I was not jiving with this one at all. Slow moving with too many celebrity name drops and flashbacks.
I want to mention there iDNF @ 41% so no rating.
I was not jiving with this one at all. Slow moving with too many celebrity name drops and flashbacks.
I want to mention there is an animal death. While I hated it I do feel like it was kind of warranted (view spoiler)[ a dog was attacking a child and the mother and grandfather were beating the dog to get him off of her, and then the owner shot the dog (hide spoiler)], but wanted to give fellow animal lovers a heads up....more
I did not read this one, but I have an extract for you to decide if you'd like to. The titles this author comes up with crack me up!
Extract While stayiI did not read this one, but I have an extract for you to decide if you'd like to. The titles this author comes up with crack me up!
Extract While staying with the family of a girl in Bavaria, I inadvertently got on the wrong side of the girl’s mother.
If there is one thing that budget world travelers love more than a warm bed, a home-cooked meal, or their parents wiring them money – it is a mate’s mother doing laundry for them.
However, this can also lead to the embarrassing situation of the mate’s mother emptying the pockets of my other jeans and finding the package of novelty condoms I bought in Amsterdam. Then telling your friend what she found. The joy of having clean clothes is replaced by the shame of avoiding eye contact with the mother over dinner every night for four nights. All the while trying to come up with an un-insulting explanation about how I had no intention of using them with her daughter.
I bet Rick Steves never faced a situation like this.
There is no reasonable story to explain condoms in the pocket of a pair of jeans when staying with the family of a girl who is a just a friend. Even less so when they are the glow in the dark kind. The mother now thinks I am a pervert. This is the worst situation I could find myself in. I would rather walk along the beachfront of Copacabana drunk after midnight. Happily go trouncing through the dark woods near Mt. Fuji looking for the right house to sleep in. Gladly lure a Thai prostitute away from her place of employment then refuse to pay the bar fine.
The feeling of embarrassment is the absolute worst. Every night I want to excuse myself from the dinner table, go to the bathroom and throw up. In a gesture as benevolent as the Germans joining in with the Allies to play soccer on the Western front during WWII, the mother says nothing to me directly about the discovery. But I can tell from the way she glares at me while dishing out my plates of sauerkraut.
She is not at all happy she found them.
If I wanted to smuggle diamonds, or barrow bonds, or even hard drugs,
through airport TSA security, here is how I would do it. Put the contraband into a normal carry-on bag. Do not disguise it or wrap it up. Leave it out in the open. Now place a folded item of clothing over the items being smuggled. Now put a packet of condoms on top of that. When the TSA agent opens the bag and sees the condoms, I would expect to get a subtle condescending glance implying, “so who thinks they are going to get lucky?
Then the TSA agent would zip up the bag and send me on my way.
But if I take a packet of condoms and wrapped them in a sock. Then stash the sock at the very bottom of an obscure side pocket of my backpack. Or, better yet, at the bottom of a rolled up sleeping bag, in its cover, and leave it in the car. When Suzanne’s mother went to do my washing. The first thing she would find would be the condoms.
This is the strange thing about condoms. If left out in the open, everyone tries to ignore seeing them. Hidden away in my suitcase or filled with heroin and stashed in my small intestine, people find them in minutes. Do not ask me why.
3.5⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ Tennessee Publication date ~ July 4, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 343 (49 chapters) POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ titled c3.5⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ Tennessee Publication date ~ July 4, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 343 (49 chapters) POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ titled chapters, home renovations, small town, high school sweethearts, slow burn, second chance, minimal steamage, family drama, mentions of loss of parent to cancer and to a freak accident
Torran & Beck (love the unusual names) Torran and her business partner, Manny, have a home renovation business that focuses on restoring the legacy of old homes. She has her eye on a home on Huckleberry Lane and is super mad when she's outbid at the auction. The anger rises when she learns the man who bought it is the one that broke her teenage heart 10 years ago, Beck.
Beck wasn't planning on buying his childhood home, but gets swept up in the thought that bringing his sister, Piper, back to Ivy Falls will help her struggles with alcohol and drug addiction. Beck feels responsible for his parents untimely death and has made it his mission to over~protectively take care of his 24 year old sister. While I can appreciate how he felt Piper was his responsibility, I just feel like that took up too much of the story and took away from him and Torran finding their way back to each other seamlessly.
Torran has a wonderful relationship with her sister, Tessa, her 2 nieces, and business partner, Manny, but a rocky one with her father. While she's a very successful businesswoman, she does come off as immature and stuck in the past at times. I wish she would've gotten out of the tunnel a lot sooner than she did. Beck was frustrating to me, as well. Don't even get me started on the 3rd act break up.
Overall, as far as second chances goes this one fits the bill. I enjoyed the introduction of the small town of Ivy Falls. I'm pretty sure I know who book 2 will be about and I'm all for it, so fingers crossed it's who I hope it is and I don't have to wait too long for it.
*Thanks to the author and Rachel's Random Resources for my copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Happy publication day! 4⭐ Genre ~ psychological thriller Setting ~ England Publication date ~ July 12, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 298 (44 chapters) Audio lengthHappy publication day! 4⭐ Genre ~ psychological thriller Setting ~ England Publication date ~ July 12, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 298 (44 chapters) Audio length ~ 8 hours 32 minutes Narrator ~ Paul Panting POV ~ single 1st & 3rd Featuring ~ dual timeline, flashbacks, former military, murder
Jake is accused of killing his wife, Lucy, while his young daughter, Sienna, slept upstairs. He has no recollection of what happened the night she died, but according to his brother, Max, he has a history of sleepwalking, so he’s being evaluated at the Lundy Clinic.
After a bit of a slow start I was fully engaged in the story. You can feel his desperation to find answers. He, also, desperately wants to talk to Sienna, but his sister in law, Geraldine, is making it hard on him. There are some flashbacks to his time serving in Afghanistan, which really put us inside his head. I did have the big twist figured out, but there were some other nice surprises along the way. Can't say I was thrilled with the final gut punch he faced, or his choice at the end, but all in all I really liked it.
If you like an unreliable and unlikeable narrator with a dose of not knowing who to trust in a locked room clinical environment then give this one a whirl.
I won’t hesitate to pick up another book by this author.
Narration notes: I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Got a summer trip planned in Brazil? Or thinking about reading this super long titled travel memoir that no doubt will have some humor? I've got an exGot a summer trip planned in Brazil? Or thinking about reading this super long titled travel memoir that no doubt will have some humor? I've got an extract to help you decide.
Extract:
Staying in downtown Los Angeles on my first trip away as a 20 year old, a group of us went to watch a basketball game. After the game we did not know how to get back to our hotel, or even where our hotel was.
One of the older members of the wolf gang decides to ask this man if he knows how we can get a bus back to downtown.
“Mate, do you know how we can get back to downtown?”
“No hablo Ingles,” the stranger replies.
“What is he saying?” I ask.
This is my very first worldly interaction with a person who speaks a language that is not English. Also, the first time I have met someone with so many tattoos on his neck. The same goes for everyone else in the wolf battalion.
“He speaks Spanish,” deduces Dohers.
The group’s combined grasp of Spanish extends only as far as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s line in Terminator 2. Hasta la vista, baby. At least we knew how to say goodbye confidently.
Except for one member of our tribe.
Dohers claims he has done some preparation for this exact scenario by learning some phrases in Spanish prior to the trip. His claim sounds legitimate. He has constantly been greeting everyone we met in Los Angeles with the line, “Que pasa, tio?” The translation in Doher’s mind is, that he is asking What is going on, mate. Sure, when a person is talking to a person from Spain. What is going on, uncle, if talking with a person from any other Spanish-speaking country.
“You have to understand that there are masculine words and feminine words in Spanish. Nouns ending in the letter ‘a’ are feminine. Those ending in ‘o’ are masculine. Amigo, man. Amiga, female,” Dohers lectures us.
“I’m already confused. Why do they do that?” I ask.
“It is derived from Latin,” he says.
“Fucking Romans,” hisses the drunkest member of the wolf group.
Dohers steps up to the man on the bus bench. “¿Que pasa, tio?”
“No soy tu tío,” the man replies seriously. I am not your uncle.
“What did he say?” I ask.
“He said all is cool,” Dohers answers me confidently. “Tio is slang for things being cool.”
“That’s good,” I respond reassured, not wanting to get on anyone’s bad side while standing on a deserted road in a rough-looking neighborhood of L.A. after midnight. Even if the person whose bad side I did not want to get on was homeless. And especially if he had lots of tattoos. He is probably not so homeless as to not own a gun.
Dohers turns back to the stranger. “Do you know how we can catch a bus back to downtown?”
I think nothing of the fact that Dohers has gone back to speaking to the man in English. My awareness of cultural differences is limited to the idea that we needed to speak Spanish just by way of introduction, after which both parties would carry on the conversation in English. Dohers is as confused as I am when the man looks at us like we are as stupid as a bag of rocks.
“No hablo Ingles,” he repeats incredulously. “Habla Español?”
“He is asking if I speak Spanish,” translates Dohers. This is somehow looked upon as success in this endeavor. “Si, habla Espanol. Do you know how we can catch a bus back to downtown?”
“Si.”
“He said, yes. He knows where we need to catch the bus.”
None of us are smart enough to understand that Dohers has inadvertently told the man that the man speaks Spanish. Si habla Espanol is a statement. Yes, you speak Spanish. The man replied, si. Yes. He had asked Dohers, Habla Español? Do you speak Spanish? But Dohers had not gotten far enough into his Spanish phrase book to learn that verbs need conjugating. As for the part of the sentence with the question about catching a bus? Well, the man likely did not understand. But we did not know that. We thought this conversation was going places.
“Where do we catch the bus?” the four of us ask in unison.
“Habla Español?” The man asks again.
“Si, habla Espanol,” answers Dohers.
“Si,” says the homeless man.
Blank stares between the five of us.
“I don’t understand why he doesn’t just tell us where to catch the bus,” Dohers says.
“Fucking Romans,” chimes in the drunkest wolf.
“Habla Espanol,” Dohers tries again. “I am telling him I speak Spanish.”
“Si. Hablo Español.”
“Then the bus stop for downtown. Where is it?” Dohers implores.
A blank stare from the homeless man followed by a scowl.
“¿Qué pasa, tio?” Demands Dohers.
“No soy tu tio,” the man yells angrily.
“This Roman is fucking with us,” throws out the drunk wolf.
It occurs to me that if the UN cannot get shit done, then what chance do we have of sorting out this mess? A taxi is coming towards us down Flower St., and I flag it down.
“G’day mate. We are not sure where we want to go, but it is a motel in downtown. Near a diner. And there are lots of homeless people around it,” I say to the man behind the wheel.
Visit my blog for a chance to win a paperback copy ~ open internationally.
3⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ England Publication date ~ June 30, Visit my blog for a chance to win a paperback copy ~ open internationally.
3⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Setting ~ England Publication date ~ June 30, 2024 Est Page Count ~ 371 (37 chapters +e) POV ~ dual 3rd Featuring ~ reality dating show, forced proximity, lack of communication, second chance, minimal steamage
Author Content Warning: Some sex scenes, heroine adopted after being abandoned by mother as a seven year old. Hero’s first love addicted to drugs, depressed, died of drug overdose or potential suicide.
Molly & Ben Molly and Duncan have been dating for a year. He’s asked to go on the dating show The One and he agrees in order to promote his fitness business. He breaks up with Molly before he leaves, but promises she’s the one he wants to be with and marry one day. The producers get wind that Molly is his ex so she’s invited on the show, too, in order to beef up the drama. Molly gets to the show and lo and behold her ex before Duncan, the one that broke her heart, is a contestant too, Ben. He's anti-commitment and not thrilled to be there. Can you say disaster waiting to happen?
I am not a reality dating show watcher, but it pretty much seemed to be what I expected one to be. It’s full of drama, gossip, drinking, and fun dates. Pretty much all of the characters frustrated me a time or sixteen. Ben’s reasoning for giving her the boot back in the day was perfectly valid, however I just wish he had better communication skills. But at least he never denied he sucks at it. Perhaps if we had a couple of chapters when they were together back in the day we could have gotten a better feel of their relationship instead of just being told about it.
It is obvious who is going to end up together, but I just didn’t care for the stringing us along with the back and forth of ~ is it going to be Ben or Duncan, which was repetitive. It wasn’t a love triangle per say, since they’re not attached, attached, but it kind of gives off the vibe of one. The ending didn't feel authentic to me either.
Overall, there were some fun moments and I really love the cover. I do think this would appeal to those that do enjoy watching these types of shows, or those that like drama filled fiction.
*Thanks to the author and Rachel’s Random Resources for my copy. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
I did not read this one, but I have an extract to share if you're interested.
Extract It’s barely three months since Kate’s husband Jason died, and I did not read this one, but I have an extract to share if you're interested.
Extract It’s barely three months since Kate’s husband Jason died, and she’s struggling to deal with her loss. One thing she’s trying is to surround herself with pretty things that make her feel happy which means getting rid of everything that sparked bad memories of her life with her late husband. Both her adult children have places of their own, and her daughter Lila supports her Mum’s attempts to find her new solo style. Her son Luke is visiting today with his wife Cyn and is about to see for the first time what his mum has done to the family home…
She’d been so looking forward to his visit because she wanted to show off her new living room. The Ikat curtains she’d bought for her bedroom in November had stayed, and Kate had been so inspired by finally being able to make a decision about how she wanted her home to look, she’d tackled the living room – and the offending black sofa. It had been dumped, together with Jason’s ugly old brown desk that had sat at the back of the room alongside a filing cabinet and several enormous and untidy piles of books he’d gathered over the years.
She’d had the walls painted a soft blush colour, and bought an elegant grey sofa, cuddler chair, beautiful grey and cream rug, and classy silver curtains. Where the desk and wobbly office chair had been, now sat a very pretty pink velvet chaise longue. Kate was thrilled with it all and she hoped Luke would be too. She was disappointed.
‘Mum, I can’t believe it!’
‘What can’t you believe?’ Kate asked, taken aback not by the words he used, but by his hostile tone.
‘I can’t believe what you’ve done to this room.’ Luke had stood in the middle of her lovely room, turning his head in disbelief as he took in the furniture, the curtains, the new wall colour, a look of confusion spreading across his face.
‘Don’t you like it?’ Kate asked feebly.
‘Like it?’ Luke shrugged, arms up, head turning right and left, scanning the room as though searching for something positive to say. ‘Mum how can I like it?’
He turned towards Kate and she was stricken to see a steeliness behind his eyes that she hadn’t ever noticed before. ‘Dad’s been dead three months Mum and you’ve chucked out all his stuff. It’s like you’re pushing him out of the house, and all our memories with him.’
Kate put her head in her hands and stood there totally confused, lost for words. Her daughter Lila had been so supportive of the changes she’d made that she hadn’t thought for a moment that Luke would be any different. Plus, he’d never before spoken to her in this way. She didn’t know how to react.
‘Couldn’t you have waited, Mum?’
Kate lifted her head from her hands and looked up at her son. At 6 foot 2 he was a few inches taller than her and although he’d always been the image of his dad in looks, he had a much gentler, more generous nature. Now there was something about his attitude that reminded her of a part of Jason she’d never liked and hadn’t missed in the months since his death. Something that she never wanted to see again. The shock of recognising it in her son helped her find her
voice, and when she spoke there was no disguising her determination.
‘Waited for what Luke? For him to walk back through the door? If that’s what you’re thinking, that’s definitely not going to happen. So, what exactly should I have waited for?’
Luke’s face crumpled and Kate softened her tone. ‘I know you loved your dad. I loved him too. So much. But your dad was no angel Luke, and everything in this room – in fact most things in this house – reminded me of that. If I’m ever going to be able to move on, they needed to go.’
Kate saw confusion sweep across his brow. ‘What are you talking about? Why are you saying he was no angel…?’ he started, but Kate stopped him. ‘I’m not getting into that now Luke,’ she said, firmly. ‘Just please take my word that what I’ve done is what I needed to do.’
Luke folded his arms across his chest and turned away.
‘Come on Cyn,’ he said. ‘Let’s go before this gets any worse.’
Luke’s wife Cyn, pretty and petite, who’d been sitting quietly on the new sofa, now slowly stood up, flicking her blonde ponytail off her shoulder. As she moved forward to kiss her mother-in-law goodbye, Kate could have sworn she saw a smug smile playing on her lips.
‘Don’t worry Kate,’ she’d whispered as she got close to Kate’s cheek. ‘I’m sure he’ll come round. And if it’s any consolation, I rather like what you’ve done to the room.’
As their faces pulled apart, the smile had lingered on Cyn’s lips. What was that all about?...more
4⭐ Genre ~contemporary fiction Series ~Love Lindisfarne, #2 Others in the series ~ Love Lindisfarne Setting ~ Northumberland Publication date ~ May 23, 204⭐ Genre ~contemporary fiction Series ~Love Lindisfarne, #2 Others in the series ~ Love Lindisfarne Setting ~ Northumberland Publication date ~ May 23, 2024 Page Count ~ 324 (p+ 54 chapters +e) POV ~ single 1st Featuring ~ short chapters, awful side character, small town, island life, slow burn, no steamage
Ellie & Zen are still getting to know each other after they gave me the slowest burn of my life in Love Lindisfarne. Their story is progressing realistically, but not without some jealously which stems from their past experiences.
Awful Isla is back and causing quite the stir and thankfully gets the ending she deserves.
While I didn't lovedy love love this one like I did the previous book I still quite enjoyed revisiting the sweet island of Lindisfarne and the lovely set of characters that live there. I liked that Ellie's London friends have popped in for a visit and have a grand old time getting to know everyone.
I definitely recommend this series if you're looking for a slow burn, clean romance with a side of witty one liners and adorable animals.
Series notes: This is a continuation of Ellie and Zen's story from Love Lindisfarne, and what's happening on the island, so I definitely recommend reading that one first. You meet all the wonderful characters that are heavily involved in both installments.
3⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Series ~ Hooked #2 Others in the series ~ Mr. Hook-up Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts Publication date ~ April 23, 2024 Pag3⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Series ~ Hooked #2 Others in the series ~ Mr. Hook-up Setting ~ Boston, Massachusetts Publication date ~ April 23, 2024 Page Count ~ 378 (p+ 31 chapters +e) Audio length ~ 11 hours 50 minutes Narrator ~ Andi Arndt, Ryan West POV ~ dual 1st Featuring ~ billionaire, influencer/waitress, fake marriage, age gap, grumpy/sunshine, some steamage
I didn't read the blurb because this author is an automatic read for me. Plus I quite enjoyed book 1, so it wouldn't have mattered anyway if I did because I would have read this one anyway. Unfortunately I didn't like this one as much as I anticipated.
Grayson (30) & Jovana (22) meet at a bar and have a one night stand, he immediately gives her the boot after and she's super pissed, rightfully so. Flash forward 2 months and a scandal has his company, Hooked, needing her help and so they enter into a contract for a fake relationship.
Normally I don't mind the fake relationship trope, but I much prefer both parties to fully be on board with the plan and that was not the case here. I wasn't feeling the reason, or the big push, for it. I am, however, happy with how it played out in the end.
Playboy, anti-relationship, Grayson, is a big time a-hole and I wasn’t feeling him at all. Once he figures out his feelings for her he's all in, though, even if it takes an awfully long time.
I gotta hand it to Jovana, she stuck it out and in the end gets what she wants, but man oh man, he was difficult to deal with. I really enjoyed her relationship with her parents and her bff, Sloane, which showed more of her sunshiny character.
Overall, this was well written and certainly what I've come to except from this author, but I just couldn't get behind the content or the actions of the characters. Although this one didn't fully work for me I'll for sure read the next book (and anything else she writes), which is will follow single dad, Holden. Edit - just found out there will not be a book 3 anytime soon, poor Holden ...more
I did not read this one, but I have an excerpt to share if you're interested. Also, there's a giveaway to enter on my blog that is open to UK, US and I did not read this one, but I have an excerpt to share if you're interested. Also, there's a giveaway to enter on my blog that is open to UK, US and Canada residents.
Genre ~ travel humor Publication Date ~ October 18, 2023 Est page count ~ 251
Excerpt: By the time the fourth and last child is due, and after the addition of another girl to her family, I am home in Australia to have surgery to remove the metal rod from my lower leg after a car accident. I am staying with my parents in the oven of Townsville. The middle two kids, Angus and Leisl, fly up to be with us during the days before their Mum is due to deliver.
Less stress for my sister.
More bonding time for me.
After my surgery, I must spend one night in the hospital as the pain in my knee is at least as bad as giving birth to triplets. Post-surgical pain goes straight from a 1 to a 10, bypassing all the other numbers. Normally I adamantly refuse pain medication for any amount of pain. Headaches, sprains, strains. Will not take anything for any of it. During my post-surgery hospitalization, I plead for heavy-duty narcotics the entire night.
The next morning, I receive a phone call at my hospital bed that I have another nephew. Another child added to the list of people I must somehow teach to be at ease with me around the dog. Later that morning, I am picked up at the hospital by my parents and we go straight to the airport to drop off my mum and the two kids to fly back to Brisbane.
Leisl, who is 24 months old, was the only child born so far who had no issues with me being her uncle straight from the word go. We bonded immediately, and she thinks I am the coolest uncle she has. She only has two. We were introduced was while I was in the hospital after the car accident. She was one at the time. There was chocolate in the fridge near my hospital bed that she would point at as she lay on my chest.
Sitting in the waiting area of the airport, while my mother checks herself and the kids in, I rest the ankle of my aching leg up on their luggage. To elevate my swollen knee. Leisl and I are chatting away. I am explaining to her all the things she will come to take for granted when she is older: the undying love of her uncle; outrageous bank fees; and surging petrol prices on holiday long weekends.
“Uncle Simon?” She asks.
“Yes, Leisl.”
“Why does your knee hurt?”
“I had an operation on it.” I tell her honestly.
“I bet it hurts a lot, doesn’t it?” She offers sympathetically.
“You have no idea, sweetheart,” I groan.
“I’m sorry,” my niece says.
I had never appreciated how sweet and understanding little children can be to the trials and tribulations of being an adult. I give her a smile. Leisl responds with an enormous sigh.
Then, she belly flops directly onto my knee causing it to hyperextend under her body weight.
Forget the pain of giving birth to triplets. The agony unleashed on my knee is like expelling quintuplets. Simultaneously. Who had all matured in the womb to their early teens.
I bellow the F-Word at the top of my lungs into the half-filled Qantas terminal at Townsville airport. The shock my shriek gives my niece is nothing short of hand-caught-in-a-garbage-grinder traumatic. She is bawling her eyes out, and it takes her grandparents ten minutes to calm her down. Another traumatized child for my sister to have a go at me over.
Everyone in the airport is focused on my squealing niece. While I writhe on the floor in torment. The shock flushed the air out of my lungs so quickly I could not breathe to make a sound. Once Leisl has calmed down, I am the one that gets a stern word from my mother.
“What are you doing making a scene like that at the airport?”
“Sorry, Mum,” is all I can answer.
How was I the one in trouble? If my niece takes a joy ride in my car when she is eight and runs over a dog is it my fault for purchasing the vehicle?
4⭐ Genre ~ contemporary fiction Series ~ The Ever After Street Series #3 Others in the series ~ #1-3 Setting ~ UK Publication date ~ May 24, 2024 Page Count4⭐ Genre ~ contemporary fiction Series ~ The Ever After Street Series #3 Others in the series ~ #1-3 Setting ~ UK Publication date ~ May 24, 2024 Page Count ~ 314 (21 chapters) Audio length ~ 10 hours 57 minutes Narrator ~ Emma Noakes POV ~ single 1st Featuring ~ lies, small town, slow burn, no steamage
Cleo’s dream is to open up an Alice in Wonderland themed tearoom on Ever After Street. She aces the interview and is offered a 3 month probation period for the space. She wasn’t all that truthful, so now she has to figure out how she’ll make her dream come true.
Bram is a quirky fella that is working in the tearoom as the Mad Hatter. He plays the part fabulously and might just be catching the eye of his very own Alice. I found him to be quite the delight.
Of course we have a couple unbearable characters that I'd like to send rolling down the street in a barrel.
I think I’ve watched just about every Disney movie except Alice in Wonderland, how crazy is that? Haven't read it either. Since I’m not familiar with it I’ll just assume it was properly depicted. I enjoyed the magic of it all.
My favorite part of the whole series is how every character on Ever After Street is so helpful and supportive of each other. When Cleo is blackmailed every single resident steps in and does whatever they can to help her out.
Somewhat repetitive and predictable, but an enjoyable addition to the series nonetheless.
Series notes: While I don’t think it’s fully necessary to read the first 2 books it would be more enjoyable if you do so. Marnie from book 2 is Cleo’s best friend, so she pops in quite often to lend a hand and an ear. There wasn’t much interaction with book 1 characters, but they are referenced.
Narration notes: I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
Sally is the dog trainer at Wagging Tails Dogs' Home. While in town one day she sees her ex-boyfriend, Andy, who she has never stopped thinking about.
There's a developer that's trying to build right behind the rescue and no one in this small town is thrilled about this. What I enjoy most about this series is everyone's dedication to the dogs and the camaraderie within the rescue. They really go above and beyond to make these sweet pups feel comfortable while they wait for their furever home.
The romance isn't prominent and very slow burn. We've got some added family drama to add a little extra layer to Sally. Overall, while where the plot is taking us is quite obvious it was still an enjoyable cozy read.
Series notes: I would actually say not totally necessary to read the first two books. Book 1's main character has quite a bit of page time, but book 2's does not.
Narration notes: I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
2⭐ Genre ~ domestic thriller Setting ~ Canary Island (off the west coast of Africa) & Wales Publication date ~ February 22, 2024 Est page Count ~ 273 (36 2⭐ Genre ~ domestic thriller Setting ~ Canary Island (off the west coast of Africa) & Wales Publication date ~ February 22, 2024 Est page Count ~ 273 (36 chapters) POV ~ multiple 3rd Featuring ~ insensitive references to miscarriages, references to child molestation, infidelity
Sorry to say that I did not care for this one.
If any two people should not be married it's Suzie & George. They are both so unlikable and really insufferable, truly awful. Suzie relies too heavily on her father's influence and can't make any decisions for herself. George is so full of himself and a right meany pants to Suzie, often calling her a cow and bi!ch. Talking about his fair share of her money over and over and over again. If that's not bad enough he doesn't know how to keep it in his pants. They both use money as a way to try to get what they want.
I'm not sure the child molestation plot added much to the overall story, except as to be the reasoning George won't go to church with Suzie. Maybe it's why he was so awful, too.
The ending was quite implausible, but overall satisfying.
*Thanks to the author, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Evie has lost her job. She heads to Santorini to help out her gran, Floretta, in her bookshop, while she searches for her dream job, which is to find hidden gems in the romance genre and turn them into movies.
Being a bookshop based book it's full on with bookish talk. They come up with great ideas to drum up business. It’s very predictable, but that’s perfectly fine because I’d probably be mad if it turned out any other way. Slow moving, too, but such is island life, I suppose. Speaking of the island, sounds like quite a lovely place to be.
Regarding the fake dating with Georgios ~ I wasn't a super big fan of it with this one. I can't say too much because I don't want to give anything away, but I was not a fan of Evie's reaction at the end. At times, too, she was a little much and comes off immature. I can't say I was feeling their chemistry, but on paper they seem perfect for each other.
There's a nice lot of side characters, except one, there's always gotta be one that makes you mad. Gran is awesome and I absolutely loved their relationship. Makes me miss my Gram, who I called Germ (grrr, not with the jer sound), but she hated it because of the spelling ...more
4.35⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Series ~ The Ever After Street Series, #2 Others in the series ~ A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street Setting ~ Englan4.35⭐ Genre ~ contemporary romance Series ~ The Ever After Street Series, #2 Others in the series ~ A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street Setting ~ England Publication date ~ January 11, 2024 Est page Count ~ 330 (22 chapters) POV ~ single 1st Featuring ~ grumpy/sunshine, small town, slow burn, no 3rd act breakup, no steamage
I am thrilled to be back on Ever After Street for a A Beauty and the Beast retelling.
Told solely by Marnie who owns A Tale As Old As Time, a bookshop. Darcy owns The Beast's Enchanted Rose Garden, the flower shop next door.
Marnie is an introvert who would love to have a successful business with little hassle, so she can just curl up with Mrs. Potts, the cat, and read the day away. But sadly the bookshop is in danger of being shut down, so Marnie has to act fast and figure out how she can save it. Luckily she comes up with some nice ideas that turn out to be a big hit.
Darcy is a grump with a guarded big heart, who understandably has trouble letting people in. You can just tell he wants to be accepted even if he thinks he doesn't deserve to be. Slowly, very slowly, he realizes he can trust her with his true self. Their ballroom scene was just magical and I was singing while they were dancing
All of the friends on the quaint street are a delight and come together to lend a helping hand. We meet Cleo, who is lovely as well, and will be the star of the next book in the series. Gaston, I mean Rick, was a real douche canoe that needed a good swift kick to the rear.
Overall, it's totally predictable, but that in no way took away from my enjoyment.
Side note ~ British sayings are the best ~ the cat was "making pie on my knees." The same thing in the USA would be "mixing bread."
Series notes: I suppose not mandatory to read A Midnight Kiss on Ever After Street first, but the 2 characters make a some appearances here, so you might as well just read it.
*Thanks to the author, Rachel's Random Resources, Boldwood Books and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
3.5⭐ Genre ~ friendship fiction Series ~ more on this below Setting ~ Scotland Publication date ~ January 5, 2024 Est page Count ~ 319 (p+ 33 chapters +e) A3.5⭐ Genre ~ friendship fiction Series ~ more on this below Setting ~ Scotland Publication date ~ January 5, 2024 Est page Count ~ 319 (p+ 33 chapters +e) Audio length ~ 9 hours 54 minutes Narrator ~ Helen McAlpine POV ~ multiple 3rd Featuring ~ second chance at happiness, unknown cheating, no steamage
We follow 4 main characters for a 24 hour period.
Odette is gearing up for her last day on set after 40 years being the leading lady on a soap opera. It took a while to realize how her story line would tie in.
Tress & Noah are both wonderful characters that are bonded by the past discretion's of their former spouses. They have become best friends and their relationship was lovely to see. I wanted more of them than I got.
Keli is Noah's sister who has been hiding a secret for months. I enjoyed this plot the best and the unlikely friendship with Laurie.
Okay so all in all I did enjoy how the various plots all finally came together. It was a little slow getting there and I wasn't sure how they would, but they did so quite nicely. I'm a fan of multiple POV's, but in this case I thought it took too long to get back to the person's POV that I had just grown curious what would happen next for. Since I had to wait and slog through 3 other people's chapters first I had to think back and try to remember where we left off when we finally came full circle.
Also, since the whole book takes place in one day I thought there was some extra unnecessary information ~ for instance I don't really care about Noah's friend, Cheska's, whole work bio at all. I would have much preferred some flashbacks of Tress and Noah and how close they became over the past year for some page filler.
Shoutout to Nancy, Val, Yvie and Glinda for being the best side characters I might have ever read. A true delight these 4 were.
Again, I did enjoy it and I know this will surely appeal to the many...I mean it says right on the cover it's a million copy bestseller.
Series notes: It's not listed as a series for some reason, but I think it's best to read One Day With You first. There is a bit of a refresher, but this is the aftermath for the 2 characters from that one.
Narration notes: I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.
*Thanks to the author and NetGalley for the ARC. I am voluntarily leaving my honest review*
Heather Adores Books
>
Books:
blog-tour
(69)
Loading...
