Tag: Berkley

What I Read: Sept. 19-25

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A Rogue by Any Other Name (The Rules of Scoundrels #1) by Sarah MacLean: I enjoyed the plot and characters in this, but it was just a little too long and repetitive and I found myself skimming the last few chapters. I do think MacLean’s writing has improved over time (this book is 10 years old) so i’m still interested in reading her more recent stuff.

That Summer in Berlin by Lecia Cornwall: It’s been a minute since I read (and enjoyed) historical fiction, but this was SUCH a fantastic read. If you’re tired of WWII historical fiction, this is a good compromise – it’s set mostly in Germany in 1936 during the Summer Olympics (the games do take a major backseat to the rest of the story). The overall vibe of this book was so tense and sinister at times that I was racing through certain chapters to find out what was going to happen. It does require a little suspension of disbelief at the very end, but is still a worthwhile read if historical fiction is your jam. Thank you Uplit Reads and Berkley for the finished copy!

Return to Cherry Blossom Way (Blue Cedar Falls #2) by Jeannie Chin: This series is like if Hallmark movies were rated PG-13. May returns to Blue Cedar Falls for work (she’s a travel writer) and can’t help but bump into her high school ex-boyfriend Han, who runs his family’s Chinese restaurant. This is an incredibly well-rounded book (the side characters are just as lovable as the main couple, and the small town setting is so vibrant I can’t believe it’s not a real place). I enjoyed the first book just a little bit more, but i’m excited to read more in this series!

What I Read: Catching Up

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It’s been a few weeks since I shared a review post, so I’m going to get caught up with a sentence or two for each book I’ve read recently.

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne: Surprisingly amazing. In the running for one of my favorite romcoms of all time.

The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James: This had a promising start, but ended up with a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends. Thank you Once Upon a Book Club for the gift box!

Stuck With You (The STEMinist Novellas #2) by Ali Hazelwood: Didn’t love this quite as much as the first, but these two had great chemistry! A worthwhile, short romance read.

Space Cowgirl: Houston, All Systems Go (Space #2) by Sara L. Hudson: Great male lead, insufferable female lead (tragically afflicted with “Not Like Other Girls” syndrome). However, I think this series is worth reading and I’ll be picking up book three sooner rather than later.

Everything For You (Bergman Brothers #5) by Chloe Liese: I’ll recommend this series to anyone and everyone – especially if you like a good romcom with an extra dose of big feelings. The grumpy/sunshine trope is extra fabulous when the grump is a literary version of Roy Kent.

Upgrade by Blake Crouch: A total downgrade from the Crouch novels I’ve loved before. Read those and skip this.

Nobody’s Princess (Wild Wynchesters #3) by Erika Ridley: A Regency-era romance with two superhero-adjacent leads. And the Wynchester family is delightfully chaotic as usual. Thank you Forever for the finished copy! | Check out my review on Instagram

40-Love (There’s Something About Marysburg #2) by Olivia Dade: Good but not great. Someday I’ll learn my lesson and stop reading books by Olivia Dade.

Bomb Shelter: Love, Time and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott: Philpott’s writing makes me feel seen (or wonder if I blacked out and wrote this book myself). Funny and heartfelt; feels like a hug from a big sister or a beloved friend.

The Stand-Up Groomsman (Donut Fall in Love #2) by Jackie Lau: Asian representation, a short (5’6″!) male lead, and a great opposites-attract dynamic. Thank you Berkley for the e-ARC! | Check out my review on Instagram

The Bodyguard by Katherine Center: Katherine Center can do no wrong. I absolutely LOVED this.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – A Game of Cones by Abby Collette

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After A Deadly Inside Scoop was one of my favorite cozy mysteries of 2020 (trust me, I read a lot of cozies!) I was so excited to be back in Chagrin Falls with Win and her family. A Game of Cones did NOT disappoint. When a developer comes to town with news of a potential mall being built, someone in the community takes quick action and the developer ends up dead that night.

One of Win’s friends (visiting from NYC) stumbles across the body and becomes suspect number one. Even though she tries to keep her distance, Win can’t help but get tangled up in the murder investigation and comes face to face with a cold-blooded killer. And we still get the family dynamic and charming ice cream shop setting that we grew to love in book one.

Any cozy mystery set in Ohio is automatically of interest to me, and I can’t wait to see what book three has in store!

Thank you Berkley for the NetGalley ARC!

REVIEW – The Roommate by Rosie Danan

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Phew, okay. I had seen a lot of positive reviews for The Roommate, but I didn’t think i’d love it this much! It’s surprisingly sweet (but with no lack of spice…) Clara and Josh are fun a lovable, and i’m excited that Naomi is getting her own book later this year.

The Roommate features Josh who is a…uhh…”performer” with a heart of gold (no, really) and Clara, who is a seemingly uptight, prim and proper socialite from the East Coast. Be prepared to love these characters! Be prepared for some VERY open door scenes (if that’s not your cup of tea, steer clear). And be prepared for a feminist novel that will have you laughing and cheering and swooning all at once.

COZY MYSTERY REVIEW – A Deadly Inside Scoop by Abby Collette

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“You saw the dead body, then made the ice cream?”

Bronwyn “Win” Crewse has just reopened her family’s ice cream shop in Ohio. Unfortunately, construction delays made her miss the summer season and she opens in the fall – to an early snowfall. To add to the stress, Win finds a body in the snow near her shop.

What a great start to a new cozy mystery series! This has all of my favorite things – an adorable town, a delightful cast of characters (Win’s family and friends are ALL lovely and funny and wonderful), an intriguing murder mystery AND enough mentions of ice cream to make you wish Crewse Creamery was a real place.

Collette nailed the feeling of fall (winter…?) in Ohio. And I can’t speak for everyone in my home state, but it’s never too cold for some ice cream! The mystery was clever and fun to try and solve, and i’m pretty sure PopPop is one of my new favorite characters. This book had me cracking up on several occasions, and I always appreciate a book that makes me laugh. I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series takes Win!

REVIEW – Well-Behaved Indian Women by Saumya Dave

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{Available July 14, 2020} Well-Behaved Indian Women kicks off with two proposals set approximately 30 years apart. Nandini and Ranjit live in India and are ready to begin their arranged marriage and move to the United States. As we move forward to present-ish day, their daughter Simran becomes engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Kunal.

This is a delightful novel primarily focused on the relationship between mothers and daughters across generations – what’s different and, most importantly, what stays the same. Nandini, Simran and Mimi are complex female characters (yay!) each dealing with their own hopes and dreams (and problems). I found Simran to be incredibly relatable (her inner dialogue had me cracking up and nodding my head more often than not!) and I was in awe of Nandini’s strength and Mimi’s conviction.

Well-Behaved Indian Women provides a glimpse into Indian-American/Hindu culture, customs and family dynamics. The story is endearing and funny, but also touches on topics like racism, sexism and double standards (especially in the context of marriage and the workplace). The complexities of marriage are a central theme here – particularly the sacrifices that many women feel they need to make to contribute to a successful partnership.

Content warning: brief mention of miscarriage and sexual harassment.

Thank you Berkley for providing me with a NetGalley ARC of this title!

REVIEW – The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory

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“That’s right, she was the bitch who broke the pretty blond boy’s heart, live on the JumboTron.”

The Proposal was a case of right book, right time for me. I was in desperate need of something light and fun and this was the perfect choice! I loved the relationship between Nik and Carlos. Nik’s friends are an absolute delight and Carlos’ family dynamics are perfect. Sure, this gets a little cliche at times, but romcoms are pretty formulaic and reliable.

This was my first book by Jasmine Guillory, but I intend to eventually read the rest of the books in The Wedding Date series.

REVIEW – Always the Last to Know by Kristan Higgins

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{Available June 9, 2020} Always the Last to Know is a perfect summer read. We follow the Frost family – parents Barb and John and sisters Sadie and Juliet. When John suffers a stroke, the Frosts come face to face with issues and uncovered secrets that will test their strength as a family.

Told from different perspectives (mostly Sadie and Barb, with some chapters from Juliet and a few chapters from John) Higgins is able to give each character a distinct voice and personality. Always the Last to Know felt very realistic for a family drama – it covers some tough topics but never feels heavy. The characters deal with their issues in very authentic ways, often using humor (and oh boy, did this book make me laugh!)

None of the Frosts are perfect – you’ll be rooting for a character in one chapter, and wanting to yell at them in the next. But that’s what makes this book so good. It’s a lighter family drama without a lot of baggage. There are some sugary sweet moments, but they don’t feel forced.

Thank you Berkley for sending me a NetGalley ARC of this book!

REVIEW – How Quickly She Disappears by Raymond Fleischmann

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How Quickly She Disappears is an interesting debut with promise – but ultimately falls a bit flat. The overall plot is interesting and eerie. Elisabeth’s character starts off strong but I found myself growing more and more frustrated with her as the book went on (this may have been intentional!) The villain does have an underlying creepiness but I thought he could have been a bit more fleshed out.

I did find it tough to determine if the flashbacks were memories or dreams at the beginning (again, this may have been intentional, it’s not necessarily a negative). I did think that through the flashbacks, Elisabeth and Jacqueline seemed older than 11 (Jacqueline especially) so sometimes it was hard to buy that it was the dialogue, thoughts and actions of children.

Elisabeth’s daughter was interesting but there’s a shift in her personality that isn’t much accounted for or explained and seems very abrupt.

It doesn’t seem like setting the book in WWII was really necessary to the story. It did provide challenges that wouldn’t exist if set in modern-day, but the background of the war starting wasn’t important enough of a detail to make a difference.

However, there’s a lot of good bits of writing in this book and I think that with more time and experience, Fleischmann could produce a very compelling thriller. (Also, I cannot give half stars but I would put this solidly as a 2.5.)

Thank you Berkley for the NetGalley ARC.