Cute. If you can distance yourself from the super weird premise.
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Jane is strange, no two ways about it. She apparently considers every guy she eCute. If you can distance yourself from the super weird premise.
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Jane is strange, no two ways about it. She apparently considers every guy she ever went on a date with (and one guy who just asked about her dog while they were getting mail) her ex-boyfriends. She has tumbled through life jumping the gun on emotions, creating marriage scenarios out of wishes, and treating each new man as the one in her mind. That's some real yikes! behavior right there.
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The root cause of this is her obsession with the BBC miniseries Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. And like so many women, she fell in love with Firth's Mr. Darcy. Now in her early 30s, she feels constantly let down by real-life romance and secretly longs for a Mr. Darcy of her own.
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At this point, I just had to chalk up her pathetic personality as a metaphor for all of us who love Pride And Prejudice and have found ourselves being a bit silly over Firth with the wet shirt... Why? It was such a humungous ugly shirt - he looked like he was wearing a 10-year-old girl's nightgown with some pants! And we all just lost our fucking minds. That's talent.
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Anyway. My point is that I decided to pretend that Jane wasn't icky and just roll with this story. And it turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be, especially when you consider that she goes on a vacation (paid for by an aunt) to a place where they have re-created a version of Pemberly. Some of the people there are guests, and some are actors. But everyone dresses in period clothes, speaks like they're from the 1800s, follows the social customs of that period, and plays out different romantic storylines of Austen's books. Austenland. Yes, that does sound creepy. Again, I decided to roll with it because a tiny part of me is a creep, too.
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Ok, so while she's at Austenland she tries to live out her fantasy with the hopes that when it's over, she'll be cured of her fake obsession and open to meeting someone real. So what happens? <--not telling you I will say, it's a bit far-fetched. But cute.
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There's also a chance you might need to be not only a big fan of P&P the book, but of the miniseries as well, in order to not be completely skeeved out by the heroine and the plot. And now I've got to go watch the movie they made of this book.
To me, most of the conversations sounded like two 8th grade edgelords trying to impress each other.
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And that was my first problem with the book.To me, most of the conversations sounded like two 8th grade edgelords trying to impress each other.
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And that was my first problem with the book. And that is a me problem and not a book problem. I don't really identify with these types of quirky characters. The kind who pretend to have serial killer conversations because it makes them feel spicy and not like the rest of us. Oh, you gifted someone a cut-up Barbie doll! <---scandalized! aren't you just wild and different?!
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Plus, I really had to suspend disbelief for these characters' actions to work within the plot. (view spoiler)[So Jake is dying. Supposedly. But what the hell with Jake not getting a second opinion? Like, this doctor didn't even take blood tests, just decided that since his biological father had a disease, and his patient had what...cold hands?...he must have this RARE disorder that would kill him in a few years. And Jake NEVER goes back to either that doctor or any other doctor ever? That is a pretty big fucking deal, sir. And then he finds out that his biological father is a different man than he thought, so he just counts himself cured because his aunt tells him that the cold/white hands thing runs on his dad's side of the family and it's no biggie! WHAT?! WHO DOES THAT?!
And Dolores! At first, maybe all of the silly black widow behavior makes sense in a she's-got-issues kind of way. Until you find out she's got a little girl at home that she's supposedly devoted to. Bitch, why the fuck are you wandering around on rooftops with a guy you think might be a serial killer that shoves people off of said rooftops? Or what about her trying to lose all of the money she was winning in Vegas? Yes. If it was just her future she was messing with, I can see how maybe she might see the money as some kind of Karmic thing she wants to be rid of because of her husband. But she's poor. She's struggling financially. And she has a 6 year old depending on her to put food on the table. Are you kidding me that she's determined to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars because she thinks the money will somehow be bad luck?! And how did she even get that thought in her head? Wouldn't her dead husband want her to win so she would give their little girl a better life? Absolute nonsense. The whole premise. (hide spoiler)] Basically, everything you read about these guys that seems cute or dramatic is contingent on you not knowing any of their backstory, because once you look back over all the dumbass things they say and do with all of the pertinent information, none of it makes sense.
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Ok, just so you go into this with your expectations in line, this is a feel-good love story about two oddballs. Yes, there is a serial killer in this. Yes, some people may die. Saying much else would be too much in the way of a spoiler, though. Seems to be a hit or miss premise, and your personal mileage may vary with it. Unique, but not what I thought it would be....more
So. I really didn't think this was going to be good. I am almost always unimpressed with contemporary romance or chick-lit or whatever you call these bSo. I really didn't think this was going to be good. I am almost always unimpressed with contemporary romance or chick-lit or whatever you call these books. Every few years I'll see something like this that everyone is raving about and I'll cave in and try it, only to end up side-eyeing all the 5 star reviews. I figured I'd give the audiobook 15 minutes and then I'd just DNF if it turned out to be as annoying as I assumed it would.
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But. Turns out I was enchanted long before those 15 minutes were up. It's a romance but not just a romance. It's more like a story about a girl and a boy who both have pretty serious life issues happening, meet due to financial strains that require them to share a flat, and end up realizing they enjoy each other's company. But way more sappy because it is a romance.
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But are also both really good people. Which was a nice breath of fresh air. Oh! And for once, the friends are all decent and supportive! What? I know, right? That's always been a huge problem I've had with this genre. There are terrible friends & family giving terrible advice. And everyone acts as though that's normal. Not so in Flatshare. Here you've got a nice group of friends who aren't perfect but also aren't caricatures of the worst humanity has to offer.
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Another thing I was pleasantly surprised by was the ending. You know, because there always has to be that final hurdle that the couple has to make it over in order to get to that HEA. So, yes. There was a spoilery thing that happened to create a kerfuffle. But there wasn't some silliness that should have been talked out and forgiven but gets drawn out past the point of realism (I hate that), or some sort of stupid drama at the end of the book that shouldn't but does force the lovebirds apart. Instead, due to the above-stated spoilery kerfuffle, there were what felt like true-to-life insecurities that gave the story a nice pop of tension.
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Ok, so I'm pretty sure that if I'd read anything about the plot I would never have given this a shot, so I'm going to do you all the same favor. I'll just say that this is one of the most charming things I've read all year. Oh, and the audiobook is superb if you're someone who enjoys those as much as I do. Highly Recommended....more
This was my 1st Jackie Collins. And it was everything I thought it would be and more. It was horrible. Horrible to the point that it seemed like I was This was my 1st Jackie Collins. And it was everything I thought it would be and more. It was horrible. Horrible to the point that it seemed like I was reading a parody. Except parodies are usually funny and this one just made me kinda sick.
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The characters in this thing. Everyone was this Carrington Dynasty level of faux glamorous that I thought went out in the 80s. The dialogue was...I have no words for what I endured. Well, one word springs to mind. Torture. You don't need thumbscrews or bamboo under the fingernails. You could just play this audiobook and break someone's mind. There's a Madonna/Cheresque character who unironically refers to herself in the 3rd person. YOU READ THAT CORRECTLY.
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You know what? No. Just...no. I don't want to talk about this anymore with anyone but my therapist. However. This isn't my kind of book. And it wasn't something that I ever would have willingly picked out on my own, so take my opinions with a grain of salt if this genre is your jam.
Just kidding. If I had the option to give this less than one star, I would!
Buddy read with Alexander of the Peterhans. I will never forgive you for this....more
Imagine if you woke up and your entire life had changed. Seemingly for the better. Your teeth are straight and white, your body is toned, your frizzy hImagine if you woke up and your entire life had changed. Seemingly for the better. Your teeth are straight and white, your body is toned, your frizzy hair is smooth, your career has taken off, and you're married to a complete hottie - who happens to be a successful millionaire.
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You're also estranged from your girlfriends, your little sister hates you, all the food you eat is devoid of carbs, and you might be an adulteress.
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The skinny version is that Lexi wakes up in the hospital after a car accident, only to realize that her memories from the last few years have disappeared into the ether. The last thing she remembers is drinking with her friends and co-workers at a club, secretly hating her life, and vaguely dreading going to her absentee father's funeral the next day. So when she wakes up to find that everything she wanted to change about herself has magically changed (to her) overnight, she feels like she's won some sort of cosmic lottery.
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But. Once she starts chipping off the shiny new paint job she starts to notice some rust spots that lead her to believe not everything is as perfect as it seems.
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So what happened? There's not only the question of how she changed but ultimately why she changed, and she's going to need to find the answers if she wants to figure out how to truly live happily ever after. cue dramatic music
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I did have a few issues with the story that kept it from being a 4 star book, but those things are spoilers. So. (view spoiler)[First, it wasn't funny. It was cute, but not once did I laugh - neither out loud or in my head. If this was a rom-com, it would be missing the com. Not even having the usually hilarious Rosalyn Landor as the narrator could do anything to dial up the chuckles. Sometimes I wonder if people mistake fun for funny when it comes to this genre?
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Second, she was a cheater. Now, I'm not one that finds that sort of thing totally unforgivable, but there was no reason she couldn't have or shouldn't have left her husband. She didn't love him and she wasn't tied to him in a way that would have made a good excuse for a long-term affair to take place.
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Third, her friends were (like all chick-lit that I've read) dicks. She was a mean boss? She was THE BOSS and there's no excuse for her friends to not support her as she made her way up the corporate ladder. And what was the end result for their assholery? Well, their entire department was going to lose the jobs because they weren't productive enough. And Lexi was trying to save their fucking jobs by holding their feet to the fire and trying to get them to stop dicking around. No, she didn't need to be an awful person to get the job done, but they were just as culpable for not realizing that most companies expect to make money off of their employees.
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Fourth, and this is yet another reason I usually avoid chick-lit, her family issues aren't addressed in any real way. Lexi's mother was awful and Lexi never called her out on it. It would not have been out of line for her to grab her mother by the shoulders and shake the shit out of her. Hey, you dotty old bitch, stop pandering to your dogs and pay attention to your daughter. You know, the one who runs scams on the street and steals shit because she needs new clothes and makeup? Normally, I'm not one to stick up for a klepto teenager, but when your mother sticks her head in the sand about her finances to the point that she can't turn on the heat in the winter and her oldest daughter is making her house payments, and then has the nerve to keep a horde of dogs that she treats like children? Yeah. That kid gets a pass.
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At the end of the book, she gets a haircut and a new wardrobe, which is supposed to represent a bit of change. But she never apologizes for lying to Lexi about what happened at her father's funeral, and she's never really made to fully face up to reality. Arf. (hide spoiler)] The non-spoilery version of my complaints is that it wasn't (despite what I was led to believe) funny, the friendships were ass, her family issues are never properly resolved, and she did some iffy shit in the name of romance.
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Even so, this was one of the better books that I've read in this genre when it comes to having an interesting plot. HOWEVER. This is my FIRST Sophia Kinsella book. From the other reviews I've read, if you've read one, you've read them all. And after having gone through every one of Julia Quinn's formulaic Bridgerton romance novels?
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With that in mind, I will probably revisit this author when I'm really desperate for chick-lit...a few years from now....more
Oh, wow. I see a lot of people didn't care for this one. I really liked it, although looking at some of the other reviews, I think your mileage may varOh, wow. I see a lot of people didn't care for this one. I really liked it, although looking at some of the other reviews, I think your mileage may vary. It reminded me of a mashup of one of those goofy HGTV 'couples shows' that I've never watched but am sort of aware of out of the side of my eye, and that Netflix Rom-com about the two assistants that hate their bosses and end up falling for each other. I had to go look and it's called Set It Up. Very cute little movie if you haven't seen it yet.
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Ok. So, the gist is that you have this talented power couple, Melissa & Rusty Tripp. They're part of a hit design show, preparing for their own solo show to drop on Netflix, and heading out on a bus tour to promote their new book on marriage. He's a laid back goofy guy and she's the adorable glue that keeps their world turning. They are just PERFECT.
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Except they aren't. <--any of that! He's drunk 99% of the time and fucking a co-star, and she's an uptight monster that rules her domain with tiny iron claws.
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Now, I don't know about you, but every time I see one of these happy couples from reality tv plastered all over magazines, usually with some caption squeaking about how Karen McPerfect is going to share the secrets of how she and Chad McPerfect have kept the passion alive in their marriage? Ahahhahaha! Yeah. No. Not for one second do I believe that those people are happy. Or at least that they are any happier than the rest of us are in our relationships. PLUS, I always assume that it must suck donkey balls to have to smile and pretend that your other half doesn't wear your nerves with their nonsense? *shudder* If the ability to eat and pay our mortgage depended on continually propping up the image that my husband & I were always madly in love with each other? We'd be two hobos fighting over a can of beans right now.
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Enter the assistants, Carey & James, who after walking in on Rusty banging a former Miss America in the sound room, have been relegated to babysitting the increasingly volatile couple while on the book tour circuit. Carey has been with the Tripps since she was a teenager and has a lot of complicated history with the couple. She does far more for Melissa than just get her dry cleaning and keep her schedule straight, but to the outside world, she's just a high school dropout that was lucky to hook up with the Tripps when she did. James, on the other hand, has only been Rusty's assistant for a few months. He's an engineer (which was the job he actually applied for) coming from a disgraced company and needs this gig to help him get the stink off of his resume. Normally Rusty and Melissa avoid each other, so James & Carey aren't around each other much. However, this new turn of events pushes them into close quarters for the duration of the tour, and while they are completely different on the surface, they grudgingly come to not only respect but truly like each other. More than like, in fact.<--because this is a romance, goddammit! *wink, wink, nudge, nudge*
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So how does it all end?
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Or something like that...
Anyway. It thought it was a cute story. Christian Lauren is somewhat hit or miss with me when it comes to these chick-litish romances, but this time around it was a win....more
I thought the actual story was cute. There were problems with it but nothing when compared with the terrible readinRead it. Don't listen to it.
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I thought the actual story was cute. There were problems with it but nothing when compared with the terrible reading of this book. And the weird thing is that the narrator has a beautiful voice. When she spoke for the characters each voice was distinct and lovely. Literally everything you could hope for in a voice actor!
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EXCEPT. When she would read the regular narration parts of the story. And then she suddenly turned into William Shatner!
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There were odd pauses in the middle of sentences as though each comma was a full-stop period. The last words in those sentences had weird breaks in them, too. I don't even know if I can explain it right... Ok. Just as an example (not an actual quote!) instead of saying, "She left the room, went outside, and put on a sweater.", she would say, "She left the room (stop) went outside (stop) and put on a swea-ter." Would that not drive you nuts? It drove me nuts. And every sentence (<--no, I am NOT exaggerating) ended in this breathy DUN! DUN! DUNNNN! Like it was some big reveal that just happened, instead of the character just excusing themself to go to the bathroom. By the end of the 1st chapter, if I had had another book available, I would have deleted this thing from my phone.
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But I didn't. And by the time I got home I was kind of invested in the story, so I just gritted my teeth and tried to let it go.
Alright. The story? It was interesting. I loved the telenovela stuff. I mean, those wacky soaps are soooo over the top good. I remember when I was younger, I used to get sucked into them as I scrolled through channels even though I didn't speak a lick of Spanish. How could I not?!
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The gist is that the two main actors on an Americanized telenovela fall in love for real while filming for a Netflixish streaming service. They've got insecurities, baggage, and one of them even has a secret love child. But while the backdrop is cool and the bones of the plot is juicy, the characters themselves aren't anything to write home about. Jasmine is...nice. She falls in love with every guy who pays attention to her and just wants someone to love. I was not all that impressed with her. Ashton, in a ridiculous effort to keep his family safe, is secretive and closed off. He dreams of being a huge Hollywood star, but he somehow forgot that you don't get to duck interviews and have a completely private life when you're a celebrity. Can anyone be that stupid? So. I wasn't all that impressed with him, either. Now, having said that, I certainly didn't hate them. I was rooting for them to get their happily ever after. Just...sooner rather than later because I couldn't take much more of that narrator.
I grabbed this audiobook simply because I needed something to listen to and it was available at the time from my library. I'd read Lauren's Roomies anI grabbed this audiobook simply because I needed something to listen to and it was available at the time from my library. I'd read Lauren's Roomies and didn't love it but also didn't hate it. But while that one was good enough for a time suck, this was actually good!
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The two fake lovebirds absolutely hate each other, but because of her food allergy and his inability to stomach buffet food, they both manage to avoid a horrible case of food poisoning from their siblings' wedding. <--this leads to them taking the spots on the non-refundable honeymoon. And because of rom-com rules, these two enemies-in-law have to pretend to be madly in love while in public to keep the all-inclusive cushy seaside resort vacation that the bride won in a contest. Of course, things go very wrong.
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Then they get worse...
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And then they go kind of right.
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And then it all goes to shit. Again. Because that's the nature of romantic stories - stop complaining and just go with it. If you're looking for a cute contemporary romance, you could do a lot worse than this one. Recommended.
Cynthia Farrell - Narrator Deacon Lee - Narrator <--he only shows up for the epilogue, so don't think you're getting a book with a double narrator....more
Bespoke. Everything is bespoke in this book. And to think, I had no idea how boujee I was when I took my kids to Build A Bear at the mall. Apparently,Bespoke. Everything is bespoke in this book. And to think, I had no idea how boujee I was when I took my kids to Build A Bear at the mall. Apparently, they own severalbespoke stuffed animals, and I should have been bragging about that shit on the playground.
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Ok, there is still a stupid amount of words about what everyone is wearing in Rich People Problems. At one point I wondered if Mr. Kwan was selling advertising space in his book. Kind of like how tv shows and movies have someone casually drinking a Coke, driving a Mustang, or eating Count Chocula in a breakfast scene. Only you can't casually advertise something in a book because it isn't visual. So WORDS must be used. So. Many. Unnecessary. Words.
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Everyone who comes on to the page is still introduced with a rundown from head to toe of what they are wearing. Here's what it felt like: Astrid entered the room, her glossy dark hair in a loose chignon held in place with a vintage pin that once belonged to Katharine Hepburn. She was wearing a {insert designer I've never heard of here} blouse paired with a simple pair of black pants by {insert designer I've never heard of here}. Her {insert brand I've never heard of here} shoes had a thread of gold artfully woven into the heel to give off just the right amount of understated elegance. The entire outfit was finished off by a pair of pearl earrings that looked inexpensive to the untrained eye, but in all actuality were worth 10 million dollars because they were shit out together as twins by the rarest oyster in the existence of the world. This oyster was then eaten in 635 AD by Tang Taizong the then Emperor of China -who was known not only for creating a golden age in China, but also for his extravagant and luxurious fashions! Astrid looked up and saw Charlie who was wearing a bespoke suit from {insert designer I've never heard of here} and...
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To me? All of that nonsense could have been whittled down to this: Astrid walked in and saw Charlie. Then again, I'm not a bestselling author, so what do I know? Alright. Rich People Problemsdid seem (to me) a lot more toned down when it came to all the stupid descriptions of who was wearing what and who designed it than China Rich Girlfriend, so that's a plus. And the story moved at a decent pace this time around. More like the 1st book did. You can kind of forgive the silliness if there's some actual plot happening, you know? And as much as I appreciated that, I was sort of confused when this thing kind of turned into some kind of half-baked Spy Kids mystery. Suddenly, in this 3rd book, the asshole grandma turns out to have had a past, and Nick has to follow these Di Vinci Code clues all over the world to track down this secret that will save Tyersall Park from being sold off and chopped into a luxury community for rich Christians. WHAT?! It was weird. And it seemed to be trying very hard to make grandma suddenly seem sympathetic. <--I genuinely like it when books do that. But the sort of past that Su Yi had? (view spoiler)[Turns out, she was this very brave woman who used her influence to smuggle people out of the country when Japan had invaded, saved tons of lives, stood up to evil Japanese generals, fell in love with a man that her father didn't approve of, continued her affair with him even after both of them were married (arranged marriages), and got pregnant with this other man's child. Then ended up having to beg her husband's forgiveness - at which point, he forgave her and they fell in love. All of that? All of that meant that there's no way she would have let Nick's marriage to Rachel drive a wedge between them like it did. She might have been pissed at first, but a brazen woman like that would have gotten over it quickly. And why the fuck was she so awful to her own daughter-in-law, Eleanor? Even that horrible gift of soap (because she thought she was a dirty whore) left to Eleanor in her will seemed ridiculous in light of all of that new information. I mean, if anyone was a dirty whore, Su Yi...? (hide spoiler)] That entire storyline jumped the shark to me.
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The whole book was pretty much like that, though. Astrid and Charlie's story went off the proverbial rails, with each of their respective exes turning into somewhat cliche versions of a villainous mustache-twirling ex-husband and a (legit) crazy ex-wife. And, naturally, everything culminates in a very soap opera-ish ending.
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Which, now that I think about it, was the theme for this entire series. It was a Singapore soap opera. Wealthy characters do wealthy people things with other wealthy people. But wait, there's more... Because they aren't smelly peasants like the rest of us, who have to get up and go to work tomorrow so they don't starve, these guys have the time and money on their hands to go to crazy lengths to get whatever it is they want and keep their status. They poison each other - and get some minion to take the blame! They wreck their cars and kill people - then have it swept under the rug! They post damning sex videos online - then drop into a coma! They sue each other for billions of dollars - and FULL CUSTODY of the child! They even eat like evil soap opera stars.
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If that's your jam, you are going to love this book. And I know that chick-lit is always a bit over the top, but this was OVER THE TOP, if you know what I mean? I was (originally) in this for Nick and Rachael, but they are actually the two dullest characters in the whole thing. Astrid & Charlie have a better love story, and Kitty is just more interesting in general than any of the others. In other words, there's someone for every reader to identify with and root for in the books. This means there are a lot of characters and a lot of individual storylines, and I truly believe Kwan tried his best to wrap them all up in a satisfactory way for his fans. And yeah, they're wacky and probably not for everyone, but I don't really regret listening to the audiobooks. Just go into it knowing what you're getting yourself into and you should be fine.
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group Edition: Unabridged Lydia Look - Narrator...more
China Rich Girlfriend should have been 100 pages long.
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No lie, this is basically a short story that has almost 300 pages of filler. NONSENSE FILChina Rich Girlfriend should have been 100 pages long.
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No lie, this is basically a short story that has almost 300 pages of filler. NONSENSE FILLER. For example, no one can enter a room without Kwan describing in agonizing detail everything about what they are wearing. And not just a normal description of their clothes, oh no. The color and texture of the fabric, where the fabric was bought by the designer, where the designer grew up, and what the designer's nana fed them for breakfast when they were 3! And speaking of what they ate? Ohmyfuckinggod. With as much and as often as they ate? In real life, these characters would be unable to leave their homes without the help of firefighters and a crane. Every day, all day long, it seems as though they are stuffing their faces with the most delicious{insert random food here} before jetting off on a plane to shovel MORE food into their mouths. Hand on a Bible, I gained 5 lbs just listening to what they ate! Possibly the only other times I've read more about cuisine was when I opened a mother. fucking. cookbook.
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Now, there were several interesting stories happening among the characters - really! Although, I found the (view spoiler)[ poisoning (hide spoiler)] thing at the end to be unbelievably ridiculous and completely out of the blue. But the problem is that you have to wade through an assload of bullshit to get to any of the actual plots. It's as though Robin Leach decided to write a book.
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Come on, I can't be the only one who remembers that pompous show, can I? It was complete grandma porn. A closet that rotates & a gold plated toilet?! And every blue-haired lady across the nation with a television would cream their pants. Ugh.
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I'm genuinely interested in seeing how it all pans out in the third installment, but if I weren't using an audiobook, I would have DNF'd this thing just due to how incredibly tedious it was to slog through. I can't imagine what it would be like to have to scan this nonsense with my eyeballs, because it's hard enough to listen to the narrator drone on and on and on and on with all the footnotes about different places to eat, who's ancestor bought what property, the value of rare gemstones & art, and what famous seamstress sewed crystalized caviar onto a vintage 1920's dress. I'm not a strong person and Kwan almost broke me this time around. I am going to finish this trilogy out, though.
Recommended if you like to read about art, cars, watches, jewelry, real estate, couture, banking, purses, tea, hotels, and of course, food. ...more
This was a great book but I'm so glad I listened to it rather than read it because it was full up with excruciating details about Ah...family.
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This was a great book but I'm so glad I listened to it rather than read it because it was full up with excruciating details about everything. Eve-ry-thing. And I get that this is somewhat of a travelogue of all the different, wonderful, sometimes hidden, things in Asian cities, food, & culture. And I honestly enjoyed 80% of all the details. But that last 20%? Yeesh. Sometimes when the author was describing the color/texture/embroidery of some couture clothing or the umpteenth different kind of noodle, I mentally zoned out. Then again, that's just me and I'm like that with all books that meander around the action and give lots of details.
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Alright, the story picks up a few years after Rachel and Nicholas have already met & fallen in love. So, you get the backstory of their meet-cute, but this isn't really a googly-eyed romance book. Which means, I never really got an I'm so in love with you vibe off of these two. They loved each other - the book said so - but there were no butterflies or any sense of urgency to their love. I guess the problem was that I didn't really know them as a couple. I just knew them as two people who were in a relationship and embarking on a trip to see this guy's family and attend his BFF's wedding. Does anything I'm saying make sense?
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Alright. The point I'm trying to make is that even though this book wasn't making my heart go pitty-pat and I was kind of overwhelmed with extraneous details, I still really enjoyed it. I mean, it was a fantastic story and all of the different people in it felt real and fully fleshed out. My emotions were all over the place as I was all upset with Eleanor for meddling, sympathetic toward Rachel for all the bullying, embarrassed for Nick, furious with Nicholas' grandmother for her attitude, shocked for Rachel's mother, all the while wanting to strangle Astrid's husband. There were so many characters to keep track of, and care about...and hate! It was fabulous!
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As soon as I finished this one, I requested the next book in the series from my library. Highly recommended....more
I'm not really 100% into Chick-Lit, but this is one of those books that I've seen pop up over and over again on all the Best Of lists over the years, I'm not really 100% into Chick-Lit, but this is one of those books that I've seen pop up over and over again on all the Best Of lists over the years, and I've grown quite curious.
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No, seriously. True story.
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Anyway. I've been on the hunt for really funny fluff this past month and finally decided to pull the trigger on my first Sophia Kinsella book. Supposedly, this was a HI-LARIOUS rom-com, and I was in the market for exactly that. However. Sometimes what makes me smile doesn't match up with everyone else in the room...
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So was it funny? Yes. No. Kinda?
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I mean, it wasn't the sort of humor that had me doubled over, gasping for breath, but there were cute moments. It was the kind of jokey stuff that would have done well with a laugh track or something. <--if that makes sense?
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BUT. Even though this wasn't exactly what I was initially looking for, I still had a reallyreallyreally good time reading it! It was just a super cute romance-y little story about a young woman in the middle of getting serious about her career path, finding a man she loves, and simultaneously growing a set of balls.
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I've noticed that I never really find the resolutions to the assy family and/or assy friend drama in Chick-lit to me sufficiently, um...resolved, I guess? And this one was no different. The ending felt sort of rushed as everything gets kinda built up to this crazy-dramatic showdown, then everyone whistle-farts away into a Happily Ever After. <--I've come to expect that, it's not even a deal breaker anymore.
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There was quite a bit of the ridiculous in this as far as nonsensical plot stuff goes, but I don't read this genre to get a glimpse of realism. So, a lot of the nuttier aspects of the story, (view spoiler)[like the way her co-workers figured out he was talking about her on television (hide spoiler)], get a pass from me. If you're looking for something fluffy to get you through the week, I would say Can You Keep a Secret? is a great choice....more
Cute story, but I'm still not sold on Jennifer Cruise. I've read this one and Welcome to Temptation, which are supposed to be her top two books and my Cute story, but I'm still not sold on Jennifer Cruise. I've read this one and Welcome to Temptation, which are supposed to be her top two books and my feelings for both are overwhelmingly...ok. I know she's supposed to be one of the queens of Chick-lit, so this leads me to believe that Chick-lit will never be my jam. Which is fine.
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Ok. Min is chubby. And Min is always gonna be chubby. She doesn't magically lose the weight then find her prince charming. And prince charming (Cal) isn't one of those guys who already knows he likes the curvy ladies. It isn't until he talks to her that he realizes he finds her interesting and sexy. The problem is, he's taking a break from women. <--because they are nothing but grief! But Min is different. And she's worked her way under his skin...
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The back and forth between these two was really cute and sweet. And I enjoyed the fact that she wasn't thin. One thing I thought was maybe a little odd were all the food references. I didn't find the find the scene where he tied her up and fed her donuts all that sexy, to be honest. But...to each their own. Also, how many times can you eat chicken Marsala before you get thoroughly sick of it? Yikes! Branch out and try something new, girl! Anyway. I blew through it in a couple of days and don't regret it one bit. Chick-lit may not rock my world, but I certainly don't feel like it's a waste of my time....more
Normally I hate chick-lity romance, but this is one of those fantastic exceptions that makes me want to reconsider my usual reluctance to read this geNormally I hate chick-lity romance, but this is one of those fantastic exceptions that makes me want to reconsider my usual reluctance to read this genre. In fact, I loved it so much I started to wonder:
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Apparently, I'm really late to The Hating Game party. Did my friends just not tell me about this one, or did this come out while I was undergoing all that laser hair removal? Dark times, dark times... At any rate, I ran across this in my ongoing quest to find funny romances that make my heart go pitty-pat. And nothing, nothing, makes my heart pitty-pat as hard as a couple who start out with a mutual disgust for each other.
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Well, these two definitely had the loathing thing down pat. It. Was. Hysterical. The lengths that they went to just to make sure that they managed to get under the other's skin and crawl around on a daily basis? Perfection! By the end, there was no real reason for it other than stubborn pride, but did they let that stop them? No. No, they did not.
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But the thing that made this one special (to me) was that the story and the characters felt complete. They had families, hobbies, and issues that were separate from this thing that was growing between them. And this may sound odd, but my favorite thing about this book was the fact that Joshua was obsessive about diet and exercise. He was ripped because *gasp* he worked really hard at it on a daily basis. So many books/movies make it seem like the guy just has magical washboard abs that ripple in the sunlight, while he chows down on a fatty steak and washes it down with a milkshake. Bullshit. Men don't wake up looking sexy, they've gotta work at it as much as we ladies do. *cough* Maybe more...?
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Anyway, I'm not sure what to say about this that hasn't already been said. If you're looking for a fantastic romance novel that will keep you smiling throughout, this is the book for you.
Audiobook re-read 2021 Eh. Ok, so this is the second time I've been disappointed by a contemporary romance audiobook that I loved when I read it. The book was read by Katie Schorr and it's not that she did a bad job, it's just that I liked the voice in my head better. This time around I will admit that the she doesn't realize he loves her stuff at the end seemed far more annoying. It was obvious that he cared about her and there was absolutely no reason for her to freak out. Like...none. And while I realize there needs to be some sort of will-they-won't-they tension, I would appreciate it if the author put a little more thought into it than she did this time around. This was still a really fun enemies-to-lovers story that I would recommend to any fan of contemporary romance....more
Ok, admittedly, I haven't read many of Evanovich's books, but I'd heard that she was funny. This wasn't funny. Like, not even a little bit!
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ThiOk, admittedly, I haven't read many of Evanovich's books, but I'd heard that she was funny. This wasn't funny. Like, not even a little bit!
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This was a total cornball mystery/romance that relied on hokey shit to keep the plot (loosely using that word) going. Every single dried up, goofy, overused trope was effectively rolled up into one dumbass story. They even threw in a 3 legged dog to show that Matt was a good guy. Oh my! If he rescued a hound that was missing a limb, he must be a GOOD GUY! Right? Riiiiight?!
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Ok, so Kate (recently divorced & jobless) moves into her family's summer home in {generic tourist town} and tries to start over. The family home is called The Nutshell. Get it? Love in a Nutshell!
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Not only is Kate unemployed and unlucky in love, her ex-husband got custody of her beloved poodle in the divorce settlement. Because the amputee hound just wasn't enough dog for this book. And the poodle thing is pounded into the story over and over and over again. Boo-hoo! I miss Stella! Wah! I miss my dog! Just...enough already! It's a dog. Seriously! And, yes, I get that dogs are people too. *rolls eyes* But once we finally get to meet Stella, I couldn't reconcile why the fuck Kate wasn't absolutely thrilled to get rid of her. There was quite literally nothing even remotely lovable about the damn dog. She was just a giant pain in the ass that growled and...growled more.
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The love part of this felt like it was some weird PG teen movie shit. If there was a ridiculous reason for them to almost kiss...but NOT!...it was stuffed into the story. Over and over and over and over these two did their little will-they-won't-they dance. At one point, she was even living at his house (b/c DANGER!), and they didn't even get it on. Even though, by that point, they had both admitted to reallyreallyreally liking each other. But the Growling Poodle stopped them. Because it's not like you could have tossed her in the bathroom and shut the door or anything. If a dog growls...sexytimes are OVER!
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By the halfway point I had given up on liking the romance, so I decided to focus my energy on liking the mystery. But the 'mystery' was so ridiculous that I had a hard time keeping my eyeballs from rolling out of my head. Someone is sabotaging Matt's brewery! Which is why he hires Kate. You know, in the hopes that this new girl will hear or see something that will point to the culprit. No. Really. I'm serious. It starts out as small stuff, but quickly escalates! OhMyGod! How will they ever figure out who is setting fire to his dumpster, or leaving the cooler doors open?! It's impossible! Not even Columbo could solve this mystery! Unless... Maybe, just maybe, Matt could install a camera system in his brewery? Because that would have solved the problem within the first 5 pages. Just sayin'.
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And I know what you're thinking. Well, maybe he can't afford a camera system, Anne? He's going to pay Kate $20,000 to find the saboteur. $20,000! He can afford a few cameras.
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Bottom line, I thought this is the opposite of well-thought out, funny, and romantic. I listened to the audiobook, and the woman who read the story did a good job, though. So...there's that....more
Did you like Tangled? Well, if you thought Drew's voice was hilarious, and can't wait to read more from him about his relationship with Kate? Go somewhDid you like Tangled? Well, if you thought Drew's voice was hilarious, and can't wait to read more from him about his relationship with Kate? Go somewhere else. Yeah, this whole book (other than a little epilogue thingy) is told from Kate's point of view. And while I love Kate, she's just not as funny. So, no, this book does not have the same kind vibe as Tangled. I'm not saying that to keep you from reading Twisted, I just want to warn you to get your expectations in check. It's still a good romance, it's just different.
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It's a fairly compact story that starts a few years after the first book left Drew & Kate with their HEA. I liked it, but there were a few issues I had with some parts of the plot. Ugh. This one is difficult to review with giving spoilers, but (basically) after a huge misunderstanding, Drew screws up. BIG TIME. The entire thing was such a fairly obvious mix-up, and you'll kind of roll your eyes at the ridiculous 'snowball into nonsense' that ends their relationship. Honestly, if either of them had attempted to talk about what was happening, the story would've been over in 50 pages.
Him: You mean I didn't see what I thought I saw?! Her: No, it was something else entirely Him: So you love me? Her: Yes! And as an added bonus...
It's annoying when there's an easy answer just staring a couple in the face, but they're collectively too idiotic to open a line of communication. But I get it, there has to be something to shake things up, and in this case it was the old Jumping To Conclusions problem. Still. I'd like it to be a little less contrived.
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But. The pace of the book bumped along nicely, and it didn't drag out the inevitable facepalm that Drew had coming to him...for too long. And Chase seems to be the kind of author who can get away with plot holes, because her writing is so friggin' bouncy and fun! Damn you, Emma Chase! *shakes fist* I mean, even with all my eye-rolling, I reallyreallyreally enjoyed reading this. Unbelievable! Part of the reason I liked it so much, I think, was because Kate's friends and her mother played such a large role in the story. I loved that her ex (from the last book) really redeemed himself, and helped her out so unselfishly. Her mom was awesome, and it was nice to get to know her in this story. It's so nice to see family & friends portrayed as a group that has your back! You know, instead of the usually passive/aggressive relationships I normally find myself reading about in chick-lit.
There was one thing at the end that for some reason really grated on my nerves. In fact, it annoyed me so much that I felt like I couldn't end this review without ranting about it! But don't click the spoiler tag unless you've already read the book or seriously don't care about spoilers, alright? (view spoiler)[ What the fuck was up with Drew's little comment in the hospital about how Kate was the kind of gal who would give him blow jobs and hand jobs until she 'healed up' down there! FUCK YOU! Ok, sure, he said he would reciprocate as soon as she was 'cleared by her doctor', but I don't care. No. She just had a baby a few hours ago! And there are stitches keeping her twat and her asshole two separate holes right now! So, no. She will not feel like sucking your dick for a while. Add on to that the crying, diaper changing, and feeding that a newborn requires, and I'd suggest he keep his dick hidden away from her for a while. Now, I'm sure there are women who wanted to 'please their man' in the delivery room, but I sure as shit wasn't one of them. And the whole insinuation that I'm somehow frigid because of that, pissed me off. Get real!
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Also, who the fuck pops a boner watching their baby mamma breastfeed?! It's not sexual! There's a kid attached to the tit! *shudder* Do you get hot watching her drop a deuce, just because you like anal? Or maybe it's sexy when she pulls a tampon out?
Whew! Ok. So, yes, this was a fun romance, but don't expect the same thing as before. It's not as good as the first book, and the humor (while there) just isn't as funny. I'd still recommend it, though!
Surprisingly good book, especially considering I don't normally tend to like Chick-Lit! In fact, all of the problems I normally have with this genre...aren't there. There's no obnoxious friend that I want the heroine to kick to the curb. But normally the MC just listens to their horrible advice and smiles... There's no awful passive-aggressive family that needs to be put in their place. But normally the MC just coasts through the story oblivious... Miss Spelled features a likable heroine, an awesome I'll-Help-You-Hide-The-Body best friend, and a family who (although not perfect) are supportive and loving.
Bonus? It's funny! And not in that stupid 'Tee-Hee! Let's get drunk and talk about vibrators!' kind of way. This one actually made me laugh out loud (or as the kids say...LOL) a few times.
The best part was that I was totally wrong about how the story would play out. Read the blurb, and then tell me if this isn't what you would assume is going to happen: Aidan isn't really Mr. Perfect, and Lou finds out that maybe Hunter is the man she was supposed to end up with. At the end, Lou finds a way to reverse the spell and win Aidan back...only to realize that what she REALLY wants isn't so clear-cut. 'Cause that's The Formula that I've come to count on when I read these books. I'm not going to even hint around at what actually happens in this one, because half of the reason I liked this so much was due to the way it unfolded. But. The premise (while maybe not terribly original) is this: What if you went back and erased your biggest mistake? In Lou's case, it's the relationship she had with a philandering asshole, who turns out to be her fiancee's worst enemy. She tries to convince Hunter not to reveal their past relationship, but the visit turns into a debacle that could ruin her relationship with Aidan. Desperate, and low on options, she follows the advice of her best friend and buys a magic spell off of the internet. The spell is supposed to erase her from Hunter's mind, but by not following the instructions that came with the spell, she ends up doing more than that.
Alright. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's thought that things would be better if only I hadn't done that One Thing. And, of course, if I had a time machine, I could change it! Except. When I really think about it, if I hadn't done A, I wouldn't have ended up at the corner of B, which led to C Street. When I tried to cross C street, I got hit by a semi. That sorta sucked, and I had to go to D for extensive rehab on my legs. I stayed at D until I could walk again, and when I could, I found a job at E. The job at E was almost as bad as the rehab, but I met a nice guy named F there. He was blown away by my sheer awesomeness, and 13 years later... F, G, H, J, K, and I are quite happy together. Ok, you see my point. It's not just the things you did right, that led you to the things you couldn't live without. And that's what Lou finds out, too.
It's a fun, funny, light-hearted romance...with just a hint of magic. Ladies and gentlemen, Anne has found a Chick-Lit WINNER!
I received a digital arc from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Grabbed this when it was free on Amazon the other day, because it looked cute.
Sort of a Bridget Jones-like vibe to it. If you enjoyed that then you'llGrabbed this when it was free on Amazon the other day, because it looked cute.
Sort of a Bridget Jones-like vibe to it. If you enjoyed that then you'll probably like this one. It's not a copycat story or anything, but it has the same sort of feel. Sophie is in her early 30's, British, feels she's a few pounds overweight, and has a piss-poor lovelife. Although, it's hard to feel sorry for her since it's her own fault. Not the part about being British. Poor thing can't help where she was born after all... Kidding! Her boyfriend dumps her in the opening pages, and she spends great gobs of time trying to win him back. Even though she knows he's a useless dick. He rekindles his interest in her when she informs him that she's going to inherit a house and some money. And she knows that's why he's sniffing around again. But she thinks she can prove to him that she's awesome or something? I didn't get it. I honestly can't fathom being that desperate. I'd rather be alone than with a douchebag who comments on my weight, and continually 'forgets' his wallet. But..whatever. I guess there are women out there somewhere who can relate? I just... Ugh.
Her two roommates/BFFs are also massive tools. If I had to live with bitches that annoying, I'd probably be in jail. I kept waiting for the moment when Sophie would realize that these chicks were soul-sucking harpies, but it never happened. So again, I couldn't relate. They were obnoxious, and I would have kicked them to the curb a long time ago.
Her mother was the most obvious twat in the bunch, but at least there was some amount of retribution for that toward the end. Not enough, but some.
The love story thing between Sophie and Nick was...pretty bland. Why did they like each other anyway? Boring relationships is one of the reasons I don't normally gravitate toward chick-lit. But if you're a fan of this genre, you'll probably have no problem with the way it all plays out.
I did giggle quite a bit while I was reading, so this wasn't a waste of my time. It had a cute plot, witty dialogue, and funny situations. Not bad considering this isn't what I normally go for.
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