The Wedding Party (Wedding Date #3)

By: Jasmine Guillory
Published Year: 2019
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 351

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Maddie and Theo have two things in common:

1. Alexa is their best friend

2. They hate each other

After an “Oops, we made a mistake” kiss, neither one can stop thinking about the other. With Alexa’s wedding rapidly approaching, Maddie and Theo both share bridal party responsibilities that require more interaction with each other than they’re comfortable with. Underneath the sharp barbs they toss at each other is a simmering attraction that won’t fade. It builds until they find themselves sneaking off together to release some tension when Alexa isn’t looking.

But as with any engagement with a nemesis, there are unspoken rules that must be abided by. First and foremost, don’t fall in love.

First Impression

This cover is everything. Bright pink and gold glitter? Sold. It also is the 3rd book in the Wedding Date romance series and I loved the first two books, so that’s a solid first impression. However, I actually had read the fourth before reading the third one and that one was terrible, so I was a bit more apprehensive about this one.

What I thought

I am so glad that my friend Carly convinced me to give this series another chance.

Maddie and Theo are both Alexa’s best friends. Alexa is the OG protagonist from book 1. They dislike each other immensely because Maddie thinks Theo is a pretentious asshole and Theo thinks Maddie is a self-absorbed bitch. But that doesn’t seem to cancel out the pure physical connection that they have. They decide to have a physical relationship that will end when Alexa and Drew get married. Rules are set, but rules are always meant to be broken.

I loved Maddie and Theo. I also loved that this book started during scenes that happened in book one. It was a really fun overlap and I liked seeing Alexa and Drew again so early. I also am a big fan of hate to love tropes and fake dating tropes and this was almost a mixture of both. Maddie and Theo hid their relationship (that wasn’t really a relationship) from everyone. That made the banter extra fun. Also, their relationship is kind of my perfect relationship. Hanging out on the couch without any of the pretensions of having to go on dates and go to events together? Yes please.

My one issue with these books, and maybe it will become something that I can turn into enjoyment now that I’ve noticed it, is Guillory’s food obsession and repetition. I really started to notice it in the fourth book, Royal Holiday and it stuck out to me in this book as well. In Royal Holiday she mentioned “scones” so many times that I kept a tally (you can read my full review here). This book the only food that Theo and Maddie ever ate was pizza. To the point that there’s one scene where they even make an excuse to not order tacos and instead, end up ordering more pizza.

I did like that the conflict (because there’s always a conflict) came later in the book and was resolved relatively quickly.

This was the perfect like read that I needed. I had a smile on my face pretty much the entire time I read it. I enjoyed it significantly more than Royal Holiday and just as much as the first two books. It also made me look forward to reading the other books in the series again. I’m hoping Royal Holiday was a bit of a blip and the other books are just as enjoyable as this one.

Who Speaks for the Damned (Sebastian St. Cyr #15)

By: C.S. Harris
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 336

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

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): It's June 1814, and the royal families of Austria, Russia, and the German states have gathered in London at the Prince Regent's invitation to celebrate the defeat of Napoléon and the restoration of monarchical control throughout Europe. But the festive atmosphere is marred one warm summer evening by the brutal murder of a disgraced British nobleman long thought dead.

Eighteen years before, Nicholas Hayes, the third son of the late Earl of Seaford, was accused of killing a beautiful young French émigré and transported to Botany Bay for life. Even before his conviction, Hayes had been disowned by his father. Few in London were surprised when they heard the ne'er-do-well had died in New South Wales in 1799. But those reports were obviously wrong. Recently Hayes returned to London with a mysterious young boy in tow--a child who vanishes shortly after Nicholas's body is discovered.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is drawn into the investigation by his valet, Jules Calhoun. With Calhoun's help, Sebastian begins to piece together the shattered life of the late Earl's ill-fated youngest son. Why did Nicholas risk his life and freedom by returning to England? And why did he bring the now-missing young boy with him? Several nervous Londoners had reason to fear that Nicholas Hayes had returned to kill them. One of them might have decided to kill him first.

First Impression

If you’re an OG reader, this series is the first one I was sent for review. Since then, I have received the newest book in the season, until 2020. I think that is got lost in the COVID void, so when I was sent the 16th book (released in 2021), they also included this one to read. I was excited because it had felt weird to not read it last year. I will continue to stand by the fact that these covers look like something supernatural should be happening, but I do like how they all go together.

What I thought

In this novel, an Earl’s son is found dead. However, this Earl’s son was believed dead for years when he was sent away to work and never return after he was accused of murdering a French noblewoman. Devlin (Sebastian St. Cyr.. whichever of his million names we are currently choosing to use) is intrigued because why would a man who was wanted and sentenced to death if he ever returned to England, return to England? Only to be murdered?

While I did still enjoy this story, it wasn’t my favorite that I’ve read so far. The mystery itself was interesting but overall a bit boring. There was not much going on in regards to side storylines. In fact, this story might be the most murder-centric one that I’ve read.

Sometimes I do feel like these stories can have too much going on in terms of storylines which can be confusing and then make me frustrated because I just want to solve the mystery. But this one almost went too far in the opposite direction. I still like Sebastian/Devlin and that he wants to figure out what is going on, but this book had zero character growth and could 100% be a standalone.

Unfortunately, I don’t have much to say without giving the mystery away. I liked the mystery, don’t get me wrong. But I don’t feel like I needed to read this one before moving forward with the series. It’s an enjoyable mystery story on its own, but when I compare it to the others it’s not one of my favorites.

Rent A Boyfriend

By: Gloria Chao
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Chloe Wang is nervous to introduce her parents to her boyfriend, because the truth is, she hasn’t met him yet either. She hired him from Rent for Your ’Rents, a company specializing in providing fake boyfriends trained to impress even the most traditional Asian parents.

Drew Chan’s passion is art, but after his parents cut him off for dropping out of college to pursue his dreams, he became a Rent for Your ’Rents employee to keep a roof over his head. Luckily, learning protocols like “Type C parents prefer quiet, kind, zero-PDA gestures” comes naturally to him.

When Chloe rents Drew, the mission is simple: convince her parents fake Drew is worthy of their approval so they’ll stop pressuring her to accept a proposal from Hongbo, the wealthiest (and slimiest) young bachelor in their tight-knit Asian American community.

But when Chloe starts to fall for the real Drew—who, unlike his fake persona, is definitely not ’rent-worthy—her carefully curated life begins to unravel. Can she figure out what she wants before she loses everything?

First Impressions

I saw the cover of this book on Twitter and immediately had to go check it out, so I’d say that’s a solid first impression. I then read the summary and immediately was in. A rent a boyfriend who ends up becoming a real boyfriend? I’m a total sucker for those kinds of stories.

What I thought

While I liked this book as a whole, it did seem a bit long and could’ve had bits removed and still been just as good.

When Chloe/Jing Jing goes home for Thanksgiving, she decides to rent a boyfriend from Rent for Your Rents in order to stop them from trying to set her up with terrible Hongbo. Drew/Andrew is the boyfriend rental who is supporting himself after he dropped out of college to pursue his passion of being an artist. They realize that there is a real connection there and the lines between what’s fake and what’s real become blurred.

I was a little bit surprised that the book started with Chloe (who goes by her Chinese name of Jing Jing when with her parents) picking up Drew (who goes by Andrew when on a job) right before meeting her family. I didn’t know how the book was going to go on when we were already starting with the rental. I will say that it did keep moving, since Chloe ended up needing to rent Drew again for Christmas, but in that sense it felt a little bit repetitive.

What I found really fascinating is that this storyline is based off of real life situations that occur in China. Apparently, it’s not uncommon for women to rent fake boyfriends over Chinese New Year to appease their families for whatever reason. Having not come from that kind of culture or familial pressure, I was a bit shocked that this happened in real life. It just seems like it would cause so many complications! I know that there are families that aren’t accepting of the way their children live their lives, but it was sad to me it has to go this far.

In the story, I hated Chloe’s parents. I didn’t find any of their behaviors to be excusable and there wasn’t anything redeeming about them. They kept claiming that what they were doing was because they loved her but it just came off emotionally and verbally abusive and I wanted nothing more than for her to cut herself off from her family and never talk to them again. As I’m writing this, I realize this is my biggest issue with this book. I worry that young adults will read it and think that it’s ok that their parents talk to them or manipulate them in these kinds of ways because “they love them.” It’s not ok. None of their behaviors are ok.

The redeeming part of this book was Chloe and Drew. I loved how they supported each other and accepted each other as the person who they truly were and wanted to be. They didn’t immediately fall in love, but there was an immediate connection. I enjoyed watching them work through issues together and could see them making it for the long haul.

It’s a very cute concept and I liked the cultural aspects that were included in this book with this type of storyline. I also liked the two main characters but couldn’t stand her parents. Also, by starting with the rental and then having a second rental it seemed a bit repetitive and I do feel like the tory could’ve been a little bit shorter. Overall, if it sounds interesting to you, I’d read it, but otherwise it’s going to be one I forget about shortly.

Book Club March 2021- The Midnight Library

By: Matt Haig
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Viking
Pages: 288

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?”

A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive and How To Stop Time.

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?

What I thought

This month was picked by me. I had a friend who told me about this book and how much she enjoyed it and then after that it won Goodreads Choice for Best Fiction in 2020. Add that to the fact that the summary is right up my alley and I didn’t need any more convincing to pick this for book club.

Nora dies. Or well, she sort of dies. She ends up in the Midnight Library which is a place of possibility between life and death where every book there is a book of what your life could have been if you had made a different choice. Nora has to decide which life is the best fit for her, before all those possibilities are gone.

I am such a sucker for multiverse storylines. I love the idea of there being a different Lindsey on a different world who studied abroad in London, who went to NYU for grad school, who decided to live in a different apartment. So many endless possibilities of where your life could have ended up.

Haig does a wonderful job of dealing with this thought process. I liked Nora and watching her try on different lives. It’s one of those books that I don’t want to say too much about it because I don’t want to give anything away. What I can say is that while this book isn’t earth shattering and unpredictable, it deals with life and philosophy in a wonderful and beautiful way.

I don’t completely understand how this book got so hyped up though. It is a very well written book with a message I enjoyed, but I feel like I’ve read similar books that I’ve enjoyed just as much. I’m not saying it’s not a very good book, I’m just curious what it is about this one versus some of the others in a similar vein that caused this one to take off.

What Book Club Thought

Yay! Everybody enjoyed this one! And there was still enough to talk about because of the content, so it didn’t make it boring. We had some interesting discussions about what we thought was going to happen versus what did, how we would have felt like or done in her situation. I would definitely recommend this book, both as an individual read and as one for a book club. I will definitely look into more of Haig’s books in the future.

Back of Beyond (Highway Quartet 1)

By: CJ Box
Published Year: 2011
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Pages: 372

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Cody Hoyt, while a brilliant cop, is an alcoholic struggling with two months of sobriety when his mentor and AA sponsor Hank Winters is found burned to death in a remote mountain cabin. At first it looks like the suicide of a man who's fallen off the wagon, but Cody knows Hank better than that. Sober for fourteen years, Hank took pride in his hard-won sobriety and never hesitated to drop whatever he was doing to talk Cody off a ledge. When Cody takes a closer look at the scene of his friend's death, it becomes apparent that foul play is at hand. After years of bad behavior with his department, he's in no position to be investigating a homicide, but this man was a friend and Cody's determined to find his killer.

When clues found at the scene link the murderer to an outfitter leading tourists on a multi-day wilderness horseback trip into the remote corners of Yellowstone National Park—a pack trip that includes his son Justin—Cody is desperate to get on their trail and stop the killer before the group heads into the wild. Among the tourists is fourteen-year-old Gracie Sullivan, an awkward but intelligent loner who begins to suspect that someone in their party is dangerous.

In a fatal cat and mouse game, where it becomes apparent the murderer is somehow aware of Cody's every move, Cody treks into the wilderness to stop a killer hell bent on ruining the only thing in his life he cares about.

First Impressions

Over my winter break I watched the first 5 episodes of the show Big Sky and loved it. I saw that it was based off of a novel so I immediately looked it up. Then discovered that it was actually based off of the second book in a series, so I decided to read the first book. I don’t know if this would have grabbed me based off of the cover, but I tend to avoid the books that have a giant male author’s name splashed across the cover.

What I thought

Well… I devoured that one.

Cody Hoyt is an alcoholic detective. When he discovers that his sponsor is dead, he is convinced that it is a murder and not an accidental death like his partner believes. When he discovers that the last website visited was for a back county wilderness trip, Cody decides that the killer must be on that trip.

I pretty much had a slow day and read this book instead. But, to say that it held my attention for an entire day to read it speaks volumes. I usually judge a mystery by my ability to figure out who did it and this one I only figured out about half of what was going on which I say is a win.

Hoyt is rough around the edge and I really enjoyed it. It definitely helps that he is just naturally gifted as a detective. If he wasn’t good at his job, he would have become very annoying. It also helped that he had a good heart, made obvious by the care that he has for his son.

The setting for this book was also intriguing. I haven’t read a book that took place in Montana/Wyoming before. The rough and tumble wild west was its own character and it brought a lot to this story. Once the tour group came into the story, it really started to pick up and I was completely sucked in. Even though there were a ton of characters, they were all made to be individuals and I wanted to learn more about all of them.

Admittedly, I was a bit worried that based off of what I had seen on the show and the description of the book it would be a bit graphic and violent. However, I would say that the Robert Galbraith novels are much more graphic and violent than this one. Not to say that it doesn’t have some violent scenes (one guy gets shot in the knee which is still making me cringe), but overall it wasn’t bad.

This was a solid mystery with a strong protagonist. I want to follow him on more cases, which I feel makes this book a success. It had me sucked in pretty quickly and by the end I couldn’t put it down. Is it an earth shatters twist the likes of which you’ve never seen? No. But it will keep you entertained and guessing the whole way.

Mind the Gap Dash & Lily

By: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Published Year: 2020
Publisher: Alfred A Knopf Books
Pages: 256

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Dash and Lily were feeling closer than ever...it's just too bad they're now an ocean apart. After Dash gets accepted to Oxford University and Lily stays in New York to take care of her dogwalking business, the devoted couple are struggling to make a long distance relationship work. And when Dash breaks the news that he won't be coming home for Christmas, Lily makes a decision: if Dash can't come to her, she'll join him in London. It's a perfect romantic gesture...that spins out of Lily's control. Soon Dash and Lily are feeling more of a gap between them, even though they're in the same city. Will London bring them together again--or will it be their undoing?

First Impressions

This is the 3rd (and latest) installment in the Dash and Lily series. If you haven’t read my reviews on the other books, you can read the first one here and the second one here. While I haven’t loved the other two books, they were both cute and entertaining and I definitely wanted to finish the series and find out what happened. I do love the cover and the fact that it takes place in London helped.

What I thought

We meet up with Dash and Lily another year later, this time with Dash in England during his first year at Oxford and Lily taking a gap year before deciding what to do with her life. When Dash decides to spend Christmas in London, Lily decides to tak her hard earned dog walking and business money to surprise him with a visit. Except it doesn’t go exactly as planned.

Lily hasn’t always been my favorite character and she definitely got on my nerves in this story. She immediately takes a dislike to Dash’s grandma for literally no reason and is seriously considering moving to England to attend a one year dog school that she learned about online. Dash is also disenchanted with Oxford and depressed and therefore, not doing anything about it.

I felt like in this book Dash is and has been growing whereas Lily is the one who seems immature. She isn’t confronting any of her issues, refuses to look at any other perspectives, and pretty much believes she’s the only one who knows what’s right for anyone. She did make some growth as the book went on, thanks to Dash. Otherwise she would’ve been completely intolerable. Although, if I had to hear the word “dogprenour” one more time I was going to chuck the book across the room.

Dash is struggling with a lot. And it was hard for me to not get mad at him because I would have loved to live in England and gone to Oxford. But, I know that it’s not for everyone so I tried to set my own wants and needs aside. I was so happy that Dash finally has a decent family member as well.

One difference between this one and the others is that it really didn’t revolve around Dash and Lily as a couple. Yes, there were moments here and there where that was central to the story and even the fact that he lived in England was a driving force behind some of the conflict, but mostly it was about Dash and Lily separately. They were both trying to figure out what they want in life and where they want their lives to go.

I think overall, I enjoyed this series. Dash and Lily aren’t my favorite individuals, but as a couple they usually seem to work. I do prefer the Netflix series to the books and am looking forward to seeing how books 2 and 3 are adapted. I would still recommend watching Dash and Lily over reading them, but they are all around 200-250 pages so they’re pretty quick to get through.

Book Club February 2021- The Duke & I (Bridgerton)

We had a few changes this month for book club. Because of everything that we have all gone through in 2020, we have leaned more towards lighter reads this past year. This month was Denise’s choice and she had picked two different books that, once she started reading, didn’t feel right. She found one to not be what the summary had said and both to be more serious and heavy than she expected. As a result, we were at the beginning of January with no book picked. So, Logan suggested that since we had all been watching Bridgerton, we read the book and then we could discuss both the show and the book!

By: Julia Quinn
Published Year: 2006
Publisher: Avon Books
Pages: 386

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): In the ballrooms and drawing rooms of Regency London, rules abound. From their earliest days, children of aristocrats learn how to address an earl and curtsey before a prince—while other dictates of the ton are unspoken yet universally understood. A proper duke should be imperious and aloof. A young, marriageable lady should be amiable… but not too amiable.

Daphne Bridgerton has always failed at the latter. The fourth of eight siblings in her close-knit family, she has formed friendships with the most eligible young men in London. Everyone likes Daphne for her kindness and wit. But no one truly desires her. She is simply too deuced honest for that, too unwilling to play the romantic games that captivate gentlemen.

Amiability is not a characteristic shared by Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings. Recently returned to England from abroad, he intends to shun both marriage and society—just as his callous father shunned Simon throughout his painful childhood. Yet an encounter with his best friend’s sister offers another option. If Daphne agrees to a fake courtship, Simon can deter the mamas who parade their daughters before him. Daphne, meanwhile, will see her prospects and her reputation soar.

The plan works like a charm—at first. But amid the glittering, gossipy, cut-throat world of London’s elite, there is only one certainty: love ignores every rule...

What I Thought

Let me start by saying that I watched the show before reading the book. 4 out of the 5 book club members did it in this order. I absolutely loved the show. I devoured it in just over 24 hours. I was a little nervous to read the book because of how much I enjoyed the show.

The book was very cute, though I will admit I didn’t love it as much as the show. There were a lot of differences and most of the differences were ones that I missed as reading the book. For example, the Bridgerton siblings barely appear in the book. We really only see Anthony and Colin. Benedict maybe once and definitely no Eloise. There were also a few storylines that must have been completely made up for the show that weren’t in the book that I missed. The Featheringtons also had a significantly lesser role in the book than the show.

What did still work was Daphne and Simon. Their banter and ease of the relationship was just as fun to read as it was to watch. The one thing that did irritate me slightly was the writing got to be a bit repetitive. Daphne continually reminded us that she had 4 brothers and at one point I wanted to yell “We get it!” But, overall, the writing was fun and light.

If I to pick only one, I would definitely recommend the show over the book. But that’s not going to stop me from reading the other books because I want more of the Bridgerton siblings and I can’t wait a year.

What Book Club Thought

The 4 of us who watched the show before reading the book loved both. The one who read the book first and then the show, hated both. I don’t know if that necessarily is the reason but it was interesting. We enjoyed talking about the differences between the show and the book. Initially, I didn’t realize how many differences there were and while I did enjoy the show more overall, there were some parts of the book that I preferred. I

The Nature of Fragile Things

By: Susan Meissner
Published Year: 2021
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 384

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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): April 18, 1906: A massive earthquake rocks San Francisco just before daybreak, igniting a devouring inferno. Lives are lost, lives are shattered, but some rise from the ashes forever changed.

Sophie Whalen is a young Irish immigrant so desperate to get out of a New York tenement that she answers a mail-order bride ad and agrees to marry a man she knows nothing about. San Francisco widower Martin Hocking proves to be as aloof as he is mesmerizingly handsome. Sophie quickly develops deep affection for Kat, Martin's silent five-year-old daughter, but Martin's odd behavior leaves her with the uneasy feeling that something about her newfound situation isn't right.

Then one early-spring evening, a stranger at the door sets in motion a transforming chain of events. Sophie discovers hidden ties to two other women. The first, pretty and pregnant, is standing on her doorstep. The second is hundreds of miles away in the American Southwest, grieving the loss of everything she once loved.

The fates of these three women intertwine on the eve of the devastating earthquake, thrusting them onto a perilous journey that will test their resiliency and resolve and, ultimately, their belief that love can overcome fear.

From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War and As Bright as Heaven comes a gripping novel about the bonds of friendship and mother love, and the power of female solidarity.

First Impression

I’ve read a few other novels by Meissner and enjoyed each of them. But lately, I haven’t been in much of a mood for historical fiction, so I was a little hesitant to agree to reading this one. The cover is also pretty bland, so I don’t think it’s one I would’ve picked up off the shelf. The summary ultimately is what got be though. I was curious about a woman who would marry a stranger and how her life would intertwine with the other women.

What I thought

Wow. This book was so good. It sucked me in and I flew through it.

Sophie has immigrated to the US from Ireland. She is living in squalor in New York City when she sees an ad from a man in San Francisco looking for a bride. He is widowed and has a child who needs caring for. Sophie sees it as her only way out of New York, as well as a promise of comfort and a potential of love. Until a pregnant woman shows up on her doorstep and everything she thought to be true is upturned.

The idea of Sophie marrying a stranger intrigued me. How bad must your life be that you’re willing to move across a new country to marry someone you’ve never met and immediately become a mother to a 5 year old? Martin, the man that Sophia marries, is a mystery and immediately untrustworthy. I was curious from the start why he wanted to marry Sophie because the reasons he gave were not believable.

When Belinda shows up on Sophie’s doorstep 8 months pregnant, her world is shaken. Then it literally becomes shaken by a massive earthquake. The mystery element of Belinda, Martin, and Sophie added in with the action of a city falling and burning to the ground made me unable to put down this book. The book opens with Sophia being interviews about reporting Martin’s disappearance after the earthquake, so I needed to know what happened to him, how Sophie and Kat (the daughter) survived. There were so many questions that needed answering and every page kept me intrigued.

I think what surprised me the most about this book was the pace. It moved quickly and I flew through it. a lot of the time with historical fiction novels, even though I enjoy every minute they take me a little longer to get through. This one I continually forgot it was even set in the early 1900s. Every bit of the story wan engaging and I grew attached to Sophie and Kat.

This book was a great balance of mystery, action, and history. It was a story of empowered women in a time when they were not given much power. This may be my favorite book that Meissner has written. It sucked me in and I couldn’t put it down. I’d probably lean more towards giving it a 4.5/5 than a true 4. If you are stuck in a reading rut or need a well written palate cleansing book, I highly recommend checking this one out.