A Sweet Mess

By: Jayci Lee
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Pages: 320

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Aubrey Choi loves living in her small town nestled in the foothills of California, running her highly successful bakery away from the watch of her strict Korean parents. When a cake mix-up and a harsh review threaten all of her hard work and her livelihood, she never thought the jaded food critic would turn out to be her one-night stand. And she sure as hell never thought she’d see her gorgeous Korean unicorn again. But when Landon Kim waltzes into her bakery trying to clean up the mess he had a huge hand in making, Aubrey is torn between throwing and hearing him out.

When she hears his plan to help save her business, Aubrey knows that spending three weeks in California wine country working with Landon is a sure recipe for disaster. Her head is telling her to take the chance to save her bakery while her heart—and her hormones—are at war on whether to give him a second chance. And it just so happens that Landon’s meddling friends want them to spend those three weeks as close as possible...by sharing a villa.

When things start heating up, both in and out of the kitchen, Aubrey will have to make a choice—to stick it out or risk her heart. 

First Impressions

I was sent this book to review and was immediately drawn in by the cute cover of this book. When I read he summary I had a feeling it would be right up my alley. I also have been trying to diversify the authors that I read, so that definitely made this book appeal to me a little bit more.

What I thought

Woah! There is a lot to unpack here.

Aubrey own a bakery in a small town in California. Landon is a famous food critic. When he stumbles into her bakery, he accidentally buys a cake made for a 6 year old, stuffed with gummy worms. Later that night, he meets Aubrey at a bar. Neither of them knows who the other one is until Landon’s negative review about Aubrey’s bakery comes out, threatening the livelihood of her business.

And that’s all only within the first 20% of the book!

So much happens in this book. It has so many romance novel tropes all rolled into one and I enjoyed every minute of it.

I loved Aubrey. She was strong and independent and determined to make her own way in the world. I also liked Landon, and their chemistry leapt off the page. There was a big pull of will they/won’t they that kept me intrigued from page one. I couldn’t wait to find out what happened to them and how they would ultimately end up together.

There were also some side characters, specifically Tara, Aubrey’s best friend, who I really hope get a spin off novel. I would love to read more about the town and Tara. There were also some delicious sounding recipes in this book. I think there was only one that was given in the back, but it definitely had me craving some baked goods.

If you are a fan of romance novels, I highly recommend checking this one out. There is so much that happens and it kind of breaks the typical pace. Every time I thought I knew what was going to happen another surprise was thrown in. It brought a smile to my face every time I picked up this book and I look forward to reading more by Lee in the future.

Book Club August 2020- Where the Crawdad Sings

By: Delia Owens
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: G.P Putnam & Sons
Pages: 384

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

What I thought

I’m not going to do a summary on this book because, well, if you don’t know what it’s about or haven’t heard about it you’ve probably been living under a rock.

Nobody in our book club had read this book, even with all of the hype. We haven’t had the greatest luck with books that have topped the best seller lists, so I think that made all of us hesitant to pick this one up. Add in the fact that when reading the description it doesn’t exactly sound like something I would be into and I easily passed this one over a few times.

I’m so glad that Meghan finally picked it and forced us to read it. It was funny because one of the book club members had tried to read/listen to it a while ago and couldn’t get into it so she quit. She wasn’t very happy initially about having to re-start it but in the end was thankful that she was forced to give it a second chance because she enjoyed it much more the second time around and was happy to finish it.

Have you ever read a book that you can feel is going to be an immediate classic? There is something about it that reminds me a bit of To Kill a Mockingbird and I can easily pictures this book being taught in schools for years to come.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this story. There were definitely parts that made me angry. For example, Kya being abandoned by all of her family members at the age of 6, in addition to the way she was treated by the townspeople. There was a lot of prejudice and it was interesting to read about how different people dealt with it.

I enjoyed that the book flipped between the past and the “present” (meaning 1969). In the present chapters, the story was a murder mystery. I was intrigued because I love a good mystery and it was also fascinating to see how the past story was going to catch up to present day.

This book was a wonderful book club choice because there were so many points of discussion. One fun thing that I want to point out (thanks Stephanie!) is that there is a map at the beginning of the book. The only book club member that noticed it was Stephanie, so it was really fun to look at when we were all together.

Shockingly, this book does live up to the hype. The writing I beautiful and it is the first book in a very long time that I was unable to put down. I actually stayed up until 11:30 reading this book because I wanted to see how everything turned out. I haven’t had a book that has sucked me in like that in quite a long time. There is nothing that I could pick out from this book that I would complain about.

This is My America

By: Kim Johnson
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 416

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Every week, seventeen-year-old Tracy Beaumont writes letters to Innocence X, asking the organization to help her father, an innocent Black man on death row. After seven years, Tracy is running out of time—her dad has only 267 days left. Then the unthinkable happens. The police arrive in the night, and Tracy’s older brother, Jamal, goes from being a bright, promising track star to a “thug” on the run, accused of killing a white girl. Determined to save her brother, Tracy investigates what really happened between Jamal and Angela down at the Pike. But will Tracy and her family survive the uncovering of the skeletons of their Texas town’s racist history that still haunt the present?

First Impressions

I first hear about this book through Twitter right before the most recent wave of the Black Lives Matter movement. It sounded interesting but, I’ll be honest, I was nervous to read it because I knew it was going to make me angry and uncomfortable. After the May/June movement started I came to terms with the fact that I needed to make myself uncomfortable and not only added it to my to-read list, but requested a copy for review on Netgalley. The cover is beautiful and was definitely what initially caught my eye.

What I thought

Wow. This book is so good. I have not read a debut this good in a very long time.

Tracy has been writing to Innocence X to take her father’s case for years. Her dad is in jail, sentenced to the death penalty for a murder he did not commit. He has less than a year left when her brother is accused by the police of murdering one of his white female classmates. With Jamal on the run and time running out on her father’s time in jail, Tracey takes it upon herself to find out what really happened.

I’ll say it again. This book is so good. The way that Johnson writes about the injustices in our police system within the black community is heartbreakingly beautiful. There is a chapter in which Tracey is giving a presentation on knowing your rights which covers what to do if you are stopped by a police officer. There were so many facts that she shared that I had never even thought about and definitely never had been taught. It opened my eyes to all of the stupid little things that a black person needs to worry about that I don’t as a white woman.

I loved Tracey. Even though we are different people from different situations, I was able to relate to her easily. I enjoyed her two male friends, but do wish that her female friend (sorry, I’m blanking on names) had been in it a bit more. It felt like she was going to be more central in the beginning but then she kind of disappeared. I mean, this isn’t a story about friendship so I get it, I just would have been curious to have her around a little more.

This book made me uncomfortable, just as I expected, but I needed it. there were a few moments where I wanted to put the book down because I hated to hear about what was happening, but I know that it happens in real life and people don’t have the luxury of putting down their life and walking away.

I honestly don’t have anything negative to say about this book. It’s beautifully written and will make you uncomfortable but you will learn from it. I think this is a great book for anyone and everyone to read even though it is YA. It gave me perspective into parts of life I have not seen or experienced before. I look forward to reading more by Johnson in the future and pushing this book on everybody I know.

Time of Our Lives

By: Emily Wibberly and Austin-Sigemund Broka
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A boy desperate to hold on, a girl ready to let go.

Fitz Holton waits in fear for the day his single mother's early-onset Alzheimer's starts stealing her memory. He's vowed to stay close to home to care for her in the years to come--never mind the ridiculous college tour she's forcing him on to visit schools where he knows he'll never go. Juniper Ramirez is counting down the days until she can leave home, a home crowded with five younger siblings and zero privacy. Against the wishes of her tight-knit family, Juniper plans her own college tour of the East Coast with one goal: get out.

When Fitz and Juniper cross paths on their first college tour in Boston, they're at odds from the moment they meet-- while Juniper's dying to start a new life apart for her family, Fitz faces the sacrifices he must make for his. Their relationship sparks a deep connection--in each other's eyes, they glimpse alternate possibilities regarding the first big decision of their adult lives.

First Impressions

I loved the debut novel of this adorable married writing duo and it cemented them as an automatic read. I was excited that they had a new book coming out and love the cover. I don’t like it as much as their other books, but I was still very excited.

What I thought

I don’t know if it was the anticipation or what, but this book I just didn’t connect with this book as much as their previous novels.

Juniper and Fitz are on their own separate college visit trips when they run into each other and form an immediate connection. Each is dealing with their own conflicts about leaving for college. Juniper wants to get as far away as possible from her family whereas Fitz wants to stay close to home and is only going on this trip to appease his mom.

I liked a lot of aspects of this book. I think it has a lot of realistic elements. Nothing is wrapped up in a neat little bow and Juniper and Fitz both have huge life issues that are left unresolved in this book. There also was a fun cameo from characters from the last book, which I always appreciate.

I don’t know if I’m going to be able to pinpoint why exactly this book didn’t work for me, but I could tell from the beginning that I didn’t get immediately sucked in. It took be about a week to get through, which isn’t typical for me with YA when I’m really enjoying it. Maybe it was because I knew there wasn’t a way things were going to end all tied up, or maybe because I had just recently read a different (very different) college trip story that I loved.

The characters were enjoyable on their own. I liked Fitz and his affinity for words and I loved Juniper and her desire to find herself. Together, I didn’t quite get them. I wasn’t rooting against them by any means, but it definitely seemed a bit like a relationship of circumstance and maybe that was the point. They were both there for each other pushing them in the ways they needed at that exact time of their lives.

This book was fine. I didn’t dislike it and I didn’t find it hard to read or pick up, but it didn’t grab me. Maybe it’s a YA that will connect more with young adults and there’s nothing wrong with that. I still look forward to reading this duo’s next book, and I hope that it catches me in the same way their other two books have.

Well Read Black Girl

By: Glory Edim
Published Year: 2018
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Pages: 272

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): An inspiring collection of essays by black women writers, curated by the founder of the popular book club Well-Read Black Girl, on the importance of recognizing ourselves in literature.

Remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? That feeling of belonging can stick with readers the rest of their lives--but it doesn't come around as frequently for all of us. In this timely anthology, "well-read black girl" Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best black female writers and creative voices to shine a light on how we search for ourselves in literature, and how important it is that everyone--no matter their gender, race, religion, or abilities--can find themselves there. Whether it's learning about the complexities of femalehood from Their Eyes Were Watching God, seeing a new type of love in The Color Purple, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, each essay reminds us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation. As she has done with her incredible book-club-turned-online-community Well-Read Black Girl, in this book, Edim has created a space where black women's writing and knowledge and life experiences are lifted up, to be shared with all readers who value the power of a story to help us understand the world, and ourselves.

Contributors include: Jesmyn Ward (Sing Unburied Sing), Lynn Nottage (Sweat), Jacqueline Woodson (Another Brooklyn), Gabourey Sidibe (This Is Just My Face), Morgan Jerkins (This Will Be My Undoing), Zinzi Clemmons (What We Lose), N. K. Jemisin (The Fifth Season), Tayari Jones (An American Marriage), Nicole Dennis-Benn (Here Comes the Sun), Rebecca Walker (Black, White and Jewish), and more. 

First Impressions

When the most recent wave of the Black Lives Matter movement started, the very first thing I felt like I could do was support authors of color. I went on a little search and this was the first one to jump out at me. The cover is beautiful and, as a book nerd, I couldn’t say no to a book about other book nerds.

What I thought

I am not typically one to read collections of essays, but this one might have changed my mind. I went back and forth for a while about whether or not I should read it all at once or spread it out by reading one or two essays a day. Ultimately, I decided I might do better spreading the essays out and read one a day while I ate my breakfast. This ended up being the perfect decision and I loved starting my day with a reminder to be more aware.

Each essay in this book was unique but had a similar theme running through it. Stories of black females and how they first found themselves in literature. Through these women, I have discovered so many new books and authors that I have added to my to-read list. Not only because of the books that they discussed, but some of the women were authors themselves and I really connected to their writing styles. For example, Jesmyn Ward who wrote the book Salvage the Bones. Hers was the first essay in the book and I immediately got sucked in.

I highly recommend checking out this book if you are passionate about reading. It opened my eyes to a lot of literature I didn’t know about and I loved hearing other readers talk passionately about something I love.

This is a difficult book for me to review because it’s not one that has a plot or storyline to follow. But, I loved picking it up for a new essay every time I reached for it and I found that I learned a lot from reading it. If you love reading or if you are trying to expose yourself to more black authors, you need to look into this book.

The Heir Affair (Royal We #2)

By: Heather Cocks & Jessica Morgan
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Pages: 464

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Making it up the aisle was the easy part: After marrying the heir to the throne, Rebecca “Bex” Porter must survive her own scandals as she adjusts to life in the glamorous British royal family, in this “highly anticipated” follow-up to The Royal We, the “fun and dishy” bestseller and NYT Summer Reading List pick inspired by Will and Kate’s romance (People).

After a scandalous secret turns their fairy-tale wedding into a nightmare, Rebecca “Bex” Porter and her husband Prince Nicholas are in self-imposed exile. The public is angry. The Queen is even angrier. And the press is salivating. Cutting themselves off from friends and family, and escaping the world’s judgmental eyes, feels like the best way to protect their fragile, all-consuming romance.

But when a crisis forces the new Duke and Duchess back to London, the Band-Aid they’d placed over their problems starts to peel at the edges. Now, as old family secrets and new ones threaten to derail her new royal life, Bex has to face the emotional wreckage she and Nick left behind: with the Queen, with the world, and with Nick’s brother Freddie, whose sins may not be so easily forgotten — nor forgiven.

First Impressions

When I found out that The Royal We was going to have a sequel, I got excited. I had enjoyed the first one, though maybe not as much as my friends had, and looked forward to revisiting the characters.

What I thought

This book picks up right where the last one left off. Bex and Nick are hiding out after the drama of their wedding until they get called back to their duties. When back in London, they have to address the mess they left behind as well as what this means for their future with their familial relationships and with their country.

Prior to reading this book, I did re-read The Royal We so that I could start The Heir Affair knowing exactly what happened. I initially read The Royal We 5 years ago, so when I re-read it there was a lot that I had completely forgotten about. I remembered a lot of what happened vaguely, but there were some bigger plot points I forgot. Since this is a sequel, I will warn about spoilers because I will be talking about things that happen in the first book that pertain to the second.

The Royal We ended with Nick finding out that his brother Freddie had kissed his fiancé Bex and asked her to leave Nick and run away. Nick and Bex get married anyway and as they are getting married, news about the “affair” breaks. When Bex and Nick come back from running away, Nick and Bex continue to struggle with their relationship as well as how to handle Freddie.

What I love about these stories is how they are coincidentally similar to events that have happened in real life. For example, an American marrying a prince prior to Meghan Markel marrying Prince Harry. However, because of these similarities, it can be hard to remember that this is a book of complete fiction in a made up universe and not a historical fiction type of novel. I appreciated that Nick, Bex, and Freddie had to deal with their issues and they didn’t just disappear.

As with the first novel, there is a lot going on in this book. They tackle some serious issues but in relatable ways that make it enjoyable to read. I wish that there had been more of the side relationships in this book, but I understand why that wasn’t possible. This book focused a lot more on Bex, Nick, and their responsibilities to their family and country as opposed to their friendships. As a result, Bex’s sister Lacey who featured so heavily in the first novel is barely existent in this one.

If you enjoy royal romance fiction, you will greatly enjoy these two books. As sequels go, this one is strong. The characters felt familiar and I loved seeing where they went. With the way the first book left off, I was very happy to get some closure and see what happened next. I would highly recommend reading both of these books.

What You Wish For

By: Katherine Center
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Pages: 320

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Samantha Casey loves everything about her job as an elementary school librarian on the sunny, historic island of Galveston, Texas—the goofy kids, the stately Victorian building, the butterfly garden. But when the school suddenly loses its beloved principal, it turns out his replacement will be none other than Duncan Carpenter—a former, unrequited crush of Sam’s from many years before.

When Duncan shows up as her new boss, though, he’s nothing like the sweet teacher she once swooned over. He’s become stiff, and humorless, and obsessed with school safety. Now, with Duncan determined to destroy everything Sam loves about her school in the name of security—and turn it into nothing short of a prison—Sam has to stand up for everyone she cares about before the school that’s become her home is gone for good.

First Impressions

Center is one of my favorite authors and I absolutely love the style of covers for her books. I requested to review this book without even reading the summary because of how much I have enjoyed Center’s previous novels. I’m also always a fan of blue covers.

What I thought

While this may not be one of my favorite of Center’s books, it was still a wonderful read that I couldn’t put down.

Sam is a librarian at a progressive school in Galveston Texas. A few years ago, she left her previous school because of her unrequited crush on fellow teacher Duncan. When Duncan shows up at the Kempner school in Galveston to replace the recently passed and beloved principal, Sam is not excited. When he shows up as a completely different person than she remembers and starts to crush the spirit that is the Kempner school, she goes from not excited to determined to stopping him from the one thing she loves.

I love Sam. She is exactly what you expect an elementary school librarian to be. Center did a wonderful job of getting the school environment right. She wrote about the start of the school year and how some of the teachers felt about getting things ready as well as the passion good teachers have for their kids and it all resonated with me, as someone who works in an elementary school. I often feel like authors can write a cartoonish version of an elementary school and this is one of the few times that I felt as though I saw my school and my experience in writing. Even when the book started to touch on such heavy topics as school shootings and school security in our current climate in America.

One of the main themes of this book is to “choose joy” and I felt that at my core. I often feel that half the battle of being a positive person is choosing to be positive. The way that Center wrote about Max and his thoughts behind it as well as how Sam put this into practice really resonated with me and I feel like it is something everyone needs to be reminded of.

I always enjoy that Center manages to balance stories with serious issues with love stories. Duncan and Sam’s chemistry was undeniable and I loved reading about them. In the past, Center has managed to stump me when it came to little twists or hidden secrets in a character’s past, but this book I was able to easily predict. I think that’s why I didn’t love it as much as some of her previous novels, but it didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment. The writing still sucks you in and, like I said, the topics that she covers really resonated with me.

If you are a fan of contemporary romance balanced with the seriousness of life, Center’s books are definitely for you. I think this book will especially connect with people who have experience working in a school, but I honestly think anyone will enjoy it. It’s a delightful book and an easy read that will really make you think.

I Was Told it Would Get Easier

By: Abbi Waxman
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 352

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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): Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it’s a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she’s sure she even wants to go to college, but let’s ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. . . . They have to, right?

For Jessica, it’s a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn’t even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn’t sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers–and two familiar enemies–Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

First Impressions

I have read two of Waxman’s prior novels and loved both of them. She writes families and friendships very well and I was excited to check this one out. I love the color of the cover and it would’ve caught my eye, but I’m not crazy about the cartoon drawings of the mother and daughter.

What I thought

This was such a delightful book!

Jessica is a single mother to daughter 16 year old Emily. This story follows the mother-daughter duo as they take a week long tour of colleges along the East Coast. This tour is through a company and occurs with a handful of other parents and their children. Right before leaving for the tour, Jessica threatens to quit her job because of sexism in the workplace and something happens to Emily at school. The tour is a chance to get away from their problems at home and reconnect while also looking forward to the future.

The first chapter of the book with Jessica’s boss made me so angry I thought I wouldn’t be able to continue with the book. Luckily, I figured he wouldn’t be a huge part of the book because it would focus on Jessica and Emily on their tour, so it didn’t really matter. But if you feel that same way, just ignore it and continue.

I loved how the book alternated between Jessica and Emily’s perspectives and often showed their views of the same moments. It was wonderful to see how a 16 year old interpreted a moment versus how a 45 year old would. I also really appreciated how Emily would sometimes say something snarky and in her head she would then ask herself why she was picking a fight with her mom. It rang so true to me and I haven’t read a book like that before.

This is such a great mother-daughter story and also a story of a teenager coming of age. I think this is one of those rare books that spans generations. Emily’s view point and chapters could easily appeal to the YA world and give younger readers insight into how their parents are viewing the moment. Jessica’s chapters could appeal to the moms who are frustrated with their teenage daughters and at a loss as to how to navigate the world of college.

The idea of this college tour also fascinated me. They tour 10 colleges, and very difficult to get into colleges, over the course of 7 days. This seemed so overwhelming to me. I also had no idea that there were companies who did things like this, as I have never met someone who has been on one.

Waxman has solidified herself as a must-read author for me. She continue to write books that are unique but easy to connect to. I love that all of her novels are different from one another and I can’t think of a book similar to this one. Her writing is fresh and easy and I am already looking forward to what she writes next.

I honestly want to recommend this book to everyone. I think that almost everybody will find something to connect with in it. It was a quick read too! I felt like I had just started it and all of a sudden it was over. I would love to reconnect with these characters and I love the light-hearted way that Waxman tackles serious issues. Love love love.