The Girl With The Lower Back Tattoo

By: Amy Schumer
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 323

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The Emmy Award-winning comedian, actress, writer, and star of Inside Amy Schumer and the acclaimed film Trainwreck has taken the entertainment world by storm with her winning blend of smart, satirical humor. Now, Amy Schumer has written a refreshingly candid and uproariously funny collection of (extremely) personal and observational essays.

In The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Amy mines her past for stories about her teenage years, her family, relationships, and sex and shares the experiences that have shaped who she is—a woman with the courage to bare her soul to stand up for what she believes in, all while making us laugh.

Ranging from the raucous to the romantic, the heartfelt to the harrowing, this highly entertaining and universally appealing collection is the literary equivalent of a night out with your best friend—an unforgettable and fun adventure that you wish could last forever. Whether she’s experiencing lust-at-first-sight while in the airport security line, sharing her own views on love and marriage, admitting to being an introvert, or discovering her cross-fit instructor’s secret bad habit, Amy Schumer proves to be a bighearted, brave, and thoughtful storyteller that will leave you nodding your head in recognition, laughing out loud, and sobbing uncontrollably—but only because it’s over.

                                                                              First Impressions

I find Amy Schumer interesting, even if I don’t always find her funny, but I was immediately curious wen I found out she was writing a book. I thought the title and cover were eye catching and do stand out from some other celebrity memoirs. Although, with so many coming out, I guess that’s kind of the point.

                                                                              What I thought

If you are not a fan of Amy Schumer’s humor, you will not enjoy this book. At times, it was a bit raunchy for my tastes (as that’s not my sense of humor), but the rest of her personality I really enjoyed.

One of the aspects I liked most about this book is that I didn’t feel like she was writing it to try to make me laugh. I felt like she was just telling me stories about her life while adding a bit of humor. One of my favorite segments that she had were her old journal entries. Amy has been journaling since she was 13, so she picked out a few entries between 13 and her 20s and put them into the book. She then included current day footnotes commenting on her writing from years ago. I loved that!

While it wasn’t’ my absolute favorite celebrity memoir and didn’t make me laugh out loud, it was very enjoyable. She had a lot of valid and fascinating perspectives. I enjoyed that she was able to go from joking about sex and food one chapter and then talk seriously about domestic abuse in the next chapter. This book, while not converting me to a fan of her comedy, made me a fan of Amy Schumer the person. She is a smart woman with a lot to say and I absolutely loved reading about it. I appreciated her no-nonsense honesty and truly feel we could use some more people like her in the world. She is unapologetic about who we are and states over and over that everyone should try to live their lives that way.

While I understand that it’s her persona, part of me wishes this book wasn’t as raunchy because I would then recommend it for young girls. There are some great feminist messages in it but occasionally it just crosses a bit of a line (in my opinion). It’s just the unnecessary jokes and references that bothered e. When they had a po

I enjoyed the book and felt like there were a lot of good messages in it. I don’t think this book will be for everyone, as Amy Schumer’s sense of humor isn’t for everyone. I would recommend it to people who enjoy her comedy as well as to girls in high school and college. I think she is extremely relatable ad says a lot of what needs to be said but that people don’t say. Like I said, this book didn’t make me laugh out loud or turn me into a fan of her comedy, so I wouldn’t give it a higher star rating, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. If you have been debating picking this book up, I would definitely say give it a chance!
 

How We Met

By: Katy Regan
Published Year: 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Pages: 449

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): There are some people you can’t imagine life without.

Liv Jenkins had been meticulously planning her ultimate to-do list – from the outrageous to sensible – of everything she longed to do before her dreaded thirtieth birthday, but when tragedy struck she never got the chance…

Two years later, Liv’s five closest friends have come together on the anniversary of her death and have made a pact: they will complete Liv’s to-do list in tribute to her memory.

Over the next year, before what would’ve been Liv’s thirtieth birthday, her friends set out to complete the tasks. But along the way deeply buried secrets, silent guilt, unrequited love and years of lies, rise to the surface rocking their friendships.

When they reach the end of Liv’s list the final task shakes the group to their core and they realize that they must face their futures and the consequences of their pasts, and with Liv’s help, live the lives they have always dreamed of.

                                                                                  First Impressions

I first heard of this book on a list of chick lit for book clubs. The cover immediately caught my eye and then the summary immediately made me put it on my to-read list. I really wanted to pick it as a book club read since it’s all about a group of friends, but unfortunately it is not available in the US. But that didn’t stop me from getting it for myself!

                                                                                     What I thought

This book was not quite what I expected it to be, but was still enjoyable and would definitely have made a great book club read.

Liv, Fraser, Melody, Norm, Mia, and Anna are a group of best friends that came together in University. Melody and Norm are the perfect couple and shortly after graduation, Liv and Fraser started dating. On one of their group vacations to Ibiza, Liv dies at age 27 (I think), causing the group to fall apart. Two years after her death, Norm finds a list that Liv wrote of things she wanted to do before 30. Since Liv will never be able to accomplish these tasks, Mia decides that they should complete the list for her. The story follows the group of friends as they work towards completing the list as well as coming to terms with the facts that they’re growing older, their lives are changing, and the death of their closest friend.

I think what threw me off about this book is that when I initially read the summary I didn’t realize it was a group of both male and female friends. As a result, I didn’t realize that romance was going to play such a large part in the story. I expected the story to be a bit more about a group of friends completing a list of activities together and becoming closer while dealing with their grief. Instead, it’s more about a group of friends coming to terms with the fact that their relationships are changing as they get older.

This book is an interesting take on friendship. Most books that I read that focus on friendship are with high schoolers. Since these characters are closer to my age than high schoolers are (eek!) it was a different experience. They also deal with a lot of different issues than high school friends do. Specifically, they are questioning being grown-ups and whether they are at a place in their lives that their younger selves either imagined them being in or would be proud of them being in. I completely understand the struggle of being a certain age and wondering if where you are in life is where you should be; especially when you start to compare yourself to other people who are the same age as you.

Like I mentioned, romantic relationships do take a big part of this book. Melody and Norm were the perfect couple, but now after 3 years of marriage things are rocky. Mia has a young baby (under a year old) and is trying to figure out her relationship with the baby’s father. Fraser is still coming to terms with the fact that his girlfriend died. He is dealing with whether or not he can be in a relationship. There is also some tension between Fraser and Mia that they refuse to deal with.

Because of all of the relationships and all of the issues they have to deal with, this would be a great book club book. There are so many great discussion points. The story is told from Mia and Fraser’s perspectives with occasional input from Norm and Melody. I do wish there had been some more of Anna in the story as I felt like she got very left out. Other than that, I felt like the balance between the friends worked very well. The pace of the book also worked really well for me and I never felt like it was dragging.

I will say that the list itself is not as big of a plot point as the summary made it seem. It is more of a catalyst for certain events, but is not a central point in which the characters revolve around. I think I’d still like to read a book more similar to what I thought this book was going to be, but I still appreciate this story for what it was.
 

I can’t say enough that this would make a wonderful book club read, especially if your book club is a group of good friends. I really enjoyed the relationships between the characters and all of the struggles and growth they went through. I don’t think I would’ve appreciated this book if I had read it when I was younger, so I think I’d recommend it to people who are in their mid-twenties and up. I have already purchased this book (as it was the only way I could get my hands on it) and I’m glad to have it in my collection to share with other readers.
 

Distance From A-Z

By: Natalie Blitt
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 352

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Seventeen-year old Abby has only one goal for her summer: to make sure she is fluent in French—well, that, and to get as far away from baseball and her Cubs-obsessed family as possible. A summer of culture and language, with no sports in sight.

That turns out to be impossible, though, because her French partner is the exact kind of boy she was hoping to avoid. Eight weeks. 120 hours of class. 80 hours of conversation practice with someone who seems to exclusively wear baseball caps and jerseys.

But Zeke in French is a different person than Zeke in English. And Abby can’t help but fall for him, hard. As Abby begins to suspect that Zeke is hiding something, she has to decide if bridging the gap between the distance between who she is and who he is, is worth the risk.

                                                                              First Impressions

This book was put on my radar through the Debut Author Challenge hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. The cover and the title immediately caught my eye. When I saw this book was about a girl whose family was huge Cubs fans I knew I needed to read this book. I haven’t read many books about Cubs fans, so I was intrigued and excited as a native Chicagoan and Cubs fan myself.

                                                                              What I thought

Everything I expected and wanted this book to be it was.

Abby is spending the summer in New Hampshire away from her Cubs/baseball obsessed family in Chicago. She hates baseball and has found her passion in speaking French. Abby’s goal is to attend a high school program in France for her final semester of her senior year of high school and from there go to a French university. As a way to get there, she decides to spend her summer at an 8 week French intensive course at a university. Zeke looks like a stereotypical jock, but also turns out to be a part of the French program as well. Since they are the only two high schoolers taking the course, the French professor tells them that she would like them to be partners throughout the course. From there, French sparks begin to fly.

It’s not very often that books are set in college, or even freshman year of college. While this one isn’t exactly set in college, it gives that feel of being at college for the first time. By doing so, Blitt was able to include some very real problems and life issues that occur in college that don’t’ occur during other points of your life. One of the characters mentions that a day in their life is more like a week back in their lives back home as they are surrounded by each other all day every day with nothing else going on. This so perfectly captures what college, especially freshman year, feels like and I connected with that.

I enjoyed the setting a lot and appreciated that the story focused around the two main characters and one secondary character. There are more characters that are a part of the story, but I enjoyed that they never got in the way. This wasn’t the type of story where outside people caused any issues or difficulties in their relationship.

Abby is a really sweet character to read about. I really liked her and even though she had her issues, she never got on my nerves. I loved her passion for the French language and it was fascinating to watch it develop. I also think that Blitt does a wonderful job with writing the French and the French conversations. From someone who doesn’t understand French at all (I took Spanish in high school), I never felt lost or frustrated. It was a unique twist on the story that the characters almost 100% communicated in a language other than English.

Zeke is also totally swoon-worthy. He comes off as sweet and thoughtful but still masculine. While he has his moments where he does stupid things (like all college boys), he’s never unlikeable. I would be really curious to read this entire story again from his perspective. As the story goes on, his side becomes very interesting and I would love to learn more.

In addition to not speaking French, I am a very informal baseball fan. I enjoy going to Cubs games for the event and environment, but I don’t follow it hard core. Even though I am not hugely into baseball, it was written in a way that I was able to enjoy it. It both was and was not a large part of the story and I think Blitt did a nice job balancing it within the story.

I think one of the things that I enjoyed the most is that while the story isn’t wholly unique, it never feels cliché or overly predictable. This is one of those few books that I wish the story was longer because I want more! Like I mentioned, I would gladly read a story from Zeke’s point of view, but I would also love to read a sequel.
 

This book was very cute and enjoyable. A wonderfully strong debut from Blitt that I’m so glad I got to read. Zeke and Abby are adorable both individually and together and their setting and details of their story are different and refreshing to read. I have already purchased this book (the e-version) and I could see myself picking it back up again over the summer in a year or two. If you are looking for a fun, light summer read I would highly recommend this. I also think that if you have gone through the college experience you will appreciate a lot of aspects about this book. I hope that Blitt writes more soon as I can’t wait to read more!
 

August 2016 Favorites

Books

Little Women By: Louisa May Alcott (Book Club Review)

Truly Madly Guilty By: Liane Moriarty (Review)

Can I See You Again? By: Allison Morgan (Review)

How We Met By: Katy Regan

A Study in Charlotte By: Brittany Cavallaro

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo By: Amy Schumer

First & Then By: Emma Mills
 

Favorite Book I Read This Month

My favorite book this month was First & Then. At first I worried it was my favorite since it was the most recent book I read, but I really enjoyed it. I finished it in one sitting and would pick it up again soon! It revolves heavily around high school football which I loved. It is Mills' debut book and she does an amazing job. I can't wait to read what else she writes and post my review!

Beauty

Estee Lauder Nutritious Radiant Vitality 2-in-1 Foaming Cleanser ($30)

I have a few deluxe samples of this cleanser and it tends to be the one I grab when I go on trips. However, I have never used it for more than 3-4 days at a time. This trip, I used it for a little over 2 weeks and my skin loved it! It has pomegranate in it and it smells really nice. I will warn that you don’t want to get this one in your eyes as it will burn. I’m glad that I have a few more samples of these and I might end up using them for my everyday facewash now!
 

Dior Diorshow Color and Contour Eyeshadow and Liner Duo

I bought this at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and I love it! The color is a beautiful pale lilac and the eyeliner is a pretty dark purple. Both sides are really smooth and creamy and don’t budge once you put them on. The cream shadow doesn’t dry out throughout the day or crease. It definitely stays better if you use a primer, but you don’t have to use one. Unfortunately, this was a limited edition product and is no longer available. However, if they come out with another one around the holidays or at any other time, I highly recommend checking them out.

Buys

Blowfish Granola Fisherman Sandals (Price varies depending on color)

Towards the end of the school year, one of my coworkers bought these sandals in black. I thought they were super cute and she said they were really comfortable. I have been looking for a pair of strappy brown sandals forever, so I decided to copy her (no worries as we do it all the time) and buy a pair in brown. Oh my goodness they are so comfortable! I will say they run pretty true to size. I’m usually between a 6 and a 7 in shoes, but a 6.5-7 in sandals. I bought these in a 7 and they fit perfectly. The leather on the straps is really soft and doesn’t rub at all. The bottoms are also very comfortable and thicker than a lot of other sandals I own. I wore these for entire days of lots of walking on the trip and had no issues. Highly recommend them if you are looking for new sandals. They come in a bunch of different colors too!

Ray-Ban Sunglasses
I have been wanting a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses for a long time but I've always been reluctant to pay for them. My husband recently decided to treat me to a pair as he wanted me to have a pair of sunglasses that were polarized. The lucky thing at the time was that if you purchased any pair of polarized sunglasses at Sunglass Hut you got a second pair for $75 off. Even though I swore I didn't need a second pair, the first pair I had fallen in love with were not polarized so my wonderful husband bought me two pairs. I'm a lucky girl. I have been wearing both pairs non-stop. I brought both pairs on my trip and rotated them. The top pair is brown and is a small version of the Wayfarer style. I can't remember the name of the style of the black pair. 

Miscellaneous

Traveling

I spent 16 days traveling the UK and Ireland with one of my best friends, hence the absence of posts on the blog. It was so much fun and it was the trip of a lifetime. We traveled all over and saw so many things. It was one of those trips where I fell in love with everywhere we went, but we did so much that if I can’t get back there, I won’t feel unfulfilled.

Olympics

Who hasn’t loved the Olympics? I got back to the states right as the Olympics were starting and became obsessed. I watched pretty much all day and then the primetime at night. There have been so many historical occurrences in this Olympics and I’ve been loving it. The only thing I haven’t been loving is how NBC has been covering the Olympics, but I have issues with that every year and I won’t let that take away from my enjoyment of the games themselves.
 

Truly Madly Guilty

By: Liane Moriarty
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 415

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One small dog. It’s just a normal weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

Sam and Clementine have a wonderful, albeit, busy life: they have two little girls, Sam has just started a new dream job, and Clementine, a cellist, is busy preparing for the audition of a lifetime. If there’s anything they can count on, it’s each other.

Clementine and Erika are each other’s oldest friends. A single look between them can convey an entire conversation. But theirs is a complicated relationship, so when Erika mentions a last minute invitation to a barbecue with her neighbors, Tiffany and Vid, Clementine and Sam don’t hesitate. Having Tiffany and Vid’s larger than life personalities there will be a welcome respite.

Two months later, it won’t stop raining, and Clementine and Sam can’t stop asking themselves the question: What if we hadn’t gone?

                                                             First Impressions

Yay! Another book by Liane Moriarty! I have enjoyed the other three books of hers that I have read and every time I pick one up I find that I can’t put it down. I was really excited that she had a new one coming out and couldn’t wait to read it. I will admit that he cover of this one is the least exciting of the other ones. I think I still prefer, and would be drawn to first, the Big Little Lies cover.

                                                              What I thought

Liane Moriarty’s books are a little formulaic, but not in a bad way. They all start at the end of some big tragic event and then work backwards with flashbacks. Yet it always works! This set up makes these stories un-put-downable.

In Truly, Madly, Guilty, some event occurred at a barbecue a bunch of weeks back that changed everyone’s lives. Clementine and Erika have been “friends” since childhood. Their relationship is and always has been complicated. The day of the barbecue, Clementine and her husband Sam were supposed to go to afternoon tea at Erika and her husband Oliver’s house with their little girls. However, Erika and Oliver’s neighbors Vid and Tiffany invited them to an impromptu barbecue that morning, so the plans changed. Clementine, Sam, Erika, and Oliver don’t know Vid and Tiffany well, but they go and decide to have a good time.

In present day, Clementine and Sam are having marital problems, Erika is struggling with her mother, and Vid and Tiffany are having difficulties with their daughter Dakota.

Clementine and Erika’s friendship is completely different from anything else that I’ve read. Clementine’s mother encouraged/forced Clementine to become friends with Erika when they were kids. Because of that, even though she hasn’t loved the friendship, she feels obligated to continue being friends with Erika. Their friendship is definitely a love/hate relationship with some deep seeded issues.

I also didn’t really like Clementine. I don’t know if I was necessarily supposed to, but I found her to be a bit pretentious and annoying. I actually found myself liking Erika a little bit more, which, I don’t know that what says about me. I think I appreciated that she is a very black and white personality, so she pretty much said exactly what she felt which was refreshing.

Unlike Moriarty’s other books, I was able to predict what the big event was. I don’t know if that’s because this is now her 4th book that I have read, or if it just wasn’t as creative as some of the other ones. I still found myself unable to put this book down (finished in just over 24 hours) wanting to know if what I though was going to happen would happen and how exactly things went down.

I think the greatest part of this book wasn’t the mystery, but the relationships between all of the characters. There are so many layers to each relationship and so many issues that I haven’t seen dealt with before. I truly enjoyed reading every characters’ perspective as they were so completely different and gave the reader insight to so many different things.

I honestly couldn’t put this book down. The only reason I took a pause at one point in time was to watch the Women’s Olympic Gymnastics All-Around competition. If it wasn’t for that, I would’ve spent the entire day racing to finish this book. Not a lot of books can make me do that and I really enjoyed it. Looking back on it, there are some issues and I don’t think it’s my favorite Moriarty book, but it’s still so enjoyable. If you have read her books and enjoyed them, you will like this one as well. If you haven’t picked up one of her books before, I think I’d still recommend What Alice Forgot or Big Little Lies before this one, but it’s still so good!
 

Joyride

By: Anna Banks
Published Year: 2015
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 288

Amazon Barnes and Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A popular guy and a shy girl with a secret become unlikely accomplices for midnight pranking, and are soon in over their heads—with the law and with each other—in this sparkling standalone from NYT-bestselling author Anna Banks.

It’s been years since Carly Vega’s parents were deported. She lives with her brother, studies hard, and works at a convenience store to contribute to getting her parents back from Mexico.

Arden Moss used to be the star quarterback at school. He dated popular blondes and had fun with his older sister, Amber. But now Amber’s dead, and Arden blames his father, the town sheriff who wouldn’t acknowledge Amber's mental illness. Arden refuses to fulfill whatever his conservative father expects.

All Carly wants is to stay under the radar and do what her family expects. All Arden wants is to NOT do what his family expects. When their paths cross, they each realize they’ve been living according to others. Carly and Arden’s journey toward their true hearts—and one another—is funny, romantic, and sometimes harsh.

                                                           First Impressions

This cover is gorgeous! I was immediately drawn to it. The summary sounded cute as well so I picked it up! There really wasn’t much more to it than that.

                                                            What I thought

So cute! Sort of wish I had saved this for a summer pool/beach read but also glad I got to enjoy it now.

Carly is the daughter of illegal immigrant parents who were deported three years ago. Arden is rich, the most popular boy in town, and the son of the sheriff. One night, Arden decides to pull a prank which causes his life to intersect with Carly’s and their lives are never the same.

Carly and Arden are two really fun and unique characters. I have never read a novel about a Mexican teenager whose parents have been deported. She spends her life working towards bringing her family back with her brother Julio. Arden, while not as unique to me as Carly was, isn’t your typical popular privileged boy. He has his own issues and seems to understand the world a little bit.

It was so much fun to read about their relationship developing. I am a sucker for relationships that start with a little bit of hatred and I enjoyed that Carly didn’t fall for Arden’s charms immediately. The teasing was a lot of fun but never over the top. I thought Banks did a great job at making the development of their relationship seem pretty realistic. I also liked that while the book focused mainly on Carly’s problems with her family and her life in general, Arden has issues and a story as well. I also loved Cletus so much. I want an entire book with him as the main character!

This book is definitely one that needs to get more hype. I think the topic of illegal immigration and deportation isn’t touched on much in the book realm, let alone the YA realm and Banks does an amazing job. In a world where we have to deal with people like Trump, it’s important to read stories from the view points of the families who are going through it. I know this isn’t a true story, but it provided me with a perspective I had never read before and for that I am grateful.

I think my only complaint about this book is that I want more! I wish there had been a few more scenes with Arden and Carly playing pranks or hanging out at school or with his friends. I also felt like the ending was a bit abrupt, but it didn’t ruin it in any way. I think I was just enjoying the story so much that it could easily have had another 100 pages and I would have been happy. 
 

If you are looking for a book with a unique, diverse perspective, pick this one up. If you like stories about fun high school romances, pick this one up. This book was so sweet and I can definitely see it being a good beach read for the summer. While it’s not all fluff, it is an easier read and I don’t think it would be hard to get through on vacation. I’m on the fence about whether or not I would re-read this book, but I also wish it had a sequel and I know that if it did I would re-read this book. I don’t feel like I’m ready to be done with these characters! 
 

Book Club August 2016

It’s time for our yearly classic read! Every year, our book club picks a classic novel to read. Our previous picks were Anna Karenina and Wuthering Heights. This year, the pick was Little Women.
 

By: Louisa May Alcott
Original Published Year: 1868
Pages: 449

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Little Women is the heartwarming story of the March family that has thrilled generations of readers. It is the story of four sisters--Jo, Meg, Amy and Beth-- and of the courage, humor and ingenuity they display to survive poverty and the absence of their father during the Civil War.









                                                        First Impressions

I only have vague memories of the movie and really enjoying it. I remember that at the time, I really loved Jo and even bought a few of the individual novels that were written about her. I was excited to read this book as I haven’t read it before and I haven’t seen the movie in a very long time.

                                                        What I thought

This book is so sweet. There truly is no other way to describe this book other than sweet and heartwarming.

Little Women follows the March family and is written in two parts. The first part follows the March girls through a part of their childhood, while the second part follows their adulthood.

I absolutely loved the first part of this story. I flew through that portion of the book and greatly enjoyed al of the characters. I loved the differences in the personalities of each of the girls and how they each had different bad characteristics based a lot of the age that they were at the time. I also loved how they interacted and the way they looked to their mother for teachings. I also adored the friendship between the girls, particularly Jo, and their neighbor Laurie. I felt like this part of the story just worked so well. It taught some very great lessons that I think would be wonderful for lots of little girls to read. Mrs. March is the epitome of a good Christian mother in that she teaches her children to be kind and trust that God will show them kindness back.

The second part of the book was a bit harder for me to get through. It is a lot less lighthearted because the girls are dealing with adulthood and falling in love and marriage. The family I never as connected in this second half as they are in the first and I think that’s what I missed the most. While I enjoyed getting to know each girl individually a bit more, I missed that the chapters weren’t about all of the girls together, but about their lives separately. I do appreciate that May Alcott wrote in such a realistic way of growing up and the changing relationships within a family, but it lost a little of its magic to me.

I’m so glad that this book was chosen, as I know I wouldn’t have ever picked it up on my own and I’m so glad to have read it. If you haven’t read this book, I highly recommend it. It is definitely a book that is a classic for a reason and, while it has its faults, they do not take away from the wonderful story. 

Can I See You Again?

By: Allison Morgan
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

Amazon Barnes and Noble

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Matchmaker Bree Caxton has a 98% success rate, a book about to hit the stands, and an amazing boyfriend. Until, that is, he gets cold feet about their future and runs from their relationship.
 
Afraid no one will buy a book on love from a woman whose love life is a mess, Bree begs her one matchmaking failure, Nixon Voss, to pose as her boyfriend. But when they become a hit with readers, they must carry on their charade just a little longer. Fortunately, they’re both having fun...
 
But then Bree’s ex decides he wants her back and a newspaper presents a challenge that could expose the truth about her rocky love life. Now she must find the courage to embrace what is, or risk losing something much bigger than her reputation: her heart...
  
                                                          First Impressions

This cover really appealed to me. Something about it makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. The red door is a bit Christmassy but the book has nothing to do with Christmas. It looks like the cover for a chick flick and I was definitely drawn in. The summary confirmed my interest based on the cover and I was so excited to get a chance to read this book.

                                                          What I thought

This book was adorable. I read it while on a lake trip with my friends and it was the perfect book to read while relaxing. I think the best way to describe this book is like a PG-13 romance novel. It has a lot of the essential romance novel/rom-com tropes (fake boyfriend) but without the raunchiness of your typical romance novel. It had some moments that were reminiscent of How to Lose Guy in 10 Days, so it’s definitely a chick flick/rom-com type of novel, which I loved.

Bree runs a matchmaking business with her friend Andrew. She is currently at the perfect point in her life, with her business doing well, her first self-help novel coming out, and her 4 year relationship with her boyfriend Sean moving to the next level with combining their finances. That is, until he breaks up with her weeks before her book is supposed to come out and the day before her 5-part interview with an important reporter. Her publicist meets with her the day before the interview to remind her that her boyfriend is expected to be a part of the interview and be there tomorrow. Bree tries to explain that her boyfriend broke up with her, but before she can do so, her publicist reminds her that in order to be a successful matchmaker, her love life needs to be successful. Succumbing to pressure, Bree uses Nixon, one of her clients, as her fake boyfriend.

In addition to all of the drama with her book and her fake boyfriend, her grandma is also notified that she hasn’t been paying taxes on her house and owes over $40,000 to the IRS. In order for Bree to help her out, she is banking on the $25,000 bonus she will get if her book debuts on the New York Times Bestsellers list. This also influences her decision to use a fake boyfriend instead of telling the truth.

As expected, romance blooms between Bree and Nixon, and Sean slowly realizes the errors of his ways. I found Bree likeable, which is very important in books like these where the main character will inevitably make stupid decisions that will make you temporarily dislike them. However, she has a lot of redeeming qualities, so you can’t hate her for long.

Nixon, of course, is heart melting. I wish that we had gotten a little bit more of him as I think he was a sweet character. I loved the way that he teased Bree and pushed her but also supported her. I did feel that his character development was a bit quick, but it still worked. I also appreciated that while I didn’t love Sean, I didn’t hate him until I was supposed to. It wasn’t a case in which you wondered what in the world Bree saw in him and how could she have wasted her time with him. I definitely appreciated it because, again, it made Bree more likable.

Even though the book is predictable, Morgan’s writing is so enjoyable that I couldn’t put this book down. I liked that there were some unique twists to this done before plot of fake replacement boyfriend that doesn’t make this book seem stale. If we were still in the late 1990s, early 2000s, I could see this book being picked up for a movie and being so successful.  
 

I really enjoyed this book and it was just what I needed after reading some heavier books. It is light, fun, and enjoyable but still written very well. If you enjoy romance novels and chick flicks, I highly recommend this book. Morgan’s writing is sweet and solid. The characters are likeable and the story is consistently entertaining. I look forward to reading more of her novels! I wouldn’t re-read this one, as it is relatively predictable, but if it came out as a movie I would definitely see it!