Kate owns a cafe called The Sardine in Seabury, a picturesque town where she enjoys a happy life with her dog Stanley, and close friends. However, wheKate owns a cafe called The Sardine in Seabury, a picturesque town where she enjoys a happy life with her dog Stanley, and close friends. However, when she hears about a big franchise cafe opening in town, she becomes anxious about the future of her business. To keep her livelihood safe, she comes up with some fresh ideas.
Although the characters were okay, they seemed a little unrealistic. However, that is not the reason for my bad rating. The situation with Mike and the dog was blown out of proportion, as some people may be scared of dogs for various reasons, and being scared of a dog does not automatically make someone a psychopath. The other issue was that Kate hired a minor without asking for any details or seeking permission from their parents. As a business owner, she should have done a thorough check.
However, it was a quick read and I listened to this as an audiobook and that was the only reason I finished this. If I were actually reading this, I would have not finished it. Normally, I don't like audiobooks but the narrator did a decent job and I didn't have to pay a lot of attention to understand this. So anyone looking for a quick and easy read that requires zero attention and effort, this ticks those boxes. I do have the next in the series so I may end up listening to that audiobook when I don't need to pay any attention but we'll see.
Elspeth's mind is completely taken over by the Nightmare. Ravyn is running out of time to find all the Providence Cards and he needs the Nightmare's hElspeth's mind is completely taken over by the Nightmare. Ravyn is running out of time to find all the Providence Cards and he needs the Nightmare's help who is not so keen to share anything anymore. Elm has his orders to hunt down the Hawthorn family. Things are more hazier than ever in this misty town.
Spoilers ahead -
After that cliffhanger at the end of the first book, this second book seemed to start very slowly, and to be honest, things never really did pick up. First of all, that romance between Elm and Ione came out of nowhere. Not once had Elm thought about Ione in the first book or the other way around. Not. Once. But a poor and weak explanation is given that Elm has been secretly in love with Ione for years.Convenient. But to me, it was so jarring that I wanted to DNF right then and there but wanted to see it through so I persevered. Ione's sob story did nothing to change my mind or rating. In fact, Ione and Elm's love story felt so forced (way more forced than I felt about Elspeth and Ravyn in the first book) that it was a big reason for me to not enjoy this book. I probably would have been okay with this pairing had they added something of value to the story but Rachel Gillig had them fill up the pages and that's it. Whilst Rayvn and Elspeth/Nightmare are looking for the Providence cards, and stakes are high (as high as they would get in the story), Elm and Ione are doing stupid things like looking for marriage contracts and the Maiden card that is conveniently hidden somewhere just out of reach or is it? Or making out in a cringe way no matter who was nearby. That's all they did in the whole book and this made the pacing weird and odd. I get that this is a young-adult to adult series but other than grunting and groaning, there should be more to the story. Elm was one of my favorite characters from the first book but in this, he was a completely different and watered-down version of that character. Elm and Ione should have had a different book or a novella because this felt more like their book rather than Elspeth and Ravyn's (even though I don't like them as a couple either yet prefer them over Elm and Ione).
I was already not a fan of the world-building or the writing in the first book but in this, it was even worse. So many characters are introduced but forgotten in the next paragraph. Things were thrown in there just to move the story along. There was no explanation for so many things.
There were multiple POVs but I can't say I enjoyed reading from any particular POV. The only things that I enjoyed were about the Nightmare. Everything else felt lacking something. That magic and eeriness from the first book were gone. Things were resolved so easily and quickly, also without any consequences that I had to check if I had missed reading a page or fifty. It was ludicrous how only a simple riddle solved all the woes in the end. It was solved in less than a page. Ridiculous!
Prue lives with her blind father as his caretaker in London. Prue and her father have their routine of sitting together in silence and doing their ownPrue lives with her blind father as his caretaker in London. Prue and her father have their routine of sitting together in silence and doing their own individual thing. Prue's mother left when Prue was little. Prue has worked a few different gigs in her life but since she was made redundant from her last job a few years ago, she hasn't worked as she takes care of her father or she tells that to herself and everyone else. Prue has a younger sister, Angela who lives happily in Canada away from Prue and their blind father. Prue wishes just to be left alone when she goes out but that rarely happens as Prue has a birthmark on her face that people either always stare at or ask questions about it making Prue feel uncomfortable. When Prue is trying to get home one day after an appointment, she finds out that all the trains to her destination are inaccessible and a London underground worker suggests Prue call the counseling service since Prue came from platform one. Later, Prue finds out that someone had committed suicide on platform one, whilst Prue didn't witness that in person, she does decide to call the free counseling service, and a chain of events starts that changes Prue's life.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book even though this was a slow book and I didn't like Prue's attitude towards her life. I mean she was worried about what people would think of the birthmark on her face when her father is blind. Whilst I understand why she feels the way she does, this annoyed me. I also didn't like how she didn't get what Salvi was trying to do. It didn't just happen once or twice, it happened every single time. (view spoiler)[I also didn't like how Salvi was spared in the end when he should have been arrested for assaulting Prue and for other things too. (hide spoiler)] I also think the end was dragged a little. But other than that I liked Prue. I liked how her character grew. I loved her bonding with her father and I certainly loved their visits around London throughout the summer to connect with each other and also connect with things once forgotten by both of them. I loved Prue's father's love for architecture as he became an architect only to lose his sight right after but he never stopped learning. I also loved how Prue explained all the things to her blind father so that he can remember how things once were and understand without seeing. I loved how things came together and how some things were explained in the past.
I don't want to give away too much as this is best enjoyed if you don't know much about this but this surely is a heart-wrenching, heart-warming read that really forces one to look beyond what can be seen. The writing was a bit slow as I mentioned yet I couldn't wait to finish this. This is my third read from Fiona Collins and I have enjoyed all her books so far so obviously I look forward to reading more from her.
Imogen is in Paris (the most romantic city) with her boyfriend and she is looking forward to having a great time but when things go sideways, she lookImogen is in Paris (the most romantic city) with her boyfriend and she is looking forward to having a great time but when things go sideways, she looks back at her life, rethinks her choices, and tries to find out what went wrong.
Frankie has been married for over a decade and has four kids but she finds herself frustrated and not at all appreciated by her family. When she checks in at a local motel for the night by herself just to have some alone time, she looks back at her life and tries to find out what went wrong.
Grace has been married for over a decade and has a son. Grace had a picture-perfect life with a handsome husband and a lovely house and great taste in fashion but when she finds out that her husband has been cheating on her, she looks back at her life and tries to find out what went wrong.
Imogen, Frankie, and Grace are best friends and talk to each other about pretty much everything. After disastrous marriages for Frankie and Grace and awful dating life for Imogen, the three friends make a pact and decide to stay single for a year even though Grace is quite reluctant. Would they stick to this plan or deviate from this?
After reading Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding by Fiona Collins, I did have some expectations so I am happy to say that this not only met those expectations but surpassed them too. This read more mature and I ended up enjoying this way more than Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding. This had me rapt right from the beginning. The writing was simple but worked for this setting. All three characters have their own chapters and they had distinct voices. I liked their journey and the growth that they had. Just as Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding, this isn't overly funny either as I only chuckled maybe a couple of times and that was only when Gideon responded to Grace. Gideon's responses had me in splits and there wasn't enough Gideon or Marcia. Also, I would have liked an epilogue at the end because it did feel like an abrupt ending to me. Having said that, I did enjoy the read and I look forward to reading more Fiona Collins.
Evie works at The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop and she's saving up to eventually buy the shop but the eventuality seems to come sooner than she expected Evie works at The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop and she's saving up to eventually buy the shop but the eventuality seems to come sooner than she expected as the current owner would like to sell the shop as soon as possible but Evie doesn't have the required funds as yet. Evie delivers to some of the locals and she makes friends with them. When one of them gives her the idea of entering the local flower competition so as to boost sales at the shop as well as make a name for herself, Evie starts working towards that. Would she be successful in winning the competition as well as buying the shop?
Laura is married to Martin who works a high-paying job and Laura runs a shop called Truly Scrumptious which caters to Bridal wear and the like. She is really good at sensing what sort of dress the brides would need on their big day and she loves helping all the brides choose the right dress. Laura is quite happy on the professional front but she feels there's a detachment from Martin and she's not sure what to do about it. When she starts to get affection from another man, she wants nothing more than be swept up in that feeling but that would mean betraying her marriage to Martin. Would Laura choose the new excitement or would she go back to her old boring marriage?
Scott was a successful plumber in London working with some of the biggest companies but when his mum had a stroke, he had to move to Heatherton to look after his mum resulting in him losing his successful job, his beautiful fiancée, and his mortgaged apartment. Now he looks after his mum, and his nephew, Ben, and works odd jobs locally. He has a lot on his plate. When his eighteen-year-old nephew, Ben announces that he's getting married, Scott has no idea how to react. Would he be able to do what's required of him or would he fail?
Patricia is married and has an eighteen-year-old daughter, Amy whom she loves to bits. Patricia's husband has provided her with a good life as far as money is concerned but other than that her relationship is quite bad with her husband. She knows that her husband cheats on her with other women constantly but she chooses to ignore this just for Amy's sake. But when Amy announces that she is getting married, Patricia wants nothing more than to change Amy's mind by showing her that marriage isn't all that it's cracked out to be especially for an eighteen-year-old. Would Patricia reveal to Amy the failed state of her marriage to change Amy's mind or would she support Amy?
I read the blurb and found it to be quite interesting and absolutely loved the cover. The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop has multiple POVs and I was surprised by how different each POV was. All the characters have a unique voice and I knew exactly whose chapter I was reading without having to check again and again. Reading the blurb also gave me an idea of how some of the characters were going to come together. The Forget-Me-Not Flower Shop also has quite a few characters and everyone has their own story which is told really well. So, as you can guess I really loved the writing and how every character was linked with the others in a very organic way.
I loved all the characters and their inner struggles and how well those were explained with whatever they were going through. I also loved the description of flowers that Evie was sharing with the readers. In addition to that, her novelty shoes also made the list of things that I loved and Evie's dog.
The only thing that I didn't like was the slow pace of the story. Some of the things should have happened way before they happened. I also didn't like the tug and pull of Evie and Scott's relationship at the end. I think a few pages could have easily been scrapped without taking away anything substantial. Having said all this, I really enjoyed this lovely, warm, and delightful read set in a slow and beautiful town. Whilst writing this review, I have bumped up the rating from 3.5 stars to 4 stars as I am realizing that it deserves 4 stars from me.
Rose, Sal, JoJo, and Wendy have been friends for decades now. When they find out that their friend Wendy has found the one to settle down with, they dRose, Sal, JoJo, and Wendy have been friends for decades now. When they find out that their friend Wendy has found the one to settle down with, they decide to throw her a hen do even though Wendy said that she doesn't want one as she's in her early forties and she feels too old for this. But the three bridesmaids come up with a plan to throw a classy hen do for Wendy so they are off to an expensive and classy retreat center. When they find out that the package that they were supposed to have booked isn't the one matching the paperwork, they have no other choice but to partake in the one that's been chosen for them and then start a string of brutal but hilarious tasks that they have to perform. But when the bride's old flame shows up, the bridesmaids get all worried as it took a long for Wendy to get over this certain old flame and they feel they have to keep them apart but would they succeed?
Four Bridesmaids and a White Wedding had three different POVs and I thought that it may be cluttered but I am happy to say that it was not at all confusing and/or cluttered. They all have distinct voices. I was hooked from the beginning. I also liked their friendship and how they looked after each other. Yes, they don't talk as much as they used to once upon a time as each character leads quite a busy life but they are still always there for each other. This was definitely one of the highlights for me. Another highlight was that even though they are all the same age, their lives are at completely different stages. I also liked how this hen do only made their friendship even stronger and how everyone had some sort of awakening.
The only complaint I have is that some of the laughs felt forced. I mean the mix-up with the booking was understandable but the shenanigans weren't as funny to me. There were some chuckles but it wasn't over-the-top hilarious. Also, I found it to be more emotional than fun or funny which is not a bad thing in this case. Overall, an enjoyable read.
Anna dreamed of becoming the Prima Ballerina since she was young. Her dream of becoming the Prima Ballerina did not come to fruition but she had yet aAnna dreamed of becoming the Prima Ballerina since she was young. Her dream of becoming the Prima Ballerina did not come to fruition but she had yet another dream and that was to have a beautiful wedding with her fiancée, Seb at one of the most prestigious hotels in London. But when that dream also comes crashing down, she has no choice but to move back to her childhood hometown with Seb. Anna does not fancy moving back as it is a small village and she feels that life moves slowly if at all in Nettleton. She also does not fancy facing all the people from her childhood because when she was leaving a decade ago, she said that she won't ever come back to this backwater of a place. Well, life has other plans.
That blurb sounded so amazing that I could not wait to dive into this. And that starting was perfect. I was reeled in by the picturesque setting and Anna's inner turmoil. Anna had a high-paying job with an equally important title. She was on the top when it came to fashion and everything chic. But when things went sideways, she had to move back and had to start a job working in the village's only antique shop. The people around her were really unkind and I wanted to know all the reasons for their hatred toward Anna, but I found none. Anna supposedly had a lot of attitude when she was a teenager and Anna's mum had wanted her to work hard at ballet so she could make it big in the industry as Anna was a natural. That's it. That was the reason for everyone's hatred toward her that she wanted to leave the small town and move to a bigger one with big dreams. All these so-called adults could not let that go even a decade later.
In the beginning, it was all good but then Anna's attitude changed. Some for good, some for bad. Anna's character grew up for sure and I liked that. I also liked that her dreams changed and she found happiness. I am really happy for her but there were so many problems that I found with the writer's opinions.
Pretty much everyone was rooting against Anna in Nettleton but then they also asked her for help. Hypocrites! Anna knew that they are being hypocrites but she never stands up for herself. For example, Jackie (I think that's what her name is) says so many mean things right after asking for Anna's help and Anna did not even once tell Jackie off. This happened a few times in only a span of a few pages. The children she's been helping were equally ungrateful, I can ignore that as they were kids. Then there was her own best friend (I forgot her name) who was always steering Anna the wrong way and again Anna just goes along with that. I mean this was a recurring thing that did not sit well with me. For Anna to be so determined, she sure was a foot mat for these people.
The worst thing for me was how Anna's father was made out to be a hero and her mother was made out to be a monster. Her father cheated on her mother multiple times when Anna was a child and that's why Anna's mother decided to move away with Anna. She taught Anna to dream big. In the end, the writer made fun of Anna's mother dating younger men in her old age and getting Botox and stuff like that when Anna's father was dating Anna's best friend from school in the present even after Anna told them that she isn't happy about that. It was the same best friend who was always steering Anna the wrong way and then she starts to date Anna's father like that's not disgusting. Anna's mum always played the biggest part in her life but when it came to her wedding, Anna did not even bat an eyelash when her mum said that she won't be attending if Anna's father were to attend because Anna's father did humiliate her all those years ago and frankly, that was the start of all these events. Also, Anna's father wasn't even there for her when she found out about her dad's cheating. I mean, seriously? We are still shaming women who stand up for themselves and for getting Botox and dating younger men but rally behind men who date women half their age and in this case, his daughter's best friend even after putting the ex-wife through all that hell.
Also, the book is supposed to be about the wedding but the wedding was barely covered in a few pages right at the end which I skim-read anyway because I had lost all interest in this and did not want to DNF so I read very quickly. The reason was Anna's mum not attending and how she was shamed as I mentioned before.
I completely forgot about the fiancée Seb and turns out so did the writer. He was barely there and even when he was, he was a generic guy. There's nothing remarkable about him. He had no personality and he definitely had no chemistry with Anna.
I know I am in the minority when I say that I did not mind Anna as other people have called her unlikeable but to me, she was not that unlikeable. I actually understood her position as it couldn't be easy to move from a big job and big town to a small town with basically no job prospects. Other than that, she didn't do anything wrong to have everyone treat her the way they treated her. Once again, the people around her were way too harsh, and immature, and honestly, they were the unlikeable ones to me.
To sum it up, I loved the beginning, I loved Anna's character growth, I liked how her dreams changed, and I loved the picturesque setting but other than that I have listed enough reasons for me not enjoying this as much as I thought I would.
Rose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I liRose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I like Dimitri but I didn't want them to end up together. Oh well!
I do love the Vampire Academy universe that Richelle Mead created and I'll read anything set up in this. This was a good short-story. Not my favorite but still I enjoyed it.
4.5 stars
Merged review:
Rose and Dimitri are back and they are travelling to Dimitri's hometown to see his family. This was a bitter-sweet read for me as I love Rose and I like Dimitri but I didn't want them to end up together. Oh well!
I do love the Vampire Academy universe that Richelle Mead created and I'll read anything set up in this. This was a good short-story. Not my favorite but still I enjoyed it.
Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane get stood up on valentine's day. It turns out that they are all stood up by the same man, Joseph Carter.
The blurb sounded Siobhan, Miranda, and Jane get stood up on valentine's day. It turns out that they are all stood up by the same man, Joseph Carter.
The blurb sounded promising and the reviews made it sound even better so imagine my disappointment when this book did not deliver whatever it promised to deliver. I want to keep this review spoiler free but I'd like to say that I saw that big twist right at the start and there was only one thing that surprised me toward the end, again it wasn't the big bad twist.
I liked the writing but I do want to point out that it read like a thriller and not like a romance novel. I didn't like any of the characters except for Siobhan. Joseph had a few layers to him and was a refreshing change to all the other leading men with bulky bodies and muscles and this and that but I could not like him no matter how hard I tried. There was also a character that was the perfect example of workplace harassment and was made out to be a hero (so not done in today's day and age). And the book is way way too slow as it is packed with three romances and none of them were really interesting.
Overall, The No-Show is unfortunately but aptly a no-show for me as it is my first read by Beth O'Leary, and I am left underwhelmed and completely disappointed. I would still try other books by Beth O'Leary but not for a while.
Wren is one of the faes but lives in the mortal world. She gets by scavenging in the woods and living lSome things seem too terrible to seem possible.
Wren is one of the faes but lives in the mortal world. She gets by scavenging in the woods and living like a feral but doesn't want to return to the fae world. When she gets chased by the storm hag, Bogdana, and gets saved by the Prince of Elfhame, Oak who in turn asks for her help, she decides to help him and has to return to the faerie world. The deeper she goes into the faerie world, the more strange and uncomfortable she feels as she is not accustomed to the fae world as well as Oak. And, the longer she spends time with Oak, the more charmed she gets by him, and also finds out that he is not being truthful.
I love The Folk of the Air series so I was very excited to read another book set up in this world. That cover is gorgeous and the first few chapters were capturing but then the book gets really predictable. Unlike the original series in this world, none of the revelations were shocking. On the contrary, they were there to fill the pages. Everything happened easily and without much trouble if at all. Those riddles were ludicrous too.
The characters were okay, not much originality to them but Tiernan was my favorite. I felt for Wren but still, I couldn't like her as much as I had wanted to. Oak was shown in a bad light, I think his character deserved better. But two of my biggest issues were pacing and the non-existent chemistry between Oak and Wren. I think Oak and Tiernan had more chemistry, way more chemistry than Oak and Wren. I felt Oak and Wren's pairing was being forced down my throat. Sure, they had known each other when they were younger but I didn't see any chemistry between them now. Also, their age wasn't consistent. Sometimes, Wren was two years older than Oak whilst at other times just a year. What was up with that?
Originally, I thought that this book would be from Oak's POV which wasn't the case, and Wren's POV was full of whinge and whine. Again, in the beginning, I felt for her, but afterward, it got repetitive. I know this is a different series but I just couldn't help and compare this with the original series after all, that's the main selling point of this. Jude and Cardan were mentioned a few times but they never made an appearance which was another negative for me. Then that ending was so unnecessary. I am only giving this rating because it is set in the Elfhame world that I love so much otherwise it would be a one star from me. I'll read the next if only to get a glimpse of Jude and Cardan.
A story about the faerie world written by Holly Black. I knew that I would have liked this so I went into this expecting great things but came out reaA story about the faerie world written by Holly Black. I knew that I would have liked this so I went into this expecting great things but came out really disappointed.
Hazel and Ben live in a town alongside the faerie folk. Ever since they were kids, they have been visiting a boy asleep in a glass coffin. As far as anyone knows that boy has been asleep in that coffin for a very long time. Then one day, the boy in the glass coffin wakes up and everything goes awry.
The blurb sounded fascinating and the story itself was quite interesting and the characters were quite different too not to mention that I had read and heard great things about this gripping and very dark tale of the Faerie world and in the beginning I had really liked it but it quickly took a completely wrong turn in the forest and instead of a dangerous, delicious and amazing things all I got was disappointment after disappointment. I still kept on reading this thinking that it will get better and that maybe we were working towards a great finale but it just didn't work. All those promises and they fell short for me.
**spoiler alert** Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of a girl who cannot touch any other living being without killing them. She lives in isolation,**spoiler alert** Girl, Serpent, Thorn tells the story of a girl who cannot touch any other living being without killing them. She lives in isolation, most people have never even seen her and she longs for company. The girl was cursed long before she was even born by a div or that's what her mother told her anyway.
The girl, Soraya is Shah's twin sister and she often wonders why was she the only one cursed and not her twin brother. When the shah, Sorush is about to get married to Soraya's only friend Laleh she also comes across a young man, Azad who saved the shah from a div and helped them capture her. Azad also seems to be interested in Soraya and Soraya also finds her captivated with him.
Soraya learns that her mother lied to her all these years and she finds out that her mother deliberately got her cursed and now with Azad's help she is determined to find out how to reverse her curse. The captured div, Parvaneh tells her that she will help her only if Soraya can bring Simorgh's feather. In finding out Simorgh's feather's location, Soraya uncovers that the very feather will actually set her free from the poison in her veins. So on Sorush's wedding day she puts out the royal fire and gets to the feather and she reverses the curse.
That's when the first revelation is made that Azad is not just a young man but he is the Shahmar from the stories and he has come back to claim his throne. Then the Shahmar along with other divs captures the royal family and Soraya. Now Soraya's only hope is to find another div, a parik to help her defeat the Shahmar and save her family. She finds that parik with Parvaneh's help and defeat the villain.
It was a very predictable yet a captivating story. There was not even a single thing in the entire story that I hadn't guessed at the very start. But that wasn't even an issue for me. It was the main character whom I couldn't like at all. I felt for her in the beginning but as the story progressed, I couldn't stand her. She was isolated for all her life because of the curse and instead of accepting her power and her curse, she keeps moping and when the curse is lifted she mops and cries even more and misses her curse and her poison and her deadly touch. She keeps making stupid decision after stupid decision and not even once she does anything on her own properly. She relies on others throughout.
Another thing that I really hated was how Soraya's mother, Tahmineh lied to her throughout. Why don't the parents tell the truth to their children in these stories? So much could have been avoided if she would have just told her the entire truth. And for these reasons, I believe the main villain of the story was Tahmineh.
The main reasons that I liked this book is the writing, Parvaneh and even Azad. Yes, I liked Azad. Parvaneh and Azad were both good characters. But I wanted more Parvaneh and I wish there were some chapters from her POV. I was promised romance between Parvaneh and Soraya and there was some romance there but honestly, I couldn't see much chemistry between them even though I cherished the moments they got together and I think the main reason for that was because I adore Parvaneh and I didn't like Soraya. Don't get me wrong but I also didn't see any chemistry between Azad and Soraya either. But I do think that Azad should have been given a chance to redeem himself instead of the end that he got.
Katie Brenner lives and works in London and has a perfect Instagram account I mean perfect life. But perfect from the outside doesn't always mean perfKatie Brenner lives and works in London and has a perfect Instagram account I mean perfect life. But perfect from the outside doesn't always mean perfect from the inside as well. Such is Katie's life. It's all good from the outside but inside she's broke and doesn't have any close friends in London. In fact, she even lies to her best friend who lives in New York about her life as well as her dad and stepmom. She hates her boss and rightly so as one day she's fired without any warning. That's the day her perfect life comes undone and she has to move to live with her dad and stepmom.
She helps them set up their business in glamping whilst applying for jobs in her field. She hasn't had any success in getting a job but she makes the business a successful run. Then one day, her boss who had fired her comes to spend a few days with her family. Demeter, her ex-boss doesn't recognize Katie as Katie has altered her look a little from her London days. Katie decides to get revenge on Demeter which I think was really immature. I mean not the revenge itself but the ways she comes up with. I guess it was supposed to be funny but not even once I laughed at it. But once Demeter recognizes Katie, I didn't mind it then. We find a different side to Demeter than was previously shown and come to sympathize with her.
Katie befriends Demeter and also helps her unmask Rosa and her minions that had set Demeter up. I really liked the friendship between Katie and Demeter and also the fact that this was not much of a romantic book. Of course, we have a love interest for Katie but the romantic aspect isn't given priority. I did feel that it was dragged out a bit in the end. But all in all, it's a good read.
My Not So Perfect Life is for those days when you want to laze around but also want to escape into a different world. It's definitely one of Sophie Kinsella's better works.
I am aware that I should be grateful that I have the ability to get broken up with and publicly humiliated the same as my hetero frieCW/TW - Abortion.
I am aware that I should be grateful that I have the ability to get broken up with and publicly humiliated the same as my hetero friends. I am progress.
Freddy Riley and Laura Dean are in an off-on relationship if one can call it a relationship. Laura Dean is popular and hot and she comes and goes from Freddy's life as she sees fit. Freddy's friends have been trying to tell her that Laura Dean is not good for her as Freddy becomes pretty crappy whenever Laura is around.
Laura seeks advice from Anna Vice, an online advisor like Agony aunt. Freddy also seeks advice from other sources in person and a woman she takes advise from tells her to break up with Laura Dean but Freddy can't imagine doing that. In the end, Freddy realizes what's good for her and comes out of a toxic relationship.
Polyamorous or monogamous, your love should be a thing that brings something to you. It's true that giving can be a part of love. But contrary to popular belief, love should never take from you. Freddy.
This story is set up in a high school among LGBTQIA+ community which was a refreshing change. The plot was quite good. And the art was adorable. But the story itself about toxic relationship and toxic friendships didn't really work for me. First of all, I didn't like the MC. She was a really bad friend. I know it is shown as Laura Dean being responsible for Freddy being a bad friend but I don't agree with that. When you are a bad friend, you are a bad friend. You can't put that on anyone else, you need to take responsibility for your actions. Secondly, the plot was repetitive and only changed right at the end. I didn't enjoy it but don't let that put you off because you might end up enjoying this. I did like that ending though.
I was trembling with all I had done, which was more than I had ever done in my life.
Born to the Titan, Helios and the Nymph, Perse, Circe is quite ordI was trembling with all I had done, which was more than I had ever done in my life.
Born to the Titan, Helios and the Nymph, Perse, Circe is quite ordinary compared to the other gods. She has no powers or beauty. She has three younger siblings and she is close to the youngest, Aeetes. When two of her siblings move on with their lives, she thinks that she would always have Aeetes and then he also leaves. After that, she spends her time either in her father's halls or she goes to a deserted shore and there she meets a mortal, Glaucos and they start to spend time together. Circe wants to spend her life together with Glaucos but she knows that he is a mortal and would eventually die, something in her changes and so in a haste she goes to her grandmother and asks her to turn Glaucos into an eternal. Her grandmother tells her that it is not possible and Circe discovers something by accident and she uses the flowers that were born of Kronos's blood and changes Glaucos into a god.
I was too wild to feel any shame.
Glaucos turns into a god and everyone believes that it was the fates but Circe knows better. When Glaucos choses someone else to be his wife, out of jealousy Circe changes her into something else too. Years and years later, when Circe finally confesses that she was the one to change Glaucos and Scylla, no one believes her as they all tell her that those flowers have no power of their own. Then Aeetes comes and tells everyone that it is possible that Circe has changed Glaucos and Scylla, as he too possesses such powers and it is called pharmakeia, for they deal in pharmaka and Circe is a pharmakis, a witch.
Divine days fall like water from a cataract, and I had not learned yet the mortal trick of counting them.
Circe is punished by the Olympian god, Zeus and as her punishment, she is to spend eternity on a deserted island which years later she finds out is called Aiaia and she is known as the witch of Aiaia. Here she spends her time collecting herbs, taming wild animals and practicing and perfecting her witchery. She gets her first visitor, the Olympian god, Hermes and he tells her news of far and wide. She also gets mortals as her visitors and when she experiences their cruelty, something in her changes yet again. For centuries, she keeps getting mortal visitors and transforms them into pigs. But when Odysseus comes to her island, everything changes for her completely.
All the world confessed to him. He confessed to me.
I am a huge fan of Greek mythology but I have to say that I have not read much about Circe. Only in passing a paragraph here or there I have read about her, so I was very excited to read something just about her. Her story, re-telling or not, I just wanted to read it. In a word, this was riveting. Circe's story, from her birth to the cruelties of the gods, of her siblings, of everyone around her who always made her feel that she was less than them because she was different even though they were all the same. My heart went out to Circe. First half of the book is thoroughly enchanting. Madeline Miller's writing has a poetic feel to it. It is absolutely brilliant and I found myself re-reading some things, not because it didn't make sense the first time but because it was that captivating.
The second half was a bit slower in comparison and it wasn't as grand as I had expected it to be. I thought things would pick up again and we'll have yet another adventure on our hands but it didn't happen. (view spoiler)[Circe's journey into the motherhood seemed very ordinary. I hate to say this but it was the most boring part of the story for me and I expected so much more after reading such epic things in the first half of the book. (hide spoiler)] Having said that, I still burnt page after page to read Circe's story, her journey and how things would go for her. (view spoiler)[Even though it is Circe's story, my favorite is Telemachus. There was so much simplicity in him that he won my heart like no other. (hide spoiler)] I was devouring and savoring it at the same time. An amazing read overall.
Evangeline's parents passed away and she lives with her stepmother and her stepsister, Marisol. Evangeline believes in happily-ever-after and loves LuEvangeline's parents passed away and she lives with her stepmother and her stepsister, Marisol. Evangeline believes in happily-ever-after and loves Luc but when she finds out that Luc is marrying her stepsister, Marisol, Evangeline believes that Luc must be cursed and she would do anything to undo the curse on Luc and find her happily-ever-after. Evangeline ends up making a deal with one of the Fates who is also known as Jacks the Prince of Hearts to stop Luc's wedding to Marisol. The deal consists of Evangeline kissing three people of his choosing and the wedding is stopped. But Evangeline realises that curses don't always appear as they are and wishes don't always come true in the same form you want them to.
I liked Evangeline but there were times that she annoyed me with her decisions. She had a good heart but sometimes she just refused to see sense even though it was black and white. I loved Jacks and his mysterious persona even though it was all a facade. There wasn't much of a plot but I loved the fantasy elements thrown in there. Each time I would get a little info about the North, I wanted more. I was however thrown by the vampires in the book. The setting did not scream vampires in my opinion. I would have also liked to get more information on the things that happened (view spoiler)[when Evangeline was turned to stone. (hide spoiler)]
I do have to say that I was hooked from the start and the short snappy chapters meant a quick read. I read this on the plane and this made for a perfect getaway whimsical read. The writing was a little too simple for a fantasy but I didn't mind that. This was my first read from Stephanie Garber and I would like to read her other work.
Piper is an L.A. party girl. Her stepfather is loaded so she's never worked a day in her life but still lives a life full of glamour. She does what shPiper is an L.A. party girl. Her stepfather is loaded so she's never worked a day in her life but still lives a life full of glamour. She does what she wants and never has to face the consequences until one night, she ends up in jail and her mother and her stepfather tell her that it is about time that she learns some responsibility and the value of money. They send her to Westport, her mother, and her late father's hometown. Piper's younger sister, Hannah thinks the punishment is cruel so to make it easy for her sister, she decides to accompany Piper to Westport. Together the Bellinger sisters make it to Westport to live out Piper's punishment to stay in the town for three months otherwise she won't ever get any money out of her stepfather after this.
Westport being their parents' hometown, they find out that they have a bar that was willed to them in their late father's will and they also have an apartment on top of that to live in. But when they get there, things don't turn out to be exactly how they expected. First of all, that bar was no bar but a place for the townsfolk to hang out as they pleased and that apartment was anything but a place to live in. Their arrival isn't exactly welcomed and people, a big bulky bearded guy, Brendan in particular wants them to fail. Would the Bellinger sisters make it or fail Piper's punishment?
I have been wanting to read a Tessa Bailey book for a while now. When I read that It Happened One Summer is a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com, I immediately added it to my to-read list. After reading this, I'd say this was not impressive at all.
It started out really great but then the story fell short of everything. I don't know if my expectations were too high as it was sold as a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com and I love that show. I re-watched it last week so this felt lacking in everything. The country town was a nice setting and I am a sucker for country town settings but this was just boring. Partly because I didn't like Piper or Brendan or any other character except for Hannah. Hannah was barely there but she was the only character that actually had any substance. I get that Piper is a beautiful, party, glamorous girl but that's all there was to her. All I kept reading about her was her looks. People said that she's a good person but not even once she comes across like that. She was selfish and way too shallow. She was supposed to be living out her punishment on her own but Hannah helps her with that from the get-go and she lets Hannah come with her not even worrying about Hannah's job. Yes, Hannah says that she can work remotely but still that was not fair to Hannah. Piper was supposed to learn responsibility but throughout, other people do things for her and help her out. Throughout the book. Not even once, she does anything on her own. The writer also keeps writing about how Piper cares for Hannah and is a good sister when that's not the case. She does nothing for Hannah except for trying to cook once for her. That's all. Piper's actions told a completely different story. Saying something doesn't make it true. Again, this was supposed to be Piper's punishment but Hannah is the one that actually does most of the work around town like helping the local record store and all. Piper does nothing except for spending time with Brendon and leave Hannah on her own most of the time.
Then there's Brendon whom I hated even more than Piper. He is tall and all muscles and a fisherman and a captain of the boat and a widower who still has his wedding ring even after seven years after his wife's death. He's a complete package and too good to be true basically. Other reviewers said that it is a story of enemies-to-lovers. Did I read a different book? They were never enemies. He was rude to the sisters the very first time they meet and that's about it. He had an attractiveness towards Piper from the very beginning and it is made clear because this book is from both Piper and Brendan's pov. So, I don't know why other reviewers think that. I also didn't feel their chemistry and sex scenes were cringe-worthy instead of being hot and sexy.
Also, everything happens too fast. Piper and Brendan being in a relationship to them confessing their love for each other and then their misunderstanding. Everything felt trite and for the sake of the story only.
Towards the end when Piper is supposed to throw a labor day party when no one shows up she ups and leaves Hannah all on her own to attend another party because supposedly she's lost her Piper charm. Yes, Hannah said that Piper should go and Piper didn't even think twice. Also, Hannah says to Brendan that Piper will never know that everyone loves this place and Brendon tracks her down the next day at the party in L.A. and a couple of other things happen in the last two chapters to which I'd like to say that this came out in 2021 and is set in modern times then why the heck they couldn't use a phone to communicate? Why couldn't Hannah text or call Piper to tell her that the bar became busy and everyone responded well? Why couldn't Hannah or Brendon or both of them text or call Piper to ask where she's staying? Basically, why couldn't they use a phone for anything in the last two chapters? Just to add the unnecessary drama like it's the 1980s?
Something else that bothered me - Brendon is a widower and when he talks about his marriage to Piper, he basically says that his marriage was just a marriage of - I don't know what to be honest. Have a read, this is what he says - Can you trust me, honey? I’m just trying to get to the light. Get to you.” He waited for her nod, then did that wide-stance, settling-in thing and crossed his arms. As if letting her know he was immovable. “I knew Desiree my whole life, but not well. She was a girl a year above me in school. Quiet. I didn’t really get to know her until I started working for Mick. Right around the time my parents moved out of town, he took me under his wing and became kind of a . . . guide. He showed me this thing I love. Fishing. How to do it well. And over time, I guess she became family, too. I never felt . . .” He lowered his voice. “There wasn’t an attraction like I have for you. I’m not just talking about sex. We were friends, in a way. She was always trying to meet her father’s expectations, and so was I, after he gave me the Della Ray. He obviously thought we’d make a good match, so I asked her out, and I think . . . both of us just wanted to make Mick happy. That’s what we had in common. So we just went through the motions, even when it didn’t feel right. When she died, I kept the ring on, kept my vows, to keep him healed as much as possible. Then you showed up, Piper. Then you. And it felt wrong having ever given those vows to anyone else.
But according to the writer, he's just so perfect that he still had his ring on for seven years after his wife's death. I wish the writer hadn't shown his marriage in that light. Why couldn't he have loved his wife and then fallen in love with Piper seven years later? Why did it have to be like this? This was just not done.
Maybe, I am too critical. Maybe my expectations were too high. Maybe there's something I missed in the story. Maybe it's me. Maybe it's the story but it just didn't work for me. It is not a Schitt’s Creek-inspired rom-com at all. And there's another book that's based on Hannah and Fox that's coming out this year. I don't know if I want to read it because I didn't like Fox in this and I also didn't like Hannah and Fox together. This may be the end of the series for me.
Nell is going to Paris for a weekend away with her boyfriend, Pete. She is waiting at the train station for Pete when Pete tells herLive in the moment
Nell is going to Paris for a weekend away with her boyfriend, Pete. She is waiting at the train station for Pete when Pete tells her to go to Paris alone as he's stuck at work and will try to get the later train. Nell gets to Paris and Pete tells her that he won't be coming. Nell doesn't do anything spontaneous in her life and she always makes a pros and cons list for everything so when she has to be in Paris all by herself, she doesn't like the idea but when she gets hungry she has to eat and she eats by herself. The next day she tries to get an early ticket but she can't afford it so she decides to stay and then she meets the Frenchman, Fabien and Fabien takes her around Paris and Nell feels alive for the first time.
She has no idea what will happen next. It is absolutely thrilling.
It started off really slow but when Nell and Fabien meet, it picked up but then it got a little slow again. It was quite predictable but I didn't mind that. I didn't really like Nell but I liked Fabien and I absolutely loved the receptionist, Marianne. I liked the ending but I didn't love it. I am left with so many questions. Would she move to Paris? Would this be a long distance thing? Is there another option? Still overall, it's quite enjoyable.
January, a writer is moving into the lake house that was left by her now-dead father for her. She is broke and she has a deadline for her next book buJanuary, a writer is moving into the lake house that was left by her now-dead father for her. She is broke and she has a deadline for her next book but she has nothing to show for the book. When she moves in, her neighbor isn't the most welcoming, and then she realizes that it is Gus Everett, her college rival and also a celebrated literary fiction writer.
She goes around the town and finds a local bookshop that invites her to a book club. Gus also makes an appearance and he ends up giving her a lift home. They start to banter and come up with a bet that January will write a literary fiction novel and that Gus will write a happy-ending fiction just so that they both know how it feels to be in each other's shoes. They also make a schedule to help each other out with lessons. They start to spend time together and get to know each other.
January is struggling in her life as at her father's funeral, she found out that her father had a mistress, Sonya and her mother had known it all along but never told January and didn't even talk about it afterward. She also broke up with her boyfriend, Jacques of six years. Things haven't been the best but spending time with Gus, she feels good. Gus also has his own struggles and his own inner demons to deal with and as the book progresses, we are given more insight into Gus' character. As they are both hurting and they are both wrecks, they both find solace in each other. They both share their stories with each other including all the highs and lows.
Gus shares about how his mother died when he was a child and his father were violent towards him and that's why he writes the books he writes because he wants to write such stories about other people, how people survive even when the world is burning around them. January shares her story of how she always thought that her parent's marriage was perfect even with her mother's cancer and that's how she writes about happy endings. Gus has an aunt, Pete who owns the local book shop and she has a wife Maggie. I loved Pete and Maggie.
January has a best friend, Shadi whom she text-talks throughout the book, and from what was revealed about Shadi, I absolutely loved her but she was barely there and this is one of my first complaints. My second complaint is that this book didn't have enough romance. Yes, there was romance but it was heavy on a lot of other things like family drama, cult survivors, and serious infidelity issues. I mean the book is titled 'Beach Read' and even though I liked reading it, I can't say that it was a beach read. A beach read would be an easy, breezy, light book not such an emotional and serious book. Having said that I still liked the book. Another thing was, they never told us who won the bet which was a major part of the book. I do have to say that the books they wrote because of the bet, I would never read those given by their brief stories mentioned in this book.
I liked the writing. I liked the premise. I just wasn't prepared for all the seriousness and heaviness of the plot and the characters' struggles otherwise I would have given it full 5 stars and I do feel that the title and the cover are misleading.
Arwen is the oldest child. Her father died a decade ago and she looks after her mother and her younger sister. Arwen is a hunter and she lives in CindArwen is the oldest child. Her father died a decade ago and she looks after her mother and her younger sister. Arwen is a hunter and she lives in Cinder village. Cinder village is quite far from the Jade city, capital of Embergate which is where the Dragon king lives. Although the village is quite removed from the main fares, they still get by as they have coal mines and a lot of visitors as the visitors have to cross the Cinder village to go from one kingdom to another.
It's May day today and Arwen is looking forward to it as whoever you end up kissing on May day would become your spouse. On that very day, it is announced that the Dragon king is looking for a wife and every female even with a quarter of dragon magic is to tested by the Royal guard. Arwen is a watered-down human with a mere ten percent dragon magic lineage so she need not worry until her mother tells her to run and not to be found by the Royal guard.
I don't know where to start from so let's start from the very first paragraph. When I was reading the very first paragraph, all I could think of was Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games. Arwen is the exact copy of Katniss (only not at all cool). Arwen is the hunter in the family, her father is dead, she has a younger sister and her mother to look after. Also, the way the writer was going on and on about how Arwen is so different from the other girls - I think this trope needs to be gone forever now. This trope has been done to death and I can't believe that it is still a thing in 2022. Arwen only wears trousers, Arwen doesn't care about wearing beautiful dresses. Only for Arwen to look at the first dress and drool. Ugh! I really wanted to like Arwen and I did for the first few pages but she just became this walking annoying cliché of all the things that I hate in a female MC that I couldn't bring myself to care for her.
The Dragon king, Drae was also insufferable. I don't want to go in too much detail as I feel like I have wasted enough time on this read. Drae was married and he lost his wife to child birth and new born children to still births. His wife was his best friend and he loved her dearly. But after meeting Arwen and knowing her for a couple of weeks, he says to Arwen that he's never loved anyone else like he loves her (Arwen) and that too next to his ex-wife and his children's graves and I mean seriously? I feel that was really disrespectful. Why does it always has to be like this?
Regina was the only character that I liked and the way her character was dealt with was appalling.
The plot sounded good but it was handled very very poorly. The writing was worse than when I used to write fan fiction as a ten-year-old. The writing also seemed very contemporary. One reviewer mentioned that it seems watt padd-y and for the lack of a better word I agree. An example of the writing is - what is wrong with this dude? This is a direct line from the book. The language used in this was horrendous. My texts are written better than this book. The book is only 335 pages long that too with big print so that's probably the only best part as it was a relatively quick read. Other than that this was a disaster. If this book had come out a decade ago, I would have rated it higher but because it came out in 2022, I can't rate it higher than half a star because all the tropes that should be retired now are all used here. And pretty much everything is wrong with this. At this time, I don't think I'll be continuing with the series.
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