Outlander

By: Diana Gabaldon
Published Year: 1992
Publisher: Dell
Pages: 850

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The year is 1945. Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is just back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon when she walks through a standing stone in one of the ancient circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach—an “outlander”—in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of Our Lord . . . 1743.
 
Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire is catapulted into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life, and shatter her heart. For here James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire—and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

First Impressions

I have owned this book for almost 10 years. Before the show came out it sounded so cute and I wanted to read it. Then I watched part of the first episode and saw how thick the book was and it went down on my list. So, it has been sitting on my bookshelf ever since. My friends and I are going to the Scottish Highlands this year, so we decided to read it together!

What I thought

I understand the hype.

Claire was a nurse during WW2. After the war, she and her husband (who she hasn’t seen in 6 years) go on their second honeymoon to the Scottish Highlands. While there, they are researching his family history and she is learning about botany. On one of her explorations, she falls through a stone circle and ends up in the Scottish Highlands of 1746.

This book is over 800 pages. It’s insane. It took me a solid 200 pages before I really got into it, because there is a lot of history and world and character building. It’s not slow in a bad way, but it took a little while to suck me in.

There’s a part where Claire and Jamie (the hero of the story) finally leave the castle, and that’s where it started to pick up for me. I didn’t realize that there was going to be a forced marriage and multiple attempts at rape as well as significant violence and abuse. So, if you can’t handle those things, this book will not be for you. I know the Outlander fans LOVE Jamie, so I’m curious how book Jamie compares to show Jamie. I found book Jamie to be a little barbaric. Which, is understandable given the time, but doesn’t excuse some of his behaviors. He did win me over in the end though.

Considering this book is so long, the fact that I want to read the next one I think says a lot. I liked Claire and I liked how she didn’t bend to the times and compromise her values. She stayed a strong modern woman, with the exception of moments in which it would put her in danger. And even then she sometimes did what she believed to be right regardless of the danger.

This book sort of has an epic fantasy feel to it without the fantasy elements. It has a lot of characters and epic journeys and battles, but no dragons or elves. It was interesting seeing the development of the characters and how Claire and Jamie changed.

I’m very curious about the first season of the show now. I don’t know if I will continue reading there series, or just check out the show, but this is a very solid historical romance. I’m sure it could’ve been trimmed down to be more palatable as a romance novel, but this is the kind of book that is meant for people who want to truly dive into the world of the characters. I’m so glad my friends and I read this before our trip.

Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1)

By: B.K. Borison
Published Year: 2021/2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 332

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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): Two best friends fake date to reach their holiday happily ever after in this first romantic comedy in the Lovelight series.

A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, Stella enters a contest with Instagram-famous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, Stella might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on her application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only…there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just stopped by for some hot chocolate and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process. But fake dating his best friend might be the best Christmas present he’s ever received.

First Impressions

I adore this cover. It makes me want to curl up in front of a fire and drink hot cocoa while reading it. I have seen this book all over TikTok and Instagram and fell in love with it based off of the cover alone. I don’t know if this is a re-release or what, but I was super excited to be offered to review this book.

What I thought

What a delight! I understand why this series is taking the internet by storm.

Stella/Estelle/Ella/Lala/a million other nicknames owns a farm in a small town in Maryland. She enters a contest to bring more business and a cash prize but in the application, states she owns the farm with her long time boyfriend. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, she asks her best friend of 10 years Luca to be her fake boyfriend. She has been in love with him forever, but refuses to say or do anything about it in fear of losing him from her life forever.

The chemistry between these two character leap off the page. I loved Luca. Stella was a little annoying at times, but nothing unbearable. She has some serious abandonment issues and I got a little annoyed her friends didn’t try to help her deal with them sooner than this story. They obviously know that the reason she hasn’t told Luca she likes him is because of this fear, yet they don’t confront her about it until the end of the book. Why did they not talk to her about this 5 years ago?

Luca is a gem. He is absolute perfection. I loved his banter with Stella. Especially in the steamy scenes. It was just so good and really made me giggle. And maybe blush. What I also appreciated about this story is it avoided the third act breakup. No spoiler, but just to have you not worry about it, but there is no massive blowup at the 75% mark that will make you want to smash your head against the wall. They do have a small conflict but it is resolved super quick and I loved it.

There are so many side characters too. This series could go on forever because very side character is great. The next book is even set up in this one which I adored. The only issue I had with this book was the writing at times was a bit weak. The repetition of some of Stella’s issues, stated in the exact same sentence, as well as other repetitive comments drove me a little nuts. Within the first 15% of the book it was stated “I’m just touchy.” Or “I’m just someone who has to be physical.” By multiple characters in multiple situations. It could’ve been reworded or cut from certain parts.

This book is a solve 4.5 stars for me. I love this town and want to visit it. I adored Luca and the chemistry and the farm and just kept wanting to come back to it. Where it lost a few points for me was the writing and the repetitiveness. Not that a 4.5 is bad in any way. I can’t wait to read more about Lovelight Farms. If you love small town friends to lovers romances, pick this one up now.

Book Club June 2023- Part of Your World

By: Abby Jimenez
Published Year: 2022
Publisher: Forever
Pages: 400

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his?

What I thought

I was excited when Meghan picked this book because I have been meaning to read a book by Abby Jimenez for a while. I even got one of her books for Hanukkah but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. I have heard wonderful things about her books and I’m always on the lookout for new romance novelists to love.

Alexis is a legacy doctor in Minneapolis. Daniel is a small town mayor/carpenter/innkeeper about 2 hours outside of Minneapolis. When Alexis’ car ends up in a ditch, Daniel is the one who pulls her out. One one-night-stand later and Alexis is unexpectedly hooked on this tattooed 28 year old.

This book was so so good. I had relatively high expectations for it and it exceeded every single one. There are some serious undertones in this story, such as abuse, and Jimenez writes about it very well. Thankfully, that isn’t something I’ve personally experienced so I can’t truly say it was well written from that perspective, but Jimenez does use sensitivity writers which I appreciate. Daniel is also described as Scott Eastwood in The Longest Ride which is absolutely my type.

I could not put this book down. I read it in just over 24 hours which normally I don’t do during the school year. I flew through this book. Absolutely devoured it. The conflict between Alexis and Daniel as to why they couldn’t be together was unique. I hadn’t read a story with this storyline and I’ve read a lot of romance novels.

I’m excited to discuss this with my friends at book club because there were a lot of fun moments. The romance between them also made me grin and squeal which is my favorite.

What Book Club Thought

Everyone loved it! We didn’t have much discussion about it other than to gush over everything we enjoyed. It seemed like everyone enjoyed the depth of the emotional storylines tied in with the romance. We had a lot of discussion about the small town and the differences between Alexis and Daniel as well. I think we all added more of Jimenez’s books to our list after reading this one. If you enjoy romcoms, I highly recommend checking this out.

Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital

By: Elise Hu
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 310

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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): An audacious journalistic exploration of the present and future of beauty through the lens of South Korea's booming "K-beauty" industry and the culture it promotes, by Elise Hu, NPR host-at-large and the host of TED Talks Daily

K-beauty has captured imaginations worldwide by promising a kind of mesmerizing perfection. Its skincare and makeup products—creams packaged to look like milkshakes or pandas, and snail mucus face masks, to name a few—work together to fascinate us, champion consumerism, and invite us to indulge. In the four years Elise Hu spent in Seoul as NPR’s bureau chief, the global K-beauty industry quadrupled. Today it's worth $10 billion and is only getting bigger as it rides the Hallyu wave around the globe.

But although self-care consumerism may be fun, darker questions lurk beneath the surface of this story. When technology makes it easy to quantify and optimize ourselves—from banishing blemishes, to whittling our waistlines, even to shaving down our jaws—where do we draw the line? What are the dangers for a society where a flawless face and body are promoted and possible? What are the real financial, physical, and emotional costs of beauty work in a culture that valorizes endless self-improvement and codes it as empowerment?
 
With rich historical context and deep reporting, including hours of interviews with South Korean women, Hu presents a complex, provocative look at the ways hustle culture has reached into the sinews of our bodies. She raises complicated questions about gender disparity; consumerism; the beauty imperative of an appearance obsessed society; and the undeniable political, economic, and social capital of good looks worldwide. And she points the way toward an alternative vision, one that's more affirming and inclusive than a beauty culture led by industry.

First Impressions

This isn’t the typical book that I review, but I am a skincare junky. If you’re an OG blog reader, I used to do a lot more beauty reviews, hence the blog name. When I saw this book, I was immediately intrigued and knew I wanted to read it.

What I thought

While this book wasn’t what expected, I found it to be fascinating and informative.

Elise Hu is a reporter for NPR. From 2015-2018 she lived in Seoul as a reporter with her family. While there and after moving back, she learned a lot about the beauty culture of Korea. Korea is well known for their skincare, but this book delves even deeper than that.

I will warn, I’m not the best at reviewing nonfiction stories. I will try my best, but honestly, if you think this topic is interesting, I say go for it!

When I first agreed to review this book, I thought it was going to focus on Korean skincare. I have used a lot of K-beauty products and know that they are the at the top of their game. They are made from natural products and cruelty free, both of which are appealing to me. Hu starts of explaining the history of Korean skincare and how it became so essential to the culture. I loved the first few chapters of this book and drank it up.

The majority of the book, however, is much more serious and focused on Korean culture. It delves into topics such as female beauty expectations, plastic surgery, and even women’s rights. I learned so much about how culture can impact the day to day life as well as how ingrained beauty is to the Korean culture. It was fascinating and I definitely feel way more educated on this topic than I was before.

Hu does an amazing job educating about Korean beauty and culture in an accessible and easy way. I think this would be so interesting for anyone to read. It’s very informative and I think there’s a lot of important information for people to learn about, both men and women equally. While it wasn’t exactly what I expected, it was very well done and I enjoyed every minute of reading this book.

Book Club May 2023- The Golden Spoon

By: Jessa Maxwell
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Atria Books
Pages: 288

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): For six amateur bakers, competing in Bake Week is a dream come true.

When they arrive at Grafton Manor to compete, they're ready to do whatever it takes to win the ultimate The Golden Spoon.

But for the show's famous host, Betsy Martin, Bake Week is more than just a competition. Grafton Manor is her family's home and legacy - and Bake Week is her life's work. It's imperative that both continue to succeed.

But as the competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it's small acts of sabotage. Someone switching sugar for salt. A hob turned far too high.

But when a body is discovered, it's clear that for someone in the competition, The Golden Spoon is a prize worth killing for...

What I thought

When Steph picked this book, she said that it had been described as The Great British Bake-off meets murder mystery. I was immediately intrigued. I also liked that it was less than 300 pages.

This story follows 6 bakers through a reality baking competition called Bake Week. It’s pretty much GBBO. They stay at a manor, they film in a tent with pretty colored tables and mixers, and the hostess is a grandmotherly figure loved by America. The difference is that someone gets murdered.

I’ll start with a few things I liked about this book before I get into my issues. I think the characters are fun and this was a super easy read. The audiobook is narrated by multiple people and I do wish I had listened to it rather than read it. I think it would’ve made the characters really pop off the page. I didn’t mind the concept of the story. I do think it was helped by being short, meaning it didn’t wander off to too many side stories. I think I appreciated that the most. Sometimes with stories that have multiple characters like this we get side tracked with their backstories that are unnecessary and it didn’t happen in this story.

What I didn’t love was how predictable this story was, while also being a little vague. I think it could’ve done with a better editor as there were some inconsistencies that hurt the story. But overall, I could’ve told you almost every aspect of this story after the first few chapters. Because of that, this mystery lacked exactly that. Mystery.

I also watch a lot of GBBO and this felt like such a knockoff. It wasn’t even a tribute to it, it was as though she just copied the entire show but decided to have 6 bakers compete over the course of one week rather than 12 over the course of a few months.

It wasn’t a bad book, but definitely a solid 3 stars. I am curious to see how this plays our as a TV series. I think it could be fun if they leaned into the campy-ness of it, but if they try to make it dark and serious I think it could fail.

What book club thought

Some of the book club members found it to be less predictable than I did but we all enjoyed it overall. We appreciated that it was relatively short and did talk about a lot of the craziness. Something they pointed out that I didn’t realize is that Betsy’s chapters were told in 3rd person whereas everyone else is in first person. We discussed why we thought that might be but weren’t too sure. I wouldn’t say it was the greatest book club book for discussion purposes, but it was a fun read. If you enjoy light mysteries, fan fiction, and short reads, I would recommend checking this out.

The Daydreams

By: Laura Hankin
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 368

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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): A deliciously entertaining novel about the stars of a popular teen show from the early 2000s—and the reunion special, thirteen years after their scandalous flameout, that will either be their last chance at redemption, or destroy them all for good.

Back in 2004, The Daydreams had it all: a cast of innocent-seeming teenagers acting and singing their hearts out, amazing ratings, and a will-they-or-won’t-they romance that steamed up fan fiction forums. Then, during the live season two finale, it all imploded, leaving everyone scrambling to understand why.

Afterward, the four stars went down very different paths. Kat is now a lawyer in Washington, DC. Liana is the bored wife of a famous athlete. Noah, the show’s golden boy, emerged unscathed and is poised to become a household name. And Summer, the object of Noah’s fictional (and maybe real-life) affections, is the cautionary tale.

But now the fans are demanding a reunion special. The stars all have private reasons to come back: forgiveness, revenge, a second chance with a first love. But as they tentatively rediscover the magic of the original show, old secrets threaten to resurface—including the real reason behind their downfall.

Will this reunion be a chance to make things right? Or will it be the biggest mess the world has ever seen? No matter what, the ratings will be wild.

First Impressions

The cover isn’t my favorite. I don’t know if it’s the green font or the blue filter on the photograph, but it just doesn’t do it for me. I think I would walk by it. The summary on the other hand is an immediate yes please! I grew up in the 90s and early 2000s. 2000-2006 was my prime teenage years, so this book is right in my wheelhouse.

What I thought

This is everything that I wanted Daisy Jones to be.

Katherine/Kat was a character in a popular teen show in the early 2000s with two other girls and one guy. The show is about them in high school forming a band and there was a lot of tie over between the show and real life. When they did a live finale, Summer, the star of the show, had a bit of a melt down and it was ended mid-broadcast. Now 13 years later, they’re getting together for a live reunion episode.

I’ll start by saying, I really enjoyed the Daisy Jones book (more than the show), but I wasn’t obsessed with it like a lot of other people were. This book though, this is probably what everyone else felt when they read Daisy. I think it helped that this was a time I could relate to. The pressure that female teenage stars were under in the early 00’s and the paparazzi plus Perez Hilton and TMZ was disgusting. This book portrays that so well. If a female star did one thing wrong, she was immediately villainized and torn to shreds.

This story is told mainly from Kat’s perspective, but does have a few chapters told from the perspective of the other characters. Though the audiobook does have multiple narrators, so I’d be curious how that changes the way the story is told. I would also love to watch this as a show or a movie.

Hankin does a fabulous job of reflecting what the spotlight was like in the early 2000s. I also liked all of the characters, even though I know you’re supposed to dislike some of them.

I loved the conflicts and the drama. I also loved the flashbacks and the perspective we have now compared to 20 years ago. Summer’s desire for redemption, Kat’s desire for forgiveness, and Noah and Liana’s desire for fame all mixes together to make a story you just can’t look away from.

I could not put this book down. I loved every minute of it. If you enjoyed Daisy Jones or if you’re a fan of 2000’s pop culture, you will love this book. It is so well done and I can’t find any fault with it. I loved living in this world and, like the fans who wanted a reunion episode, I would love a sequel (though I don’t know what it would be about). This book was truly everything that I wanted it to be and might end up as one of my top reads of the year.

The True Love Experiment

By: Christina Lauren
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Gallery Books
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): Felicity “Fizzy” Chen is lost. Sure, she’s got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she’s asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn’t been practicing what she’s preached.

Fizzy hasn’t ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can’t-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she’s spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie?

Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work in large part because it allows him to live near his daughter. But when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too.

The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy’s debut in The Soulmate Equation. But when the lights come on and all eyes are on her, it turns out the happily ever after Fizzy had all but given up on might lie just behind the camera.

First Impressions

I mean… do I even need to say anything about Christina Lauren at this point? They are an auto-read for me. I’ve read and reviews everything they’ve published since 2018. This book is a sequel to Soulmate Equation and I do like the colors of this cover more than Soulmate.

What I thought

Christina Lauren haven’t done a sequel about a side character in the past 5 years that I know of. I was excited to see what they would do.

Fizzy, the best friend of Jess from the first novel, is a romance novelist who has lost her mojo. At this time, Conner, a TV producer asks her to be the heroine in a new dating reality show. Conner is a divorcee with a 10 year old and he has just been forced to move from making documentaries to this reality show, so he has his reservations as well.

Christina Lauren writes romance so well. The chemistry between Conner and Fizzy was immediate. I also liked how they took some of the romance tropes and ropes in them into the story in a tongue and cheek way. While I don’t think the format of the reality show would’ve worked in real life, it worked for the sake of the story and I enjoyed how they tied it back to the dating app from the first book.

I enjoyed that Fizzy is a strong woman who is unapologetic for her sexuality and her personality. She has some crises in the story about who she is and how to continue, but she still stays true to who she is. What I always love about Christina Lauren books is how realistic they are. There are always scenes where I feel like I’ve lived those moments or I know people who have.

The only part I didn’t love about this story compared to some of their others is the third at break. I didn’t love the conflict. There were actually two points of conflict and I felt like one of them was a little stronger than the other. I could’ve done without one of them because the way Fizzy reacted wasn’t my favorite.

While this isn’t one of my favorites of theirs, I feel like it’s always a little hard to judge because I’m comparing to other great novels. The hidden romance and reality show storylines were great. I also adored the chemistry between Conner and Fizzy and feel like I fell in love with Conner a bit. I think it’s a great follow up to The Soulmate Equation and it another solid book to their list. I highly recommend both books in this series.

Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl

By: Renee Rosen
Published Year: 2023
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 432

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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 of this story.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): It’s 1938, and a young woman selling face cream out of a New York City beauty parlor is determined to prove she can have it all. Her name is Estée Lauder, and she’s about to take the world by storm, in this dazzling new novel from the USA Today bestselling author of The Social Graces and Park Avenue Summer.

In New York City, you can disappear into the crowd. At least that’s what Gloria Downing desperately hopes as she tries to reinvent herself after a devastating family scandal. She’s ready for a total life makeover and a friend she can lean on—and into her path walks a young, idealistic woman named Estée. Their chance encounter will change Gloria’s life forever.

Estée dreams of success and becoming a household name like Elizabeth Arden, Helena Rubinstein, and Revlon. Before Gloria knows it, she is swept up in her new friend’s mission and while Estée rolls up her sleeves, Gloria begins to discover her own talents. After landing a job at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York’s finest luxury department store, Gloria finds her voice, which proves instrumental in opening doors for Estée’s insatiable ambitions.

But in a world unaccustomed to women with power, they’ll each have to pay the price that comes with daring to live life on their own terms and refusing to back down.

First Impressions

Such a beautiful cover! The cover and title made a solid first impression. Then when I found out it was a story about Estee Lauder I didn’t even hesitate. Rosen has written other modern historical fiction novels I’ve enjoyed, so that didn’t hurt.

What I thought

Fascinating!

This story mostly follows Gloria, a fictional woman who ends up in New York City alone after her father is arrested for a Ponzi scheme that has bankrupted hundreds of people during the Great Depression. She heads to a hair salon after her fall from grace to disguise herself and runs into Estee who is selling her products at the beauty salon. The two become fast friends and the story follows mostly Gloria but also Estee as she pursues her beauty line.

What I love about Rosen’s novels is that I learn things about these historical figures that just stick in my head for years. Estee Lauder was one of the first premier skincare brands I used consistently. In college and up until I started to focus on using more cruelty free brands, I used their night serum, day cream, and one of their toners. I loved all of their products. I especially loved that every time I went, my Nordstrom girl would give free samples and they always had free gifts with purchase. Through this book, I learned that is trademark Estee and what helped her brand take off.

I will say, this story is Gloria heavy and Estee light. You still learn a lot about Estee and she’s central to the book, but there is a lot of the story that isn’t related. I think parts of it could’ve been shortened as the story did get a little long for me. Gloria spends a lot of time feeling self-righteous and sorry for herself because of the guilt of what her father did. Sometimes it got a bit pretentious for me and I didn’t understand why people wanted to be friends with her.

I do wish there was a little more interaction between Gloria and Estee. Sometimes their relationship came off more tumultuous than a true friendship that we were supposed to believe they had. I loved hearing about Estee’s love life as well. Gloria’s love life made me a little sad at times, but I liked the way it ended.

This book definitely piqued my interest to learn more about Lauder and maybe start buying some of her products again. It also made me dislike Elizabeth Arden a lot!

Rosen’s historical fictions are always hard for me to rate. I rate the about 3/3.5 stars and then I’m still thinking about them years later. If you are curious about Estee Lauder and her journey to success, I highly recommend this book. It’s very fun, albeit a little on the long side. I greatly enjoyed the story and can’t wait to see who Rosen writes about next!