Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Title: Big Summer

Author: Jennifer Weiner

Publisher: Atria Books 2020

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Pages: 364

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020

Six years after the fight that ended their friendship, Daphne Berg is shocked when Drue Cavanaugh walks back into her life, looking as lovely and successful as ever, with a massive favor to ask. Daphne hasn’t spoken one word to Drue in all this time—she doesn’t even hate-follow her ex-best friend on social media—so when Drue asks if she will be her maid-of-honor at the society wedding of the summer, Daphne is rightfully speechless.

Drue was always the one who had everything—except the ability to hold onto friends. Meanwhile, Daphne’s no longer the same self-effacing sidekick she was back in high school. She’s built a life that she loves, including a growing career as a plus-size Instagram influencer. Letting glamorous, seductive Drue back into her life is risky, but it comes with an invitation to spend a weekend in a waterfront Cape Cod mansion. When Drue begs and pleads and dangles the prospect of cute single guys, Daphne finds herself powerless as ever to resist her friend’s siren song.

A sparkling novel about the complexities of female relationships, the pitfalls of living out loud and online, and the resilience of the human heart, Big Summer is a witty, moving story about family, friendship, and figuring out what matters most.

Wow! What a huge disappointment to me. I was annoyed the first third of the book or so by the constant reminders of Instagram influencing and the fact that Daphne’s plus size. I just kept wanting to put down the book and not pick it back up again. I also got really tired of the constant flashbacks to how Drue acted in the past. Then we hit the 50% mark and I wanted to throw the book against the wall. I couldn’t get into the new direction of the book. Daphne becoming an amateur detective was completely unrealistic. The insta-love between her and Nick was unrealistic. I guessed the prologue’s importance once Drue died, but it was just annoying. I hated the entire second half of the book and disliked the first half of the book. Complete disappointment for me.

Modern Mrs Darcy Summer Reading Challenge 2020.png

Next up on the TBR pile:

Dreamland by Nancy Bilyeau

Title: Dreamland

Author: Nancy Bilyeau

Publisher: Lume Book 2020

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 386

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

The year is 1911 when twenty-year-old heiress Peggy Batternberg is invited to spend the summer in America’s Playground.

The invitation to Coney Island is unwelcome. Despite hailing from one of America’s richest families, Peggy would much rather spend the summer working at the Moonrise Bookstore than keeping up appearances with New York City socialites and her snobbish, controlling family.

But soon it transpires that the hedonism of Coney Island affords Peggy the freedom she has been yearning for, and it’s not long before she finds herself in love with a troubled pier-side artist of humble means, whom the Batternberg patriarchs would surely disapprove of.

Disapprove they may, but hidden behind their pomposity lurks a web of deceit, betrayal, and deadly secrets. And as bodies begin to mount up amidst the sweltering clamor of Coney Island, it seems the powerful Batternbergs can get away with anything… even murder.

Wow that was disappointing. I was expecting a bit of The Night Circus tinged with The Great Gatsby. Instead, I got a meandering story of an unlikable heroine and her horrid family as they spend a summer by Coney Island. Not at Coney Island, but Coney Island. The Dreamland amusement park only has a few appearances in the novel, none very memorable. The author doesn’t take much time to describe the people or the scenery leaving me with very vague impressions. I was thoroughly bored by most of the book. It really only picks up int the last 20% or so when Peggy decides to solve the string of murders. But even then, I knew who the murderer was and didn’t really care. It was just boring…

Next up on the TBR pile:

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

Title: The End of October

Author: Lawrence Wright

Publisher: Knopf 2020

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project; Modern Mrs. Darcy 2020

At an internment camp in Indonesia, forty-seven people are pronounced dead with acute hemorrhagic fever. When Henry Parsons--microbiologist, epidemiologist--travels there on behalf of the World Health Organization to investigate, what he finds will soon have staggering repercussions across the globe: an infected man is on his way to join the millions of worshippers in the annual Hajj to Mecca. Now, Henry joins forces with a Saudi prince and doctor in an attempt to quarantine the entire host of pilgrims in the holy city . . . A Russian émigré, a woman who has risen to deputy director of U.S. Homeland Security, scrambles to mount a response to what may be an act of biowarfare . . . Already-fraying global relations begin to snap, one by one, in the face of a pandemic . . . Henry's wife, Jill, and their children face diminishing odds of survival in Atlanta . . . And the disease slashes across the United States, dismantling institutions--scientific, religious, governmental--and decimating the population. As packed with suspense as it is with the fascinating history of viral diseases, Lawrence Wright has given us a full-tilt, electrifying, one-of-a-kind thriller.

I was so excited when this popped up on BOTM and the Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Read Guide. I am always up for a good infectious disease book (fiction or nonfiction) and heard this one was a great ride a la Michael Crichton. This is akin to one of the bad Michael Crichton novels. Bad, flat characters that act completely off type many times. Too many convoluted storylines instead of one straight narrative. Lots of teaching the read about pandemics and viruses and politics and foreign relations and lots of other random things. This book was a complete slog and left me wanting to throw it at the wall. Boring and complicated with no likable anything.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Agnes at the End of the World by Kelly McWilliams

Title: Agnes at the End of the World

Author: Kelly McWilliams

Publisher: Little, Brown Books 2020

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 432

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme

Agnes loves her home of Red Creek -- its quiet, sunny mornings, its dusty roads, and its God. There, she cares tirelessly for her younger siblings and follows the town's strict laws. What she doesn't know is that Red Creek is a cult, controlled by a madman who calls himself a prophet.

Then Agnes meets Danny, an Outsider boy, and begins to question what is and isn't a sin. Her younger brother, Ezekiel, will die without the insulin she barters for once a month, even though medicine is considered outlawed. Is she a sinner for saving him? Is her sister, Beth, a sinner for dreaming of the world beyond Red Creek?

As the Prophet grows more dangerous, Agnes realizes she must escape with Ezekiel and leave everyone else, including Beth, behind. But it isn't safe Outside, either: A viral pandemic is burning through the population at a terrifying rate. As Agnes ventures forth, a mysterious connection grows between her and the Virus. But in a world where faith, miracles, and cruelty have long been indistinguishable, will Agnes be able to choose between saving her family and saving the world?

I started reading this book and had such high hopes. The first part of the book intrigued me. I find cults to be fascinating and I was very into learning more about the inner workings of the cult. I was on the edge of my seat through Agnes’s coming to terms with the lies she had been told. And I was desperate to see her escape the cult. But then, the book started taking a turn… and I got very concerned about the topics of the book. The second half of the book is all about Agnes accepting God (yes, uppercase G) and following his plan. SPOILER In fact, the book ends because Agnes realizes that she can cure the virus by becoming God’s new prophet. I was not prepared for this turn. The book became a whole story about accepting religion, a very specific religion. I just couldn’t. By the time I realized where this was going, I was 78% complete so I finished the book. Now I’m wishing that I didn’t.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Song Below Water by Bethany C. Morrow

Title: A Song Below Water

Author: Bethany C. Morrow

Publisher: Tor Teen 2020

Genre: YA Fantasy

Pages: 288

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Monthly Theme

In a society determined to keep her under lock and key, Tavia must hide her siren powers.

Meanwhile, Effie is fighting her own family struggles, pitted against literal demons from her past. Together, these best friends must navigate through the perils of high school’s junior year.

But everything changes in the aftermath of a siren murder trial that rocks the nation, and Tavia accidentally lets out her magical voice at the worst possible moment.

Soon, nothing in Portland, Oregon, seems safe. To save themselves from drowning, it’s only Tavia and Effie’s unbreakable sisterhood that proves to be the strongest magic of all.

I wanted to love this book so much! I was intrigued about the siren aspect of the summary. I was craving another really good exploration of current social issues. And just look at that cover! How could I resist? Unfortunately the reality is not great. Bottom line: Morrow tries to do too much in a short amount of pages leading to a muddled mess of topics and storytelling. Explained more: there are multiple aspects that I did not like.

The pacing is incredibly slow for the first half of the book. And then the second half of the book turns it up to 11, leaving me with whiplash while reading.
The writing style is somewhere between straight first person and stream of consciousness and it’s confusing and annoying. Both main characters often trailed off in the middle of explaining to focus on something else leaving me with confusion.
Speaking of explaining, there is none when it comes to the mythical creatures. We are never treated to a true look at how they exist within our society. They seem to just be thrown in randomly. Why include them if there’s no real exploration? Just make this a contemporary YA novel, no fantasy.
The focus of social justice was lost completely in the rest of the mess.

If you want to read a good fantasy novel that explores race and identity, pick up The Deep by Rivers Solomon. Amazing book! And it has actual mermaids! Or grab Solomon’s other book, An Unkindness of Ghosts, for a science fiction version.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Title: Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Author: Beth Revis

Publisher: Razorbill 2011

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 416

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Monthly Theme

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the spaceship Godspeed. She has left her boyfriend, friends--and planet--behind to join her parents as a member of Project Ark Ship. Amy and her parents believe they will wake on a new planet, Centauri-Earth, three hundred years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, cryo chamber 42 is mysteriously unplugged, and Amy is violently woken from her frozen slumber.

Someone tried to murder her.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's 2,312 passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader. And Elder, Eldest's rebellious teenage heir, is both fascinated with Amy and eager to discover whether he has what it takes to lead.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she put her faith in a boy who has never seen life outside the ship's cold metal walls? All Amy knows is that she and Elder must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

CW: Sexual Assault

I just read a muddle of a science fiction, romance, murder mystery and it was not good at all. I was intrigued by the premise and I usually love a generation ship story. But this one was a mess and I was not impressed at all. Breaking it down with bullet points:

Too many genres in one book! Seriously, just pick a few…
Sloppy writing. At times, I had to reread paragraphs because the writing was confusing. I had a lot of trouble “seeing” the action and setting easily.
Boring characters. We know virtually nothing about Amy other than she misses her “daddy” and Earth boyfriend and likes to run. Okay… and? Elder is a wet blanket most of the time, a milquetoast person. I got really nothing from him. The most interesting characters were other inhabitants of the Ward, but we spend little time with them.
So many predictable twists. I called the murderer a mile away. Revealing who unplugged Amy was silly and made me really hate that character even more. Of course the ship is delayed. They are always delayed (or off course). So so predictable.
That attempted rape came out of nowhere, was way too graphic, and also sensual. Just no!

I could probably keep ranting, but I’d rather go read something good. Needless to say, I will not be continuing this series.

Across the Universe

#1 Across the Universe
#2 A Million Suns
#3 Shades of Earth

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

Title: The Bromance Book Club (Bromance Book Club #1)

Author: Lyssa Kay Adams

Publisher: Berkley 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

The first rule of book club:
You don't talk about book club.
Nashville Legends second baseman Gavin Scott's marriage is in major league trouble. He’s recently discovered a humiliating secret: his wife Thea has always faked the Big O. When he loses his cool at the revelation, it’s the final straw on their already strained relationship. Thea asks for a divorce, and Gavin realizes he’s let his pride and fear get the better of him.

Welcome to the Bromance Book Club.
Distraught and desperate, Gavin finds help from an unlikely source: a secret romance book club made up of Nashville's top alpha men. With the help of their current read, a steamy Regency titled Courting the Countess, the guys coach Gavin on saving his marriage. But it'll take a lot more than flowery words and grand gestures for this hapless Romeo to find his inner hero and win back the trust of his wife.

That was disappointing. I was intrigued by the concept and wanted it to be a great romance with deep discussions and satisfying sex scenes. What I got was a reenforcement of heteronormative gender roles dressed up with some dirty sex scenes. With every chapter, I found myself more and more annoyed by the characters and their inability to talk to each other. Instead, we get the “obtuse man who struggles with any emotion” and the woman “hung up on her daddy issues.” I just didn’t want to read about those characters. And I definitely wasn’t going to root for them. In fact, even at the end of the novel, I wanted Gavin and Thea to break up (or at least go to couples therapy). I was not impressed at all.

Bromance Book Club:

#1 The Bromance Book Club
#2 Undercover Bromance

Next up on the TBR pile:

Saltwater Kisses by Krista Lakes

Title: Saltwater Kisses (The Kisses #1)

Author: Krista Lakes

Publisher: Zirconia Publishing 2014

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Pages: 216

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

When small-town girl Emma LaRue won a vacation to an exclusive tropical island, a last minute cancellation meant she would be going by herself. Shy and studious, she never had time to fall in love, and often wondered if she was just meant to be alone. However, that all changed when a handsome stranger literally walked into her life while on the beach and sparks began to fly.

New York's most eligible billionaire bachelor Jack Saunders thought this vacation would be the perfect escape, one last hurrah, before taking full control of his father's company. When an innocent Emma didn't recognize him, he figured that he might get a chance to have a vacation from being rich. He didn't tell her about the cars, the yacht, or the penthouse. All he did was let her fall in love with him.

That was terrible… The first half of the book was okay. We get an instant love story at beach resort. Fine fine. A bit unrealistic, but a sweet love story with a few steamy scenes. But then the second half of the book goes in a completely different direction. Our male lead becomes a major asshole. Emma becomes a naive whiny sheep willing to do anything to keep Jack’s family happy. Things turn really bad relationship wise and yet she does everything he wants (or at least what his people say he wants; we rarely see Jack in the second half). This is a relationship gone wrong. Emma should have run as fast as I could away and back to Iowa. And no, an “I love you” does not magically fix things. Terrible story.

The Kisses

#1 Saltwater Kisses
#2 Rainwater Kisses
#3 Freshwater Kisses
#4 Sandcastle Kisses
#5 Hurricane Kisses
#6 Barefoot Kisses
#7 Sunrise Kisses
#8 Waterfall Kisses
#9 Island Kisses

Next up on the TBR pile:

Planetfall by Emma Newman

Title: Planetfall (Planetfall #1)

Author: Emma Newman

Publisher: ROC 2015

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 320

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Goodreads Random - April

Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi’s vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity. A planet promising to reveal the truth about our place in the cosmos, untainted by overpopulation, pollution, and war. Ren believed in that vision enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown.

More than twenty-two years have passed since Ren and the rest of the faithful braved the starry abyss and established a colony at the base of an enigmatic alien structure where Suh-Mi has since resided, alone. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony's 3-D printer engineer, creating the tools necessary for human survival in an alien environment, and harboring a devastating secret.

Ren continues to perpetuate the lie forming the foundation of the colony for the good of her fellow colonists, despite the personal cost. Then a stranger appears, far too young to have been part of the first planetfall, a man who bears a remarkable resemblance to Suh-Mi.

The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And its revelation might tear the colony apart...

After ranting and raving to my husband for the better part of a half hour, I decided to give this book 2 stars. I do not think that this is a good book. There are so many storylines, plot threads that get muddled and ultimately lead no where. They bring up the potential parasite in the newcomer’s stomach, but no one seem really interested or concerned. There are allusions to the tragedy that was unfolding on Earth, but no follow up. Ren’s “disorder” is thrown into the mix at the height of the conflict, but no real discussion or resolution. Religion comes up again and again but seemingly only in passing with no real focus. The entirety of their journey to the new planet and any technology used is glossed over. The book ended up being a mix of about 6 Star Trek episodes with no real follow-through or conclusions. I will not be reading the rest of the series.

Planetfall

#1 Planetfall
#2 After Atlas
#3 Before Mars
#4 Atlas Alone

Next up on the TBR pile:

Vox by Christina Dalcher

Title: Vox

Author: Christina Dalcher

Publisher: Berkley 2018

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 336

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library; Monthly Theme

On the day the government decrees that women are no longer allowed more than one hundred words per day, Dr. Jean McClellan is in denial. This can't happen here. Not in America. Not to her.

Soon women are not permitted to hold jobs. Girls are not taught to read or write. Females no longer have a voice. Before, the average person spoke sixteen thousand words each day, but now women have only one hundred to make themselves heard.

For herself, her daughter, and every woman silenced, Jean will reclaim her voice.

This is just the beginning...not the end.

I was intrigued by the set-up and the comparisons to The Handmaid’s Tale. Unfortunately, what I read was a book trying way too hard to be relevant in our current political climate filled with unlikable characters and a ridiculous thriller style plot. Shoehorned in there is very surface level commentary about sexism, religion, politics, and science. And don’t get me started on Jean and Patrick’s relationship, their relationship to the children, and Jean and Lorenzo’s relationship. Just no. But what irked me the most was the timeline. This is all supposed to have happened in a few short years and then is undone in less than a year. Um no. I don’t buy it without some catastrophic event like a plague or war. Girly Book Club has once again disappointed me with their science fiction selection. We only get one a year and last year’s was terrible (American War) and this year’s choice is just as bad…

Next up on the TBR pile:

My Christmas Curse by Joan Gable

Title: My Christmas Curse

Author: Joan Gable

Publisher: 2013

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 160

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Rbook

Megan Blake has been cursed with bad luck every Christmas season for as long as she can remember. This December, in an attempt to make light of her Curse, Meg—a travel journalist—writes a daily Christmas column chronicling her past misfortunes. As Christmas and her trip home to Indiana near, Meg waits for her Christmas Curse to strike again. Or has it already, causing her father’s depression? In the meantime, her walk down memory lane is conjuring up startling revelations about her present.
She discovers that there is more to her mother than just being a parent. As Meg and her mom bridge their generation gap, can these two women help with her father’s depression? When she learns that Crush—the first boy she ever liked—will also be in Indiana for the holidays, she can’t help but wonder if he’s still single or happily married with children. Will Crush turn out to be as meaningless as her ex-boyfriends of Christmas past? Will her blasts from the past leave her questioning her future?

Another dud of a holiday romance for me. It was another free Kindle book so I shouldn’t be too upset. The characters really fell flat. I didn’t like Megan at all. And we didn’t get to spend much time with any of the other characters. I spent almost 3/4 of the book wondering when the story was going to get started. Slow and uninspiring.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Christmas Lovebirds by Rachelle Ayala

Title:Christmas Lovebirds (Have a Hart #1)

Author: Rachelle Ayala

Publisher: Lovely Hearts Press 2015

Genre: Romance

Pages: 314

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook

Melisa Hart has a soft spot for her brother Connor’s ex-best buddy, Rob Reed. Unfortunately, Rob slept with Connor’s girlfriend and is no longer welcome with any of the Harts.
Melisa lends her pet lovebird for a Christmas Toy Drive, but a mix-up brings her face to face with Rob and his lovebird. Melisa is drawn into a whirlwind romance with Rob and discovers he hasn’t told her the entire story.
Can two little lovebirds and Christmas cheer open Melisa’s heart to giving Rob another chance?

Oooooffff! This book was such a dud for me. Melisa was a very annoying main character. I just wanted to smack her so many times. The romance was okay but nothing very exciting. But my biggest problem with this book was the many many many many chapters about birds and bird care. I felt like I was reading a freaking veterinary pamphlet so many times. I was so incredibly bored. Judging by this volume, I suspect that the rest of the series is similar, just switching out the animals from lovebirds. I just couldn’t find myself enjoying this book at all.

Have a Hart

#1 Christmas Lovebirds
#2 Valentine Hound Dog
#3 Spring Fling Kitty
#4 Blue Chow Christmas
#5 Valentine Wedding Hound
#6 Summer Love Puppy
#7 Dog Days of Love
#8 Valentine Puppies and Kisses

Next up on the TBR pile:

Feed by M.T. Anderson

Title: Feed

Author: M.T. Anderson

Publisher: Candlewick Press 2002

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 236

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - NPR Teen, Top 100 YA; Dancing with Fantasy and Scifi - Satire

For Titus and his friends, it started out like any ordinary trip to the moon — a chance to party during spring break. But that was before the crazy hacker caused all their feeds to malfunction, sending them to the hospital to lie around with nothing inside their heads for days. And it was before Titus met Violet, a beautiful, brainy teenage girl who has decided to fight the feed and its ever-present ability to categorize human thoughts and desires. M. T. Anderson’s not-so-brave new world is a smart, savage satire that has captivated readers with its view of an imagined future that veers unnervingly close to the here and now.

Ooofff. This one really did not land well with me. I was immediately thrown off by the large amounts of slang through in. Are we trying to do a Clockwork Orange? IF so, it’s off putting. Beyond that, I could not stand any of the characters. I just didn’t care what happened to them at all. I did enjoy the world set-up and premise of the novel. It just failed when it came to all the characters. I get Anderson’s point, but seriously, I could not deal with any of the characters. Hard pass on this one.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Title: The Alchemist

Author: Paulo Coelho

Publisher: HarperTorch 1988

Genre: Fiction

Pages: 208

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Perpetual - Fantasy Projects Popsugar - One Million GR Ratings

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

Such a pretentious novel. The reviews range from the most amazing book ever to the worst drivel. I am definitely on the drivel side. This reads less like an parable journey and more like a really bad self-help book. There are shades of Ayn Rand here that I just couldn’t get over. I could not stand this book at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

Title: The Woman in Cabin 10

Author: Ruth Ware

Publisher: Scout Press 2016

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 340

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Monthly Motif - August

In this tightly wound, enthralling story reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s works, Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for—and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong…

Argh! A complete and utter fail for me. Right from the beginning, I was very wary of Lo and her entire story. She wasn’t an interesting or likable character what so ever. And then the cruise started and I never found her more likable as a character. But my biggest problem was all the twists and turns. They were completely unbelievable and dumb. I did not like this one at all. Waste of my time.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Peacock Emporium by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Peacock Emporium

Author: Jojo Moyes

Publisher: Penguin Books 2004

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 389

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Monthly Motif - Through the Years;

In the sixties, Athene Forster was the most glamorous girl of her generation. Nicknamed the Last Deb, she was also beautiful, spoiled, and out of control. When she agreed to marry the gorgeous young heir Douglas Fairley-Hulme, her parents breathed a sigh of relief. But within two years, rumors had begun to circulate about Athene's affair with a young salesman.

Thirty-five years later, Suzanna Peacock is struggling with her notorious mother's legacy. The only place Suzanna finds comfort is in The Peacock Emporium, the beautiful coffee bar and shop she opens that soon enchants her little town. There she makes perhaps the first real friends of her life, including Alejandro, a male midwife, escaping his own ghosts in Argentina.

The specter of her mother still haunts Suzanna. But only by confronting both her family and her innermost self will she finally reckon with the past--and discover that the key to her history, and her happiness, may have been in front of her all along.

This was one big confusing bore. There were too many time periods, jumping back and forth, but also spending too much time in one period. I wasn’t super engaged in the storyline. And was super confused for the longest time about the meaning of the first chapter and then the first section. I figured it out by the end, but was utterly bored with the story. On the other side, the characters were self-absorbed and whiny. I just couldn’t find myself liking any of them at all. I thought this was a new book by Jojo Moyes, but it turns out it was published in 2004 in the UK. It’s come to the US only this year.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey

Title: Fix Her Up

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Avon 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 400

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Library Love; Literary Escapes - New York; Romance

Georgette Castle’s family runs the best home renovation business in town, but she picked balloons instead of blueprints and they haven’t taken her seriously since. Frankly, she’s over it. Georgie loves planning children’s birthday parties and making people laugh, just not at her own expense. She’s determined to fix herself up into a Woman of the World... whatever that means.

Phase one: new framework for her business (a website from this decade, perhaps?)

Phase two: a gut-reno on her wardrobe (fyi, leggings are pants.)

Phase three: updates to her exterior (do people still wax?)

Phase four: put herself on the market (and stop crushing on Travis Ford!)

Living her best life means facing the truth: Georgie hasn’t been on a date since, well, ever. Nobody’s asking the town clown out for a night of hot sex, that’s for sure. Maybe if people think she’s having a steamy love affair, they’ll acknowledge she’s not just the “little sister” who paints faces for a living. And who better to help demolish that image than the resident sports star and tabloid favorite.

Travis Ford was major league baseball’s hottest rookie when an injury ended his career. Now he’s flipping houses to keep busy and trying to forget his glory days. But he can’t even cross the street without someone recapping his greatest hits. Or making a joke about his… bat. And then there's Georgie, his best friend’s sister, who is not a kid anymore. When she proposes a wild scheme—that they pretend to date, to shock her family and help him land a new job—he agrees. What’s the harm? It’s not like it’s real. But the girl Travis used to tease is now a funny, full-of-life woman and there’s nothing fake about how much he wants her...

Ooof… This was not good. The more I sit on this book, I angrier I get at the book. I feel duped. I feel angry at the patriarchy that perpetuates dysfunctional relationships. I am confused (but not really) by the fact that this was written by a woman. I am turned off by the sex scenes (and I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of erotica). The more I thought about this book, the more stars I knocked off of my rating.

Amongst all of this crap, there were a few good items. I loved the growth of relationship between sisters Georgie and Bethany and friend Rosie. I loved the creation and growth of the Just Us League. I wanted an entire book focused on those relationships.

But instead, we get a deeply problematic romance. I’m not going to get into all the details, but let me say that I was icked out by the power dynamics, the actual sex, repeated use of “baby girl,” keeping secrets, playing games, overprotective brothers, dismissive family, and the need for a clothing makeover focused on tight and short. Checking out other reviews on GoodReads, I realize that I’m not completely alone in my disappointment and anger. Thinking that this author is going on my “do not read” list.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown

Title: The Magnolia Inn

Author: Carolyn Brown

Publisher: Montlake Romance 2019

Genre: Romance

Pages: 272

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Ebook; Literary Escapes - Texas; Romance

Inheriting the Magnolia Inn, a Victorian home nestled in the East Texas pines, is a fantasy come true for Jolene Broussard. After living with the guilt of failing to rescue her self-destructive mother, Jolene knows her aunt and uncle’s B&B is the perfect jump start for a new life and a comforting place to call home. There’s just one hitch: stubborn and moody carpenter Tucker Malone. He’s got a half interest in the Magnolia Inn, and he’s planting his dusty cowboy boots squarely in the middle of her dream.

Ever since his wife’s death, Tucker’s own guilt and demons have left him as guarded as Jolene. The last thing he expects is for his new partner to stir something inside him he thought was gone forever. And as wary as Jolene is, she may have found a kindred spirit—someone she can help, and someone she can hold on to.

Restoring the Magnolia Inn is the first step toward restoring their hearts. Will they be able to let go of the past and trust each other to do it together?

Too much God talk for me. And the characters were pretty bland and obnoxious at times. I just really didn’t like this book at all. At least this was a free Amazon Prime read for me. I think I should stay away from contemporary romance in general. It’s not my genre at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Counterfeit Betrothal / The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh

Title: A Counterfeit Betrothal (Waite #2)/ The Notorious Rake (Waite #3)

Author: Mary Balogh

Publisher: 1992

Genre: Romance

Pages: 560

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Women Authors; Alphabet Soup - B

A COUNTERFEIT BETROTHAL

Lady Sophia Bryant has no intention of marrying anytime soon. Her one desire is to reunite her parents, who have been estranged for fourteen years. Surely, if she happens to announce her betrothal—even a false one—they will be forced to see each other. Devilishly handsome Lord Francis Sutton seems perfect for such deceit, always agreeable to games of passion in which he has nothing to lose. The trap is set—if only Lady Sophia can keep her foolish heart from falling prey to her brilliant snares.

THE NOTORIOUS RAKE

Lord Edmund Waite is everything that Lady Mary Gregg despises: lewd, lascivious, mocking—the most incorrigible and successful rogue around. A bluestocking like her would never tempt a man whose taste runs to pretty playthings—so Mary is startled to find herself the object of Lord Edmund’s desires. Even more surprising is her reaction to his shocking advances. She may be a lady, but this man knows so well how to make her feel like a woman.

Wow! I did not enjoy either one of these stories. All of the relationships were way too problematic for me. I despised how the characters spoke to each other. The romances were not all that believable or interesting. Definitely not a good choice. This volume is obviously going into the to-sell pile.

Waite:

#1 The Trysting Place
#2 A Counterfeit Betrothal
#3 The Notorious Rake

Next up on the TBR pile:

A River in Darkness by Masaji Ishikawa

Title: A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape From North Korea

Author: Masaji Ishikawa

Publisher: Amazon Crossing 2018

Genre: Memoir

Pages: 172

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Monthly Motif - Governments; Modern Mrs. Darcy - Outside of My Genre Comfort Zone; Alphabet Soup - I

Half-Korean, half-Japanese, Masaji Ishikawa has spent his whole life feeling like a man without a country. This feeling only deepened when his family moved from Japan to North Korea when Ishikawa was just thirteen years old, and unwittingly became members of the lowest social caste. His father, himself a Korean national, was lured to the new Communist country by promises of abundant work, education for his children, and a higher station in society. But the reality of their new life was far from utopian.

In this memoir translated from the original Japanese, Ishikawa candidly recounts his tumultuous upbringing and the brutal thirty-six years he spent living under a crushing totalitarian regime, as well as the challenges he faced repatriating to Japan after barely escaping North Korea with his life. A River in Darkness is not only a shocking portrait of life inside the country but a testament to the dignity—and indomitable nature—of the human spirit.

Very disappointed in this book. It was our Girly Book Club selection for March. I wasn’t expecting a fun and light read, but was really not in the mood for a super dark and depressing memoir. I struggled to find much light in the book. And most of the information about conditions in North Korea I have read about through news investigations. I felt very sorry for what the author went through to strived and ultimately get out of the situation, but I didn’t couldn’t connect to any in the book. And the writing style really bugged me. I understand that this one has been translated, but I just couldn’t move beyond the simplistic writing. I compare a book like this to Elie Wiesel’s work and really found it lacking. Definitely not for me.

Next up on the TBR pile: