Books

Hey all! Happy New Year! (Half a month into the new year, whatever). Today I am linking up with Steph and Jana for the first SUYB of this decade! I want you to take note that I have TWO books from Netgalley read this month! I am really trying to clean off that shelf!

For I Have Sinned (Charley Davidson 1.5) by Darynda Jones

I am officially obsessed with this series. Dare I say I like it even better than Stephanie Plum?! Crazy, I know! For I Have Sinned is such a short read, I had it done in like 30 minutes. But man, does it pack an emotional punch!!!!

Bottom Line: If you like cozy mysteries, definitely check this out. There is a paranormal vibe to it, but done very well.

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

I loved The Kiss Quotient, and really tried to leave that one behind so I didn’t go into this one with too high expectations. I loved Khai, I really did. And I really like his brother Quan. Esme went back and forth for me as the leading lady. I liked her alright, and I really liked this story…she just fell a little flat for me. Maybe I was mad at her for keeping her secret for so dang long. Ohhhh and Khai’s mother!!! Loved her too!! I also enjoyed that we got a little bit of Michael from the first one in here.

Bottom Line: So I didn’t love this quite as much as the first, but still a really good read and I cant wait to read the third!

The Honey-Don’t List by Christina Lauren

I love Christina Lauren, so I was really excited to receive the ARC of this one. I finished it in just a few sittings, it was that good! It sort of had The Hating Game vibes a little bit. Now, I do want to say two things I took issue with while reading this book. I feel like the attraction build up fell a little flat. Like I wanted there to be more, it sort of was just sudden. Also, James does something that I don’t think I would be very ok with. I understand he mostly had good intentions, but it was sort of anti-climatic for being one of his major hurdles of the book. But the plot of an HGTV show and two assistants having to work together to keep their intolerable bosses inline was a good plot.

Bottom Line: Read it!

**I received a copy of The Honey-Don’t List from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Shrill by Lindy West

I have seen a lot of raving reviews for this book, so I thought I would check it out. I didn’t know who Lindy West was before reading the book, but she seemed like an interesting person. While I appreciate that she has a platform to speak out for the things that she stands for…and I think that is great, I just didn’t care for this book. I couldn’t really connect with her. The writing was awful and all over the place. Several chapters talked about her being overweight and all the fat shaming, and I get that. But it was to the point it was self indulgent and just seemed like complaining.

Bottom Line: I think if you are a fan of hers, you would probably like this book. The writing style just wasn’t my cup of tea. I love that she has a platform and I know lots of people can relate to her. I just felt like the book fell flat and I couldn’t really connect with it. I got bored and sort of skimmed through parts.

Brooklynaire by Sarina Bowen

This is my first from this author. I liked her writing style. I really wanted Nate and Becca to get together! I liked how witty the characters were, and I really love a good friends to lovers story. This one was done really well, and I am excited to check out the rest of the series and other books by this author. Even after this book was over, as I was reading another, I thought back to this one. That is definitely signs of a good book to me! My only complaint is that at the end, I felt like it was just a little rushed. There was so much back and forth and then boom! Over!

Bottom Line: Cute, read it!

The Dating Charade by Melissa Ferguson

So I started this book while I was in Gatliburg around Christmas, and this book took place in Gatliburg at Christmas! So I was extra excited about that! This is one of those love stories where if they were just honest with each other and communicated properly in the beginning, there probably wouldn’t be much of a story. But that is how life is, isn’t it??

This one started out really good for me, and then quickly sizzled. I will say that the books focuses a lot on the children and it has a lot of serious issues it brings up with addiction, neglect, emotional issues, fostering, adoption, infertility, etc. So this isn’t really a romcom in my eyes. It also isn’t really a romance novel either. There was hardly any page time between Jett and Cassie and zero romantic scenes.

Bottom Line: This one was just ok for me. I wanted more steam. I wanted more laughs. The author made a lot of attempts to make funny scenes, but I didn’t find them very funny. If you want a love story minus all the steam and romance, this would definitely be more your speed.

**I received a copy of The Dating Charade from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.**

Currently Reading

Parental Guidance by Avery Flynn