Book Review: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Title: Well Met

Author: Jen DeLuca

Series/Standalone: Well Met Series (Book #1)

Genre: Adult Fiction, Romance

Pages: 335

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2019

Format: Paperback Copy (Library)

"All's fair in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Fair alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in the charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek."

My Rating: 4.5/5

This story took me a little while to get into. I thought that at first, the faire aspect wasn't going to be for me, but the more I read the more I loved our main character. While she could be a little naive, she was pretty understandably misguided in some attempts. Simon was the same way. The only aspect I didn't like was the epilogue sometimes I think that we really go too far with the idea that people can be ready to be together for forever so quickly. And while I try to suspend my disbelief, sometimes it's more than my cynical 27-year-old self can manage. I plan on continuing this series.  Super fun and the sex scene was pretty good too.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Title: Big Little Lies

Author: Liane Moriarty

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Mystery, Adult Fiction

Pages: 460

Publisher: Berkley Books

Year Published: 2014

Format: Audiobook

"A murder... A tragic accident.. Or parents behaving badly? What's indisputable is that someone is dead.

Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. SHe's funny, biting and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place.

Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughter, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal."

My Rating: 5/5

I absolutely ran through this novel, this audiobook had the perfect mix of tone and the multiple points of view kept the story going and interesting. Although this does contain many difficult subjects and sensitive topics I felt as an outsider looking in that they were well done. I was impressed by the author's ability to maintain the tension throughout the story and keep me guessing as to who was dead at the end of the book. I would strongly recommend the audiobook and it lives up to the hype. I plan to watch the adaptations as soon as possible.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

Title: The Hating Game

Author: Sally Thorne

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Adult Fiction

Pages: 387

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks

Year Published: 2016

Format: Audiobook

"Debut author Sally Thorne bursts on the scene with a hilarious and sexy workplace comedy all about that thin, fine line between hate and love.

Nemesis (n.) 1) An opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.

2) A person's undoing

3) Joshua Templeman

Lucy Hutton has always been certain that the nice girl can get the corner office. She's charming and accommodating and prides herself on being loved by everyone at Bexley & Gamin. Everyone excepts for coldly efficient, impeccably attired, physically intimidating Joshua Templeman. And the feeling is mutual.

Trapped in a shared office together 40 (OK, 50 or 60) hours a week, they've become entranced in an addictive, ridiculous never0ending game of one-upmanship. There's the Staring Game. The Mirror Game. The HR Game. Lucy can't let Joshua beat her at anything- especially when a huge new promotion goes up for the taking.

If Lucy wins this game, she'll be Joshua's boss. If she loses, she'll resign. So why is she suddenly having steamy dreams about Joshua, and dressing for work like she's got a hot date? After a perfectly innocent elevator ride ends with an earth shattering kiss, Lucy starts to wonder whether she's got Joshua Templeman all wrong.

Maybe Lucy doesn't hate Joshua Templeman. And maybe, he doesn't hate her either. Or maybe this is just another game."

My Rating:  3/5

This wasn't what I thought it would be based on the ravings I heard from other people. This one might have been more compelling to me if I had ever worked in the corporate world. I never have entered that realm of existence. I will say that the banter was amazing and I do love the hate-to-love tropes. This book overall was fun, but it wasn't the most memorable. I am watching the movie currently and I think that I like it more than I liked the book. Easier to visualize. Maybe just not into office romances.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

Title: Little Fires Everywhere

Author: Celeste Ng

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult Fiction, Contemporary 

Pages: 338

Publisher: Penguin Press

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned- from the layout of the winding roads to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules.

Enter Mia Warren- an enigmatic artist and single mother- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.

When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town- and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost..."

My Rating: 2.75/5

This book would be great for a book club book for people who read one book a month. As an avid reader whose not a huge fan of contemporary this wasn't it for me. While this story touches on many subjects, it doesn't ever dig deep enough for me to be interested in the plot line. There weren't enough twists for me and while I understand that this isn't what is normally found in a contemporary, neither is someone burning down a house. Maybe I'm the issue, but anyway, this book was just ok to me. Easy to get through but not memorable.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Title: Undercover Bromance

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Series/Standalone: Bromance Book Club (Book #2)

Genre: Romance, Adult Fiction

Pages: 348

Publisher: Berkley

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he'll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a pastry chef at Nashville's hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she'll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv's blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He'll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they're reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they're just as eager to help mack figure out the way to Liv's heart... even though she's determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned."

My Rating: 5/5

Somehow this is even better than the first book, and I thought that the first book was incredible.  I do love an enemy to lovers, and I believe that the tropes were put into great use in this second book. I also was glad that they didn't have excerpts from the romance novel involved, because sometimes it was a little much in the first one. I did love the characters and the way they got together. I also thought that the backstory for each of them was excellent. If you want a love letter to romance I would highly recommend. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: Ties That Bind by Jim Zub

Title: Ties That Bind

Author: Jim Zub

Artist(s): Steven Cummings & Tamra Bonvillain

Series/Standalone: Wayward Series (Volume 2)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Young Adult

Pages: 136

Publisher: Image Comics

Year Published: 2015

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"After the traumatizing finale of volume one, everything has changed for our supernatural teens. Who is Ohara and how does she fit into the great patterns of destiny and power that will change Japan forever?"

My Rating: 5/5

I loved this installment in the series. I thought that this volume was the right mix of action and character building. It had the same great art that I loved from the first volume and the plot is fast-paced enough for me to read through each volume in one sitting. Exactly what I needed from a graphic novel at this moment.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: By Night, Vol. 2

Title: By Night, Volume 2

Author: John Allison

Artist(s): Christine Larsen, Sarah Stern

Series/Standalone: By Night Series (Vol. 2)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult

Pages: 112

Publisher: BOOM!Box

Year Published: 2019

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"Two estranged childhood best friends unexpectedly travel through a portal into another, spookier world where they attempt to create the greatest documentary of all time

Jane Langstaff and Heather Meadows have been to the other side... and now it's just a question of how to bring proof back home with them. And then there's the question of how the portal got there in the first place... and whether or not the town of Spectrum, South Dakota is safe, or monsters are about to start pouring through to our world. Not to mention, with Gardt facing the consequences for Jane and Heather's invasion, have the girls actually been the monsters all along?"

My Rating: 1.75/5

I have liked Giant Days for so long that I just wanted something a little bit similar. I was hoping that with their similar art style and the same-ish-aged main characters I would get the same feelings. But this series is completely different and that's fine, it's just not what I wanted. I think that the plot isn't enticing enough for me to keep going at this point, but I also have a few lingering questions and there is only one more volume. Dare I go for it?

Thanks for reading,

Sidny 

Review: The Arrow by James Tynion IV

Title: The Arrow

Author: James Tynion

Artist(s): Michael Dialynas

Series/Standalone: The Woods (Vol. 1)

Genre: Graphic Novel, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Pages: 128

Publisher: BOOM! Studio

Year Published: 2014

Format: Paperback 

"On October 16, 2013, 437 students, 52 teachers and 24 additional staff from Bay Point Preparatory High School in suburban Milwaukee, WI vanished without a trace. Countless light years away, far outside the bounds of the charted universe, 513 people find themselves in the middle of an ancient, primordial wilderness. Where are they? Why are they there? The answers will prove stranger than anyone could possibly imagine."

My Rating: 2/5

A very basic first instalment in an older graphic novel series, I am intrigued to keep going and follow where the plot takes us. But things that I think were meant to gather my focus and add to the atmosphere didn't work for me. I will continue on, but I'm hoping for more in the next installment. The art was enjoyable, the characters were where it lacked so far, but I look forward to seeing how they grow as I continue on.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Review: In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park

Title: In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom

Author: Yeonmi Park

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir

Pages: 273

Publisher: Penguin Press

Year Published: 2015

Format: Audiobook

"Human rights activist Park, who fled North Korea with her mother in 2007 at age 13 and eventually made it to South Korea two years later after a harrowing ordeal, recognized that in order to be 'completely free,' she had to confront truth of her past. It is an ugly, shameful story of being sold with her mother into slave marriages by Chinese brokers, and although she at first tried to hide the painful details when blending into South Korean society, she realized how her survival story could inspire others. Moreover, her sister had also escaped earlier and had vanished into China for years, prompting the author to go public with her story in the hope of finding her sister."

Rating: N/A

Sometimes when reading a memoir I feel comfortable giving it a rating but this is not one of those times.  This story was heartwrenching and so important for everyone to read. This story tells the horrific things that are happening in a country full of people who have been brainwashed into believing that their leaders are able to control the weather and hear their thoughts. That other countries all want what North Korea has and if they are trying to make ends meet in any way during a famine they are stealing from the government. It also highlights how people are taking advantage of those trying to escape the clutches of North Korea and how the system is not set up for those who are trying to leave a country filled with human rights violations. I would suggest reading the physical copy as opposed to the audiobook just so it's easier to take your time with the subject matter.

Thank you for reading,

SIdny

Book Review: Never Fall for Your Fiancee by Virginia Heath

Title: Never Fall for Your Fiancee

Author: Virginia Heath

Series/Standalone: The Merriwell Sisters (Book #1)

Genre: Adult, Historical Romance

Pages: 368

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Year Published: 2021

Format: Paperback (Library Copy)

"The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.
The last thing Hugh Standish, Earl of Fareham, ever wants is a wife. Unfortunately for him, his mother is determined to find him one, even from across the other side of the ocean. So, Hugh invents a fake fiancée to keep his mother’s matchmaking ways at bay. But when Hugh learns his interfering mother is on a ship bound for England, he realizes his complicated, convoluted but convenient ruse is about to implode. Until he collides with a beautiful woman, who might just be the miracle he needs.

Minerva Merriwell has had to struggle to support herself and her two younger sisters ever since their feckless father abandoned them. Work as a woodcut engraver is few and far between, and the Merriwell sisters are nearly penniless. So, when Hugh asks Minerva to pose as his fiancée while his mother is visiting, she knows that while the scheme sounds ludicrous, the offer is too good to pass up.

Once Minerva and her sisters arrive at Hugh's estate, of course, nothing goes according to his meticulous plan. As hilarity and miscommunication ensue, while everyone tries to keep their tangled stories straight, Hugh and Minerva’s fake engagement starts to turn into a real romance. But can they trust each other, when their relationship started with a lie?"

My Rating: 2/5

At the start of this book, I was really hopeful about where we were going. I liked the concept and the tropes that seemed to be at play. I haven't read many historical romances so I was excited to get into this one, but near the middle, I had trouble caring about the plot line. By the end, I was expecting things to happen in different steps than they ended up happening and I didn't think that the closure was the best it could have been. The redeeming aspect for me was the fact that there was the fake dating trope which always entertained me. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Getting His Game Back by Gia De Cadenet

Title: Getting His Game Back

Author: Gia De Cadenet

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult

Pages: 336

Publisher: Dell

Year Published: 2022

Format: Audiobook

"Khalil Sarda went through a rough patch last year, but now he's nearly back to his old self. All he has to do is keep his 'stuff' in the past. Real men don't have depression and go to therapy-- or, at least they don't admit it. He's ready to focus on his growing chain of barbershops, take care of his beloved Detroit community, and gets back to being the ladies man hisfamily and friends tease him for being. It'll be easy... until Vanessa throws him completely off his game.

Vanessa Noble is too busy building a multimillion-dollar tech career as a Black woman before age thriy to be distracted by a relationship. Not to mention, she's been burned before, still dealing with the lingering hurt of a past breakup. Besides, as her friends often remind her, she'll never find a man who checks all the boxes of her famous List. yet when she desperately needs a shape-up and happens upon one of Khalil's barbershops, the Fade, he makes her reconsider everything. Khalil is charming, intelligent, sexy, and definitely seems like he'd treat a woman right... but he's not Black.

Vanessa may be willing to take a chance on Khalil, but a part of him is frustratingly closed off, just out of her reach. Will old patterns emerge to keep them apart? Or have they both finally found a connection worth throwing away the playbook for?"

My Rating: 4/5

I really appreciated the way this book handled the mental health and social equality conversations. They were open conversations between our hero and heroine, while the reader listened in. They were realistic conversations (not forced feeling) and I feel these are subjects I would like to see in romance on a more regular basis. The romance between the characters was good, the smutty scenes were fun, Overall, a great romance! I would recommend.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny