Book Club November 2018- Next Year in Havana

By: Chanel Cleeton
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 361

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After the death of her beloved grandmother, a Cuban-American woman travels to Havana, where she discovers the roots of her identity--and unearths a family secret hidden since the revolution...

Havana, 1958. The daughter of a sugar baron, nineteen-year-old Elisa Perez is part of Cuba's high society, where she is largely sheltered from the country's growing political unrest--until she embarks on a clandestine affair with a passionate revolutionary...

Miami, 2017. Freelance writer Marisol Ferrera grew up hearing romantic stories of Cuba from her late grandmother Elisa, who was forced to flee with her family during the revolution. Elisa's last wish was for Marisol to scatter her ashes in the country of her birth. 

Arriving in Havana, Marisol comes face-to-face with the contrast of Cuba's tropical, timeless beauty and its perilous political climate. When more family history comes to light and Marisol finds herself attracted to a man with secrets of his own, she'll need the lessons of her grandmother's past to help her understand the true meaning of courage. 

What I thought

I have been seeing this book around the internet for a while now and there was always something about it I didn’t quite connect with enough to pick up. I was a little nervous when Stephanie picked this book for book club, but figured it has received a ton of good reviews, so maybe I had misjudged it.

Marisol is taking her first trip to Cuba to spread the ashes of her grandmother, Elisa. In the midst of the Cuban revolution in the 1950s, Elisa and the rest of her family left Cuba for Florida. They were a rich family who, as a result, had a target on their backs. The story alternates between Elisa’s perspective in Cuba in the late 1950s, and Marisol’s present day perspective.

I found this story to be a lot more interesting than I thought it would be. The one thing I couldn’t quite figure out is that, while I found myself enjoying the story each time I picked it up, it took me a long time to get through it. I don’t know if it’s because it was a heavier book or if it was the writing style, but something slowed me down.

Marisol’s storyline irritated me after a while. I found her to be a bit naïve and whiney. I tried to understand the difficulty she was having between being Cuban but not truly being Cuban, but a lot of it just felt petty to me. I felt a lot of the time that she was being a bit self-centered about everything. I also wanted to like the love story between her and Luis but it just never clicked for me.

I much preferred Elisa’s storyline and the romance between her and Pablo. I liked the pace of the story during the revolution and learning more about what Cuba was like during that time. I don’t know much about the Cuban revolution, so it was interesting to read and learn about.

There were a few twists I could have done without. They seemed a bit cheap to me, but I’m more starting to think it was the writing. I was talking with my mom about putting books down (and I talk about it in a blog post here) and she had mentioned that she can tell when she’s not into a book because it sits and sits and she doesn’t pick it up. I feel like if this hasn’t been a book club book, I might have given up on it. Not completely given up on it, but I think maybe in the last 50-75 pages I would’ve just skipped to the end. After a while, I was ready for the story to end.

There is another book coming out that is Elisa’s sister Beatriz’s storyline. I am looking forward to reading that one because I think it will have more of the excitement that I’m looking for. I liked a lot of aspects about this story, but it just moved a little too slowly for it to become a favorite for me.

What Book Club Thought

I think I was in the middle on the enjoyment scale compared to the rest of book club. One member didn’t finish, and the others really enjoyed it. We all agreed that it was interesting to read about the Cuban revolution and that we were more excited for Beatriz’s story than we were about the story we were currently reading. It was an interesting book club choice because it had a lot to discuss story and character wise, but I don’t know if we delved much into some of the morality and the serious side of the book.

I gave up...

I’m not typically one to give up on books once I’ve started them. I usually power through. However, this year I have given up on a handful of book. Mostly they’ve been books 'I’ve been offered to review and I feel terrible about giving up on them. But I think I just have gotten to a point where if I’m not enjoying a book, why am I going to force myself to read it? There are so many books out there that I want to read, why am I going to waste my time on those I don’t?

Now, my standards for giving up on a book are still pretty high, and I even sometimes require permission from my friends to give up, but I think I’m getting a bit better. Because I am not one to typically post negative reviews, especially when I don’t finish a book (I find that a little unfair), I thought I’d just list the books I gave up on so far this year. Fingers crossed there aren’t any more!

The Little Shop of Found Things By: Paula Brackston

I gave up on this book because it was just moving too slow for me. I was 50% of the way through and felt like nothing had happened and I didn’t care about the characters enough to keep waiting.

The High Season By: Judy Blendell

This was another one that I was about halfway through and jut didn’t care about the characters enough to keep going. They irritated me and I couldn’t root for them. I didn’t care whether they got a happy ending or if they got their just desserts, so I quit.

Killer Choice By: Tom Hunt

This was the first book I gave up on this year and I gave up at 65% after much debate and discussion with my friends. I really tried to power through but it was such a relief when I finally gave up. This book was one I gave up on because it just wasn’t my kind of story. I couldn’t quite connect with it even though I could objectively look at it and say that it is well written. It could be a good story for others, but just not for me.

Have you ever given up on a book before? Are you someone who gives up easily or someone who powers through?

CAUSEBOX vs FabFitFun Fall Boxes

Subscription boxes are all over. There are subscriptions for pretty much anything you could ask for. One of the most common bigger subscription boxes is FabFitFun. FabFitFun is a quarterly box that costs $49.95 a season and includes items that total in value of $200+. It includes a variety of items from beauty, to accessories, to home items. CAUSEBOX is a similar idea in that it’s a quarterly box at a comparable price. The difference is that CAUSEBOX only puts items in its boxes from companies that give to charities or to a cause and are cruelty free. Since I have been trying to incorporate more items that are cruelty free into my life, when I heard about CAUSEBOX I was intrigued.

The Fall 2018 box for CAUSEBOX caught my eye when it advertised a few of its items. On the other end, the FabFitFun box intrigued my friend Stephanie (one of the book club members who has been mentioned on this blog before)! Since we were both getting a box this season, we decided to do a mini comparison. Stephanie sent me pictures of the items from her box, so I will go through those as well as go through mine.

Each box offers the ability to customize choices. The CAUSEBOX offers choice options to annual subscribers (those that purchase all 4 seasons as opposed to individually purchasing each box). FabFitFun allows some customizations to all customers and some to annual subscribers only. When applicable, I will try to note when there was a different choice for the items we received. Because I did not subscribe annually, I did not make any choices. Stephanie did customize her box.

Starting with CASUEBOX, the items that I received were October Jaipur Everyday Tote (color choice customizable), Bloom & Eve scarf (pattern customizable), Natura Hair Mask (or choice of face moisturizer), Swell 25oz water bottle, PaperSource Stationary set, Real Her eyeshadow palate and Real Her cream eyeshadow brush. Originally, the Fall 2018 box was supposed to include a wooden cheese board and knife, but due to water damage during shipping, the board was replaced with the Swell bottle. Honestly, I was much more excited about the bottle.

Every month they hire an artist to create a unique design for their box. I love that even with the box they’re helping people out!

The CAUSEBOX website estimates the value of each of the items, so I will list the estimated values to determine the actual box value.

Tote- $80 (couldn’t find on October Jairpur website)

Scarf- $60 (available on Bloom and Give website in Malabar and Eva)

Hair Mask- $25 (available on Natura Brasil website)

Water Bottle- $45 (available on Swell website)

Stationary- $12 (couldn’t find exact set on Papersource website)

Eyeshadow Palate & Brush- $28 + $10 (available on Realher website Palette Brush)

Paid Value- $49.95 Actual Value- $260

Definitely a deal! Considering that I’ve been wanting a Swell bottle for a long time but haven’t wanted to pay the money, it was practically like I purchased the bottle and then got everything else for free. Plus, I purchased the box because I liked the tote (always need a good tote for work) and the scarf (I’m obsessed with scarves, it’s a problem). So even with just those two items, I had already received more than the value that I paid.

The only issue that I had was the first Swell bottle that I received had some surface damage. The bottle itself is still usable, but the wooden finish was scratched in multiple spots. I emailed CAUSEBOX as soon as I got my box. There was an automatic response saying they were backed up, so I didn’t expect much. However, the next day they responded to me saying they were sorry I received a damaged bottle and the would send out a new one by the end of the week. Again, not expecting much, I was shocked that I had a new bottle at my door by the end of the week! Not only were they quick, but they even sent me one that was a different pattern (the one pictured) so I don’t have two of the exact same bottles. The little things J

I would definitely be open to purchasing another CAUSEBOX in the future if the items inside appeal to me. I also love knowing that these items I purchased are ethically sourced and give back to the world.

The items that Stephanie received in her FabFitFun box were, GlamGlow Bubble Sheet, Beautyblender, Simply Whimsical Tea Towels, Skin & Co Roma Blue in Capri Shower Gel, Luna Rica Cashew Butter Filled Fruit & Nut Bar, Vince Camuto Luck Tote (choice of color), Cylo Cobra Bluetooth headphone set (or choice of umbrella), Alfred French press (or stainless steel teapot), Cuccio Yogahhh! Detox Bath (or Farmacy Eye Cream or Touch in Sol Lipstick Duo), and Grown Alchemist Cream Cleanser (or day cream or exfoliant).

Again, I will list the estimated value for the products and then the total value of the box.

Bubble Sheets- $18 (Available at Sephora)

Beautyblender- $20 (Available at Sephora)

Tea Towels- $14.99 (available on the Simply Whimsical website)

Shower Gel- $22 (available on Skin and Co Roma website and listed as limited edition)

Luna Bar- $1.99

Tote- $128.00 (available on the Vince Camuto website)

Headphones- $40 (available on Gocylo website)

French Press- $37.99 (available on Amazon)

Bath Soak- $39.95 (available on Cuccio website)

Cleanser- $49.99 (available on Grown Alchemist website)

Paid Value- $49.99 Actual Value- $361.92

Just looking at the numbers, the FabFitFun box works out to be a bit more value for your money. You get 10 items worth more money compared to the 7 items you get from CAUSEBOX. The difference that I find between the boxes are the FabFitFun is a little bit more beauty leaning, whereas the CAUSEBOX leans a little more towards accessories and home goods this season.

When it came to shipping, Stephanie did get her box before I did, but I won’t judge too harshly because of the issues CAUSEBOX had with switching out their damaged item. The other point I think that FabFitFun gets over CAUSEBOX is allowing non-annual subscribers to make choices on box items. There are some choice options that are only available to annual subscribers, but I like that non-annual subscribers get some choice. I understand that it’s a ploy to get people to subscribe annually, but to me it’s not worth it.

Overall, we’re both happy with our boxes. I honestly think you can’t go wrong with either box. Unfortunately, they’re both sold out, but I would high recommend keeping your eye out on these companies in the future. Personally, I like CAUSEBOX a little more because I like that it gives back and sources from companies that are cruelty free. It’s fun to see that both boxes offer quality items for a decent price. Now, $49.95 is not inexpensive, but if there are enough higher end priced items within the box that you want, it makes it worth it.

Lethal White (Cormoran Strike #4)

By: Robert Galbraith
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Sphere
Pages: 656

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): “I seen a kid killed…He strangled it, up by the horse.”

When Billy, a troubled young man, comes to private eye Cormoran Strike’s office to ask for his help investigating a crime he thinks he witnessed as a child, Strike is left deeply unsettled. While Billy is obviously mentally distressed, and cannot remember many concrete details, there is something sincere about him and his story. But before Strike can question him further, Billy bolts from his office in a panic.

Trying to get to the bottom of Billy’s story, Strike and Robin Ellacott—once his assistant, now a partner in the agency—set off on a twisting trail that leads them through the backstreets of London, into a secretive inner sanctum within Parliament, and to a beautiful but sinister manor house deep in the countryside.

And during this labyrinthine investigation, Strike’s own life is far from straightforward: his newfound fame as a private eye means he can no longer operate behind the scenes as he once did. Plus, his relationship with his former assistant is more fraught than it ever has been—Robin is now invaluable to Strike in the business, but their personal relationship is much, much trickier than that.

First Impressions

Holy cow this thing is a brick! I didn’t realize that the 4th Cormoran Strike book was coming out until just before it was released, but I was looking forward to it. I enjoy the characters and a new novel hasn’t been out since 2015, so I was excited.

What I thought

I mean, obviously I had to have enjoyed it to commit to finish at 600+ page book! If you haven’t read the previous novels, this review will contain spoilers.

This story picks up where the 3rd left off. Cormoran has just caught the serial killer that attacked Robin and Robin is getting married to Matthew. It then jumps forward a year to Robin continuing to work with Strike, working through her marriage issues as well as issues with being attacked, and the agency handling high profile cases. The story is split into two parts, but I won’t go into much detail in hopes of not spoiling anything.

Just getting some criticism out of the way, this book definitely could have been shorter. I appreciated that it was 5 stories in one, but some of them could’ve been eliminated. There was a lot at the beginning about the Olympics and how they’re impacting London, but while it help to set up a character or two, there’s no need for the level of detail it is given. There’s also a storyline with Strike’s nephew that looks like it’s going somewhere, and then about halfway through the book he never shows up again. I enjoy stories that have a lot of details because I feel like you really get into the world and the characters, but at over 600 pages this book could have easily been shortened.

Because of the length, this was definitely not a page turner for me. I think it says a lot for the writing that I was constantly interested and did want to continue the book and was intrigued to find out what came next. However, I definitely read it slowly while taking breaks in between to read bits of a lighter book.

As a novel in a series, this one is pretty solid. It wasn’t predictable, but for all the storylines, I don’t feel like it did much to grow relationships for future stories. The majority of the movement in this book focused on the case.

I liked the twists and turns that the story had. It kept me interested and I was never quite sure where it was going. Even when they started giving clues as to the solution, I was still confused until they laid out the explanation completely. 

This is a solid mystery novel and a great addition to the Cormoran Strike series. If you are a fan of the previous books, you won’t be disappointed. However, the length for me is definitely a negative. I like when mystery novels move quickly and this one did not. It had the feel of too many stories made into one, which I think is common for Rowling (Galbraith is JK Rowling’s penname if you were unaware). I would recommend the series as a whole, and would recommend reading this one if you have read the others. The stories continue to be interesting and I look forward to reading more.

Geography of Lost Things

I am so thankful to be a part of the Geography of Lost Things Book Tour hosted by The Fantastic Flying Book Club. When I read the summary and saw the cover for this book, I knew it was one I needed to read. While being a part of this tour means I did receive a copy of this book in exchange for review, this in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this story.

By: Jessica Brody
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 320

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After Ali’s father passes away, he leaves his one and only prized possession—a 1968 Firebird convertible—to his daughter. But Ali doesn’t plan on keeping it. Not when it reminds her too much of all her father’s unfulfilled promises. So when she finds a buyer three hundred miles up the Pacific coast willing to pay enough money for the car to save her childhood home, Ali can’t wait to get going. Except Ali has no idea how to drive a stick shift. But guess who does?

Ali’s ex-boyfriend, Nico. And Nico has other plans.

He persuades Ali that instead of selling the car, they should “trade up” the items they collect on their trip to eventually reach the monetary amount Ali needs. Agreeing with Nico’s crazy plan, Ali sets off on a unique adventure that is unlike anything she ever could have expected.

And it’s through Ali’s travels, through the strangers she meets and the things that they value—and why they value them—that Ali eventually comes to understand her father and how his life may not have been as easy and carefree as she previously thought. Because just like the seemingly insignificant objects Ali collects, not everything is exactly as it appears. 

First Impressions

This cover just gives me all the feels! I want to disappear into this cover. I 100% picked this book on it’s cover. I mean, the summary sounded interesting too, but if it had a different cover I don’t know if the summary would’ve been strong enough to capture me.

What I thought

What a fun book!

Ali’s dad has just died and in addition to leaving her and her mom with a ton of debt, he left her his 1968 Firebird 400 convertible. In hopes of getting her family out of debt, Ali decides to sell the car. When she gets an offer in northern California, she intends to drive it there herself until her ex-boyfriend Nico reminds her that she doesn’t know how to drive a stick. He offers to drive the car for her, even though they haven’t talked in a month. While on the trip, Nico decides to introduce Ali to the art of trading up. This is when you take a useless item such as a rubber band, and trade it for something of more value to someone who needs the seemingly less valuable item. The road trip turns into an adventure full of love, life, and forgiveness.

This story started a little bit slow for me. It took a while to get my bearings between Ali, her dad Jackson, and then her ex-boyfriend Nico. Her mom barely exists which is a bit odd. Once Nico and Ali are on the road the story starts to pick up. However, I really started to get into it once they started trading up. It felt like once that storyline got added the relationships became deeper and more intimate and the pace of the story quickened.

The interesting thing about this story is that there are truly only three relationships to this story. There’s Ali, Nico, and then flashbacks to Jackson’s relationship with Ali. While Ali does have a friendship at the beginning of the story, she disappears pretty quickly. Ali’s phone has no data because her mom was unable to pay the bill, so she isn’t able to be contacted by friends or family. I was oddly bothered by this. I think I would have preferred if she could have had some side conversations with her friend or mom to help flesh out some thoughts. Instead, she’s often left to her own thoughts and to work through her problems independently.

Once the story started moving I found I couldn’t put it down. I was eager to find out what item they were going to trade up for next and whether or not they would reach their goal. I was also curious whether or not Ali would find out if Jackson had meant more leaving her the car or if he just left it for her because it was his most prized possession.

Brody wrote a wonderful story of growth and forgiveness. Reading about Ali throughout the story as she came to terms with her past, present, and future, was insightful. I felt the way that Brody wrote about life and deal was very well done.

While this story was slow to start, it ended up being worth it. It’s a touching story unlike others that I have read. While I did have small issues here and there, it wasn’t with anything that I couldn’t push aside. I haven’t read anything else by Brody, but this book makes me want to look into her other novels. I would recommend this to people who like to read coming of age stories. I don’t know if I would re-read this book, but I would definitely recommend it. I think it could also be an interesting book club read.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Website: https://www.jessicabrody.com/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/jessicabrody

Tumblr: http://jessicabrody.tumblr.com/

Instagram: http://instagram.com/jessicabrody

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jessicabrodyfan

Always Never Yours

By: Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Speak
Pages: 336

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Shouldn't a girl get to star in her own love story?

Seventeen-year-old Megan Harper is about due for her next sweeping romance. It's inevitable—each of her relationships starts with the perfect guy and ends with him falling in love . . . with someone else. But instead of feeling sorry for herself, Megan focuses on pursuing her next fling, directing theater, and fulfilling her dream college's acting requirement in the smallest role possible.

So when she’s cast as Juliet (yes, that Juliet) in her high school’s production, it’s a complete nightmare. Megan’s not an actress, and she’s used to being upstaged—both in and out of the theater. In fact, with her mom off in Texas and her dad remarried and on to baby #2 with his new wife, Megan worries that, just like her exes, her family is moving on without her.

Then she meets Owen Okita, an aspiring playwright inspired by Rosaline from Shakespeare's R+J. A character who, like Megan, knows a thing or two about short-lived relationships. Megan agrees to help Owen with his play in exchange for help catching the eye of a sexy stagehand/potential new boyfriend. Yet Megan finds herself growing closer to Owen, and wonders if he could be the Romeo she never expected.

First Impressions

That cover! This color blue/green is my favorite. I love minty blues and it immediately caught my eye. Add in the pop of pink for the flowers and the font of the title and I was in without reading the summary. The summary was interesting, but honestly, didn’t draw me in as much as the cover did. In fact, I only requested it from the library when a couple of other books I wanted were unavailable.

What I thought

I did not have a book this summer that made me feel the way some of my other favorites have made me feel, until this one. In fact, this was my first 5 star rated book since January!

Megan is known as the boy-crazy school flirt. She always has a boyfriend and isn’t ashamed to flirt and go after who she wants. The problem is that every guy she dates breaks up with her a few months into their relationship because they have found their true love in someone else. Megan’s dream is to become a director and she has been working towards that dream since her freshman year of high school. As it’s her senior year, she is required by the college program she want to attend to act in at least one production. She auditions for Romeo and Juliet and, to her horror, ends up as Juliet. During the production, she meets Owen.

Everything about this book worked for me. I feel like in some books a character like Megan would be slut-shamed and I really appreciated that this did not occur. Yes, some of the girls implied that they didn’t respect Megan as much because she had been sexually active with so many guys, but it didn’t turn into a bullying situation and Megan stood up for herself. Megan is a strong character and is comfortable in who she is and what she wants. However, she isn’t perfect. She has her flaws and weaknesses but throughout this story she faces them.

Owen is adorable. He is sweet and kind and innocent. Meghan talks about how she loves embarrassing him until the tips of his ears turn red and I just loved that. I also loved seeing him get more and more comfortable with himself and learning how to take Megan’s teasing.

When I read the summary, the part of the story that kind of put me off was Romeo and Juliet. Rome and Juliet is not one of my favorite Shakespeare stories and I was worried that it was going to negatively influence the story. I think Wibberley and Siegemund-Broka balanced the story wonderfully. I related to the fact that Megan, while she appreciated the story, didn’t understand or relate to Juliet. The ins and outs of their theater production were wonderful to read as well. Having been in theater in high school, I felt like I was taken back but drawn more into the drama that can be the theater world.

On top of the great story, there are great relationships. Megan has two best friends, Madeline and Anthony. Their friendships aren’t perfect, but very real. I loved reading about all of them. I also liked Megan’s family dynamic. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her dad and his new wife and child in Oregon, while her mom moved to Texas.

I think what I found so enjoyable about this story is that it was fresh and not full of clichés. Megan had her issues but was confident and knew who she was. She and all of the characters around her grew as people and there were plenty of squeal worthy moments. There were moments when I thought I was going to get annoyed with Megan, but then she would have an inner commentary and it would address whatever I was starting to get annoyed about and I would find myself liking her even more.

I mean, what else is there to say? I loved this book. The high school world was perfectly built, the relationships were true, and the romance adorable. I also really enjoyed the writing. It didn’t feel like it was written by two authors and definitely did not read like a debut. I have already added their 2019 novel to my to-read list and am looking forward to it. I would gladly turn around and read this again. If you are a young adult fan, I highly recommend this book. It is delightful.

Ghosted

By: Rosie Walsh
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Pages: 337

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Seven perfect days. Then he disappeared. A love story with a secret at its heart.

When Sarah meets Eddie, they connect instantly and fall in love. To Sarah, it seems as though her life has finally begun. And it's mutual: It's as though Eddie has been waiting for her, too. Sarah has never been so certain of anything. So when Eddie leaves for a long-booked vacation and promises to call from the airport, she has no cause to doubt him. But he doesn't call.

Sarah's friends tell her to forget about him, but she can't. She knows something's happened--there must be an explanation.

Minutes, days, weeks go by as Sarah becomes increasingly worried. But then she discovers she's right. There is a reason for Eddie's disappearance, and it's the one thing they didn't share with each other: the truth. 

First Impressions

This book has been getting a lot of buzz. I’ve seen the cover around and it caught my eye, but the summary and the comment on the cover by Liane Moriarty were really what solidified this book a place on my to-read list. I love Moriarty’s storytelling style, so I was hopeful that this would be similar.

What I thought

While I enjoyed this story, it was a bit too long for me. I think if it had ended about 100 pages earlier I would have liked it even more.

Sarah and Eddie have only known each other for seven days and yet they have fallen in love. When Eddie leaves for his vacation, he promise to call Sarah but he never does. Sarah knows the connection she and Eddie had was real, so she becomes convinced that something must have happened.

Sarah lives in California, but grew up in London. She moved to California when she was a teenager after a tragic event and comes back once a year for the anniversary of said event. This year when she heads back, she is in the midst of a divorce. She and her ex-husband run a charity together and still have to be cordial.

I enjoyed the way the story was written and set up. The chapters were mostly told from Sarah’s point of view and then there letters mixed in. In the final part of the book there were chapters told from Eddie’s perspective as well. For me, Sarah toed the line of insanity. I know that she is a little older and has lived a lot of life, but I was a bit taken aback by how quickly and strongly she fell in love with Eddie. I did appreciate that at times she acknowledged that she was acting a bit crazy which made it more tolerable.

I also enjoyed Sarah’s friends and their relationships. They balanced Sarah well and I think without them she would have been certifiable. I had a hard time getting a handle on Eddie through most of the book. I think that’s because you only meet him with flashbacks to the first seven days throughout the first half of the book and in those flashbacks his character is pretty minimal. It is more Sarah discussing what she felt about him during those memories.

Like I mentioned above, I found this story to go on a bit too long. There was a part at about 100 pages from the end where I thought to myself “this could end here and I’d be content”. But it felt as though the editor told Walsh, “We need a little more. Maybe add a twist or cliffhanger!” so she did. It’s no that the final 100 pages were bad or that I didn’t enjoy the, just that I didn’t find them necessary.

Overall, I found this to be an interesting and compelling read, but it just didn’t quite hit that level of special I was hoping for. Maybe it was because I was expecting the same level of magic I’ve felt while reading Moriarty’s books, but this one didn’t quite get there for me. It was a good story and the writing is solid, but I feel like it’s one that’s just going to end up fading into the background for me.

Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating

By: Christina Lauren
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Gallery Books
Pages: 309

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Hazel Camille Bradford knows she’s a lot to take—and frankly, most men aren’t up to the challenge. If her army of pets and thrill for the absurd don’t send them running, her lack of filter means she’ll say exactly the wrong thing in a delicate moment. Their loss. She’s a good soul in search of honest fun.

Josh Im has known Hazel since college, where her zany playfulness proved completely incompatible with his mellow restraint. From the first night they met—when she gracelessly threw up on his shoes—to when she sent him an unintelligible email while in a post-surgical haze, Josh has always thought of Hazel more as a spectacle than a peer. But now, ten years later, after a cheating girlfriend has turned his life upside down, going out with Hazel is a breath of fresh air.

Not that Josh and Hazel date. At least, not each other. Because setting each other up on progressively terrible double blind dates means there’s nothing between them...right?

First Impressions

Talk about an eye grabbing cover! I was immediately drawn in when I saw this cover on another blog. When I read the review raving about this book, I knew I needed to read it. The summary also sounded very cute, so I added it to my to-read list immediately.

What I thought

I might say that this is my favorite book I’ve read all year.

Hazel is quirky woman who is definitely a free spirit. She has zero filter but a heart of gold. Josh is a lot more reserved and very comfortable with where he is in life. They first met in college when Hazel puked on Josh’s shoes. From that point on, while amused by her Hazel-ness, he didn’t have much of a desire to hang out with her. Hazel on the other hand, often referred to Josh as the blueprint for perfect. When they meet up again 10 years post college, Hazel decides they need to be best friends, so best friends they become. Since they’re both in a dating rut, they decide to select blind dates for each other and go on blind double dates which often end in disaster.

I loved Josh and Hazel so much. She was just the right balance of ridiculous without being annoying. I also loved reading how much Josh liked her for who she was. He never got annoyed with her antics and was just a genuinely good guy. I’m a bit in love with him too after this novel!

The humor in this story is what makes it a page turner. Once I started I couldn’t put this book down. I LOVED the friendship between Josh and Hazel. It was pure and light while occasionally dealing with serious insecurities and life issues. This is one of those books that everything just comes together perfectly to make everything work.

Is it a ground breaking novel? No. Is it one of the best love stories I’ve read in a while? Yes. The best way for me to sum of this novel is to describe it as a rom-com in book form. It’s a bit predictable but that doesn’t take away from any of the joy of this story.

I want to buy this book and force it on every one I know. I also want to re-read it already. The characters are great and the story is so much fun. I don’t really know what else to say other than I love this book and you should read it.