drying, and they last and wear really nicely. This color is no different. Even though it’s matte, it never felt like my lips were dry. I was also able to eat dinner and was left with a nice stain of color on my lips. I’m really excited to have this bright pink for summer!

Bite Amuse Bouche in Kimchi

KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C Sleeping Facial (Full-size  $48)- While I may not be able to get behind an overnight hair mask, I can definitely get behind an overnight face mask! This mask is said to even skin tone and improve skin texture. Vitamin C helps to brighten skin and the ingredient imperata cylindrical extract is meant to release moisture. I really like the KORRES brand so I’m looking forward to trying this product. During the night is when your skin works its hardest, so night creams, serums, and masks are very important.

Origins Maskimizer Skin-Optimizing Mask Primer (Full-size $22)- This is a new product that is meant to prime and optimize your skin for masks. It claims to improve speadability and rinseability of masks. It sounds a bit gimmicky to me but seems like it could be fun. It does mention that it is not good to use with peel off masks, so if that’s the kind you use, this isn’t going to be for you.

BONUS- Origins Clear Improvement Masks- With the Maskimizer, Origins sent two masks to try. I’ve only ever heard good things about their masks but have never tried them. One of the masks is a charcoal mask, which is meant to help clear pores. The other is the Drink Up Intensive overnight mask that is meant to hydrate. I am so excited about both of these bonuses! Now I have not only one, but two overnight masks to try.

This box is great! I am excited about almost every one of these products with the exception of the hair mask and the TARTE lip crayon. This box is a great value and if you’re looking for a new beauty box I would highly recommend it. For only $10 you receive some high end brands that you wouldn’t receive in boxes of the same price. 
 

Top Ten TBR for Summer 2016

I definitely have a specific taste of books that I love to read in the summer. Because of that, I sometimes find myself saving books specifically to read during the summer months. Usually these are books with pretty, summery colors that are pretty light/easy to read.  While cleaning out my to-be-read (TBR) list I started to get excited by a bunch of books I had on my list that knew I wanted to read over the summer, prompting me to make this list!
 

Open Road Summer By: Emery Lord- When this book first came out a few years ago I had no desire to read it. Yes, everyone was raving about it, but for some reason it didn’t appeal to me. Hen for book club we read The Start of My and You which I really enjoyed. Between the cover and knowing that Lord is an author I enjoyed, I know this will be a great summer read!

The Unexpected Everything By: Morgan Matson- Oh my goodness you guys, I am so excited for this book! Last summer I devoured all of Matson’s books. When I found out she was coming out with a new one in May, I knew I wanted to save it for my summer reading. Her books always have great characters as well as great covers. Plus, she’s the first author to ever make me cry!

The List By: Siobhan Vivian- This book ended up on my TBR for Summer list mostly because it has been on my Goodreads TBR list for a long time. I want to make it a goal to knock off a few books because otherwise why are they still on there? This book looks cute and I think it’s going to be a good light book that I will whip through in a day at the pool. I also listened to Siobhan on a panel at BookCon and she seems so great! If I ever needed persuading to read one of her books, listening to her speak was all I needed!

Emmy & Oliver By: Robin Begay- Another book that’s been on my TBR list for a while that I’m going to finally read. It’s one of those books that’s maybe a little darker than what I usually read in the summer but every time I see it on my list I want to read it but get distracted by other books.

The Summer After You and Me By: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski- This is one of those books that got added to the list based on cover and title alone. Add to the fact that this is about a girl who lives on the Jersey Shore and starts a romance with a tourist there for the summer? Sold! This is exactly the kind of book I love to read in the summer that just seems to not fit during the rest of the year.
 

The Life Intended By: Kristen Harmed- Another BEAUTIFUL cover (sense a theme?). This book has been popping up all over the place for me for some reason and I think I’m going to settle down and read it this summer. This book is a little heavier that most of the other books on this list, but it is nice to break things up a bit. Life Intended follows a woman who lost her husband 10 years ago and is about to get remarried when her first husband starts to show up in her dreams. There’s a definite possibility this will be a tear jerker!

First & Then By: Emma Mills- This book ended up on my TBR from the Debut Author Challenge last year. Unfortunately, with all of the wedding prep it got lost. This story is about a high schooler with a love of football. While it may seem more like something I’d read during the fall (because I tend to love my summer books taking place in the summer), I think it will be fun to read.

Boys of Summer By: Jessica Brody- While the cover may make this book look like everything else on this list, it’s definitely different and I’m excited! This book is actually told from the perspective of three boys! I haven’t read a summer novel that is solely told from the guys’ perspective so I’m really excited to read this one and switch things up.

Love & Gelato By: Jenna Evans Welch- This book is a Debut Author Challenge book for this year! The main character gets to spend the summer in Italy. Who doesn’t want to read a book about Italy, romance, and gelato during the summer?

1984 By: George Orwell- In addition to spending my summers reading light, fun, summer romance novels, I like to take time to read books that would take too much brain power to read during the school year when I have so much else I’m focusing on. This summer I’m going to finally tackle 1984! It’s a classic that I’ve wanted to read for a while and I’ve always felt like I didn’t have the energy. Hopefully this summer I will!

Do you have any books on your must read list for this summer?
 

Our Shared Self May 2016: How to be a Woman

By: Caitlin Moran
Published Year:
Publisher: Ebury Press
Pages: 312

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them? Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother.




Our Shared Shelf is an online book club started by Emma Watson. You can join the group on Goodreads and take part in the discussions as well. I don’t take part in the discussions, but I do like reading the books because they take me out of my comfort zone.

                                                           First Impressions

I have seen this book around and have never been inspired to pick it up. I just never felt like Caitlin Moran would be someone that I would connect with. The cover makes her seem a lot harder/edgier than I am. I was a little nervous when this book came up, but I was excited to see if I would like it as much as the Gloria Steinem book.

                                                            What I thought

I think my first impression was pretty spot on. While I enjoyed more of the book than I thought I would, Caitlin Moran was a bit hard for me to connect with.

This memoir starts with Caitlin Moran at age 13 and follows her pretty much until current day. I will say that this book starts off a bit more, um, graphic(?) than I thought it would be. I don’t want to say that I’m a prude, but I’m not as vocal about my sexuality as Moran seems to be. At times this made me a little uncomfortable because I didn’t see the necessity of it. It definitely bordered on the edge of vulgar and I just didn’t like it.

I almost gave up on the book after the first few chapters, but decided to stick with it and I’m glad that I did. There were definitely views that Moran had on feminism that I thought were very interesting. I liked that she pretty much stated that if you are a woman, you are a feminist. She expressed that being a feminist does not mean you have to be a granola crunching, bra burning, man hating female. She explained that feminism is believing that all people, man and woman, are just human and that is where the need for equality comes from.

I think that her voice gives a very modern breath to feminism that would be wonderful for younger generations to read. While there were some chapters I could’ve done without, I think the overall

While I don’t feel as passionately about this book as I did the Gloria Steinem book, I think it has a great message and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who picks it up. I think that it’s a bit fresher and more relatable for younger girls/women than the Steinem novel. It expresses a lot of common opinions and then says “that is feminism. That thing that you believe that you didn’t think is feminism? Well it is.” I think this is definitely necessary in our world and I appreciated it. Moran’s voice wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I’m glad I stuck with it. 
 

Birchbox May 2016

In case you are unaware, Birchbox is a monthly beauty subscription box. It costs $10 a month and you receive multiple sample size item. These boxes allow you to try tons of new products that you may have never even heard of before. The other fun thing about Birchbox is that every time you purchase an item from their site, or review a product from your box, you receive rewards points! Once you collect 100 points, you get $10 off of your next purchase. These points definitely add up quickly between buying your box, and reviewing the products.

Each month, Birchbox allows subscribers to pick one of their samples. If you prefer surprises, you don’t have to pick one. You can choose to be surprised instead. They also offer full boxes that have been made by a guest. The sample choices this month were Supergood! Sun Defying Sunscreen Oil with Meadowfoam SPF 50, Real Chemistry-Luminous 3-Minute Peel for Body, Vita Liberata Fabulous Self-Tanning Gradual Lotion, and COOLA Classic Sport Face SPF 50 Whit Tea Moisturizer. There was also the offer of a Naturally Radiant Featured Box.

The products I received this month were as follows:

Juliette Has A Gun Another Aud (Full-size $145- This perfume is described as deep and woody with bergamot, raspberry, and musk. I feel like the Raspberry is very prominent as this perfume smells very sweet to me. I think it’s ok, but I would never pay $145 for it.

Ouidad Climate Control Heat & Humidity Gel (Full-Size $26)- This is a gel that is meant to tame frizz and shape curls. It claims that it won’t leave them crunchy, so I’m curious to see if it really works. My leave-in conditioning cream was recently discontinued, so I’m on the look-out for new hair products.
 

ModelCo Lip Lacquer in Morocco (Full-size trio $16)- The shade of this lip color is very meh. It’s the typical pinky nude that I feel like I always get in samples. I don’t like the smell at all. It smells very similar to some other product. I can’t remember exactly what it is but when I smell it I have this feeling that I’ve smelled it before and didn’t like it then either.

Supergoop Everyday SPF 50 with Cellular Response Technology (Full-size $48)- In the summer, you can always use another small SPF that’s water resistant. It’s a bit stronger than what I usually use, but I’m sure I’ll use it.

Vita Liberata Fabulous Self-Tanning Gradual Lotion (Full-size $30)- This was my sample choice. I’ve never used a self-tanner before, so I’m a little wary about this. Unfortunately, the sample choice selection wasn’t great so I picked this one over others. I hope to try it out on my legs and see what happens.

Overall, I’m a bit meh about this book. They’re not bad products, but I’m not overly excited by it. I’ve been playing with the idea of not continuing my Birchbox subscription and the last two months have confirmed this a bit for me. For now, I’m going to take a break from Birchbox so this will be the last unboxing you see from me for a while. I don’t have any hard feelings towards Birchbox, but for now I’m going to take a break.
 

Book Club May 2016

The Improbability of Love
By: Hannah Rothschild
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 409

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When lovelorn Annie McDee stumbles across a dirty painting in a junk shop while looking for a present for an unsuitable man, she has no idea what she has discovered. Soon she finds herself drawn unwillingly into the tumultuous London art world, populated by exiled Russian oligarchs, avaricious Sheikas, desperate auctioneers and unscrupulous dealers, all scheming to get their hands on her painting - a lost eighteenth-century masterpiece called ‘The Improbability of Love’. Delving into the painting’s past, Annie will uncover not just an illustrious list of former owners, but some of the darkest secrets of European history – and in doing so she might just learn to open up to the possibility of falling in love again.

                                                            What I thought

The Improbability of Love is about a long lost painting that is discovered by an average woman in a junk shop. No one knows that this painting is valuable as it is covered in dirt and grime and has been missing for so long no one believes that it could be real. The book is told across a multitude of perspectives, including the painting itself.

I don’t know if it’s because I’m not very into art and therefore don’t know much about it, but I just could not get into this book. I typically enjoy books that are told from multiple perceptions, but this one did not work for me. I felt like there were too many characters and story lines and only two of them ended up developed.

If each perspective had been fleshed out and written as its own story, I think those individual books would’ve been interesting. However, I feel as though Rothschild took on too much at once. The beginning of the story sets the stage at the auction with brief introductions of a handful of characters looking to bid on the painting. I was immediately curious to learn more about those characters and was excited to see how they would all intertwine. However, many of those characters we heard from once, in a brief chapter, and never heard from again. It made me wonder why we were even introduced to them in the first place.

In addition to that, there were way too many characters to keep track of and as a result, I felt as though random bit of information were thrown into part of the story to “surprise” the reader, but instead made me feel like I was trying to be tricked or confused.

The beginning of the story is very slow in the set up. I didn’t find myself interested in the book until about halfway through, and then by the last 50 pages I was bored again. I got so frustrated by the end of the book that I even skipped a few pages to get to the last two chapters. Maybe the problem here was more the editor than the author. So much of this book could’ve been cut out without affecting any of the story, but for some reason it was left in. In the end, this book was just not my cup of tea.

                                                 What Book Club Thought

Apparently this book wasn’t anyone’s cup of tea. Only half of us finished the book, so there wasn’t a mass amount of discussion. We all agreed that the summary for this book was a bit of a bait and switch and were a bit disappointed. There were mixed feelings on the painting having a voice, although we all agreed that we enjoyed the information that it presented. Unfortunately, because none of us enjoyed the book, I don’t have much to share that I didn’t express above.


Next Book Club

My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan By: Seth Rudetsky

Amazon

Book Club Date: June 2nd 2016

The Love that Split the World

y: Emily Henry
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 396

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Natalie Cleary must risk her future and leap blindly into a vast unknown for the chance to build a new world with the boy she loves. 

Natalie’s last summer in her small Kentucky hometown is off to a magical start... until she starts seeing the “wrong things.” They’re just momentary glimpses at first—her front door is red instead of its usual green, there’s a pre-school where the garden store should be. But then her whole town disappears for hours, fading away into rolling hills and grazing buffalo, and Nat knows something isn’t right.

That’s when she gets a visit from the kind but mysterious apparition she calls “Grandmother,” who tells her: “You have three months to save him.” The next night, under the stadium lights of the high school football field, she meets a beautiful boy named Beau, and it’s as if time just stops and nothing exists. Nothing, except Natalie and Beau.

Emily Henry’s stunning debut novel is Friday Night Lights meets The Time Traveler’s Wife, and perfectly captures those bittersweet months after high school, when we dream not only of the future, but of all the roads and paths we’ve left untaken.

                                                                First Impressions

Are you kidding me? This cover is beautiful! I love it! Then when I saw the description of Time Traveler’s Wife meets Friday Night Lights I was extra intrigued. I really enjoyed Time Traveler’s Wife and, even though I’ve never watched Friday Night Lights, I love football and all football related movies. An extra bonus was that this book counts for the Debut Author Challenge!

                                                                  What I thought

*Starts slow clapping while crying*

This book was so good and also heartbreaking. The writing was beautiful, the story was beautiful, as I mentioned before the cover is beautiful. Everything about this book was beautiful.

The Love that Split the World follows Natalie Cleary during the last three months of summer before she is supposed to go off to college. During her last few days of senior year, she is revisited by a spirit she calls Grandmother. Natalie used to be visited by Grandmother consistently throughout her childhood, but then at age 15 she started going to therapy and the visits stop. The story starts when Grandmother visits again after the break. Grandmother warns Natalie that she only has 3 months to save him, but Natalie doesn’t know who “him” is. All of a sudden Natalie starts seeing different visions of her world while she’s awake, and she doesn’t know what to do.

I feel like this is one of those reviews that are going to be difficult for me to write without giving too much away. At first, it’s definitely a little confusing with what is going on and what Natalie is seeing, but Henry does such a great job with the writing that it’s easy to follow after a while. One night, Natalie meets Beau, a boy she has never seen in her small town before, until some of her flashes earlier that night. Beau then figures out that Natalie is having these flashes, and shares that he has them as well, but in a completely different version of their town with all of the same characters.

I really liked Natalie. She is very mature and tends to overthink everything that she does as well as who she is and whys he is doing it. She was adopted at birth and has identity issues because of that, but her adoptive family is wonderful. I think I loved every character in this story. While Beau wasn’t my favorite, I did like the connection between Natalie and Beau. Beau definitely isn’t perfect, but I think in the end, that’s what makes him so appealing to Natalie.

My favorite character besides Natalie was her best friend Megan. I wish that she had been in it a little bit more because from the glimpses we saw, they had an amazing friendship. Megan was the only one who knew about Natalie’s visions and talks with Grandmother and believed them besides Beau. The only other person that Natalie has told is her family and they were the reason she went to therapy, to stop them.

Everything about this book was fabulous. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a while. I felt like I couldn’t put it down because I needed to find out what happened next. Who exactly was Beau? Who did Natalie need to save? How was she going to save him? How is Natalie’s love story going to end?

In addition to that, Henry’s writing is just genius. It’s so intricate and every single bit of the story is thought out and explained so thoroughly. I think that when unnatural things, like seeing visions and parallel universes, happen it’s very important to have at least a semi-reasonable explanation as to why they are occurring. I found myself reading some of the stuff in disbelief because I couldn’t believe how well thought out everything was! The writing in this book, especially for a debut author, was just beyond. The ending was definitely a little soul crushing, but I  don’t want to reveal anything!

This book was so good that I know I’ll be raving about it for a while. The writing was beautiful and the story was so intricate and well thought out that I just can’t say enough good things about it. I think the description of this story being a combination of Time Traveler’s Wife and Friday Night Lights was spot on. If you enjoyed either of those, then I would highly recommend this story. Even if you’re not someone who is typically into more supernatural elements, you need to read this story. Henry writes it in such a believable way that I can almost believe that it can happen in real life. I don’t think I can recommend this book or Henry’s writing enough. I can’t wait to read more by her!

Wedding Girl

By: Stacey Ballis
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 416

Amazon Barnes and Noble

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Top pastry chef Sophie Bernstein and her sommelier fiancé were set to have Chicago’s culinary wedding of the year…until the groom eloped with someone else in a very public debacle, leaving Sophie splashed across the tabloids—fifty grand in debt on her dream wedding and one-hundred percent screwed on her dream life. The icing on the cake was when she lost her job and her home…
 
Laying low, Sophie moves in with her grandmother, Bubbles. That way, she can keep Bubbles and her sweater-wearing pug company and nurse her broken heart. But when Sophie gets a part-time job at the old-fashioned neighborhood bakery, she finds herself up to her elbows in dough and reluctantly giving a wedding cake customer advice on everything from gift bags to guest accommodations. Before she knows it, she’s an online wedding planner. It’s not mousse and macarons, but it pays the bills. But with the arrival of unexpected personal and professional twists, Sophie wonders if she’s really moving forward—or starting over from scratch...

                                                           First Impressions

I read the summary of this book before seeing the cover and it was adorable. I immediately knew I wanted to read this book. The cover I’m 50/50 on. I like the title a lot and that would’ve caught my eye, but I’m not crazy about the cover as a whole. I like parts of it but other parts I feel like I might’ve put it down without reading the summary.

                                                            What I thought

While reading this book, I felt like I became Sophie’s best friend. I wanted to know everything that was going on in her life, support her, and make sure that everything worked out ok.

Sophie is left on her wedding day and (rightfully so)has a bit of a meltdown. While she doesn’t melt down at the wedding, over time she self-destructs until she finds herself in debt, out of a home, and out of a job. Luckily, she has a supportive family so she moves in with her grandma AKA Bubbles. When she visits the local Jewish bakery, she finds out that the owner is looking for part-time help. Since she has an enormous amount of debt to pay off (from the wedding) and no job prospects, she takes the job.

Background wise, Sophie and I could be the same person. I am from Chicago and my family is Jewish. I immediately felt connected to this book and it made me feel like I was eating a comfort food, which is what Sophie wants people crave in order to come to Langer’s Bakery.

The writing of this book is so real and so strong that I even ended up watching a classic film one night through influence of Sophie and her Bubbles. Each chapter title is the name of a classic film with a quote from the movie (which was adorable). The best part about Sophie was that I never felt like I wanted to shake her and yell “Get over it already!” I was on her side 100% the entire time.

To me, this novel is exactly what chick-lit should be. It was light and fun, but had a serious side to it. Nothing extremely tragic happened and it was everything that I expected it to be. I never felt like Ballis was trying too hard to pull something over on the reader, or to force the reader to feel a certain way. The writing was just so genuine that you couldn’t help but fall into the story. 

I really enjoyed this book. It was everything I wanted it to be and everything I needed. If you enjoy chick-lit, you need to grab this book. Ballis’ writing is solid and compassionate, like a big bowl of Mac & Cheese. I've already passed this book on to two of my coworkers and one of them loved it as well! I am looking forward to checking out more of her writing and will definitely be re-reading the book in the future. 

Finding Fraser

By: K.C. Dyer
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 388

Amazon Barnes and Noble

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads):   I met Jamie Fraser when I was nineteen years old. He was tall, red-headed, and at our first meeting at least, a virgin. He was, in fact, the perfect man.
     That he was fictional hardly entered into it...
 
On the cusp of thirty, Emma Sheridan is desperately in need of a change. After a string of failed relationships, she can admit that no man has ever lived up to her idea of perfection: the Scottish fictional star of romantic fantasies the world over—James Alexander Malcolm MacKenzie Fraser.
 
Her ideal man might be ripped from the pages of a book, but Emma hopes that by making one life-altering decision she might be able to turn fiction into fact. After selling all her worldly possessions, Emma takes off for Scotland with nothing but her burgeoning travel blog to confide in. 
 
But as she scours the country’s rolling green hills and crumbling castles, Emma discovers that in searching for her own Jamie Fraser, she just might find herself.

                                                          First Impressions

I was a little put off by the cover because it’s a bit cheesy, but it looked like it could be cheesy in a fun way. I also am not an Outlander fan, so I was a bit worried after reading the summary, but it sounded like fun. I figured that if the character loved Jamie Fraser so much, that she would paint him in a light that made him lovable even to non-Outlander readers

                                                           What I thought

This book was split into three parts. This first part I loved, the next two parts were painful.

At the beginning of the book, Emma has just turned 29. She has broken up with her boyfriend and been fired from her job. As a result of a pre-thirties crisis, she has decided that she is going to travel to Scotland to find her Jamie Fraser, the only man who has never broken her heart. She sells all her belongings and heads off to Scotland with nothing more than a few outfits, her laptop, and a well-worn copy of Outlander. Before she leaves, she decides that she’s going to blog about her experience which she names Finding Fraser.

The first part of the story follows Emma before her journey begins. I thought that Emma’s blog was a fun touch to the story and an interesting way to get different versions of her story across. I also liked that they showed a few of the comments and that she took those comments to heart. I did not like that she had a younger sister who was perfect in every way and vehemently disapproved of Emma taking this trip. It seemed a bit played out and would’ve been more interesting if she provided support in some way at least for a short period of time.

The second part was where Emma started to drive me insane. This girl is 29 years old, has been to college, lived on her own, been married and divorced, and had multiple relationships; yet she acts like a 19 year old the entire time. I think if she had been written as a 19 year old, I would have handled her idiotic moments a lot better. Emma is so stupid it’s irritating. She heads off to Scotland with literally no plan, barely any money, and just is beyond ignorant.

I also felt like the story was fun and light and didn’t take itself too seriously, until Emma was robbed of all her belongings. From that point on, the story dragged and I honestly didn’t care what happened to her. I can’t believe that any woman would head off to another country with the intention of literally finding a fictional character to fall in love with. It got to the point where Emma wasn’t using Jamie Fraser as an inspiration of someone to find, which is what I thought she was doing, but like a crazy person she was trying to find an actual Jamie Fraser. And if she didn’t, she felt like she failed! I just could not handle any part of this book and feel like the character of Emma sets strong female characters back tens of years.

There were moments at the beginning of this book that I felt like this story had so much potential, but it went in such a bad way. There was nothing redeemable about Emma and I had no interest in her finding her Fraser. I couldn’t even believe that people were reading her blog and cheering for her. Even if you are an Outlander fan, I don’t think you will find anything redeeming about this story. I don’t enjoy writing bad reviews, but I just can’t say anything good about this story.