book review

Well, book day sure did come around quick this month! Linking up with Steph and Jana for Show Us Your Books!

My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella

This was such a cute story, sort of a finding yourself book. Would be great for a twenty something who is making their way in the world. Or you know, a thirty something who still doesn’t know what she wants to be when she grows up and can relate to the shitty commute and politics game at work. I found myself LOL’ing a few times and I could really relate to Katie. I just loved how the theme in the book seemed to be that life isn’t always as it seems or is portrayed on Instagram. The characters were just wonderful and I really enjoyed it!

Bottom Line: Cute read! Just do it!

Rating: 5/5

Turbo Twenty Three by Janet Evanovich (Stephanie Plum Series)

You all know my love for Stephanie Plum! It seems like nothing changes in Plum land. She is still juggling Morelli and Ranger, Lula is still hilarious and these idiot criminals keep doing ridiculous things. Sometimes I wonder how many more of these there could really be. Yet, I never tire of reading them! I do wish that she would finally start to chose between Joe and Ranger though, you know? At least have a direction somewhere.

Bottom Line: If you are a fan of the series, this gives you a good dose of Stephanie, Lula, Ranger and Morelli!

Rating: 4/5

Falling by Jane Green

I do love a good Jane Green novel! You know you can count on her for a solid beach read, and this one is even set in a cute little beach town. You have Emma, a former Banker from the big city, move to a quiet little town and get close with her landlord/neighbor Dominic. I liked the whole aspect of Emma trying to figure out who she is outside the banking/corporate world and turning a new leaf. She starts her own interior design company and I really liked that aspect of the book. Having Dominic’s son and his on and off feelings with Emma kept the book interesting, but there is just something that fell a little flat for me.

Bottom Line: While falling just a little flat, overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you are looking for a beach read or are a Jane Green fan. It wasn’t my favorite of hers, but it is still worth the read.

Rating: 3/5

The Digital Handshake by Paul Chaney

I always find consumer behavior interesting and like to keep up with the latest in marketing, advertising and just general consumer behavior. Of course, these days a lot of that revolves around the internet and social media. This book was written several years ago, but the main points still hold true today. I liked the author’s passion and thought the book was well written. I liked how he sort of describes social media has a cocktail party where meeting and conversation takes place.

Bottom Line: This is a great book for understanding consumer behavior and how to spread word of your business in a digital age with social media. I think some aspects even apply to blogging. While the book is a few years old, the main message is still very applicable today.

Rating: 4/5

Currently Reading

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

I started this book last month and I am only 60 pages in…still. It isn’t that it is a bad book, it is just that it is a physical book and I just cant seem to find the time to read right now. All the other books that I “read” this month were audiobooks in the car on my way to and from work, after I drop Zoe off. Zoe likes to listen to music in the car. I hope to finally finish it this month. And jump on the twenty Netgalley books I have sitting around. I wish Netgalley did audiobooks lol. It would make my life so much easier!

Another month of books have come and gone! Linking up with Jana and Steph.

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

I devoured this book much quicker than I thought I would! I picked it up every chance I got. This is much longer than your normal beach read, but it didn’t lag in the least bit and I loved all the details and plot development. The beach town setting was perfect and I loved that it wasn’t always perfect through the story.

Bototm Line: This is the perfect beach read!! You get a little love, a scandal, some mystery and a storm.

Rating: 4/5

Brew or Die A Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig

I best describe this series and the leading lady as a more competent Stephanie Plum. This is the forth book and I have to say, I am still enjoying the series! I love all the characters and the shenanigans. Jules is officially a licensed PI and takes it on as a second job. This one kept me reeled in because Jules teams up with someone you would least expect to work work on a case!! The love tangle between Jules, Stafford, Pete and Ryder had me hooked the whole time but then I ended up getting pissed at the very end of the book and slapping my head. I am hoping there is another installment and Juliet finally moves on in one direction or another. I am team Ryder all the way though. As for the mystery part, I sort of had suspicions early on in both investigation she worked on, but there were a few surprises and twists thrown in.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a cute, cozy mystery or you like the Plum series and Janet Evanovich, then give this a try!

Rating:4/5

**I received a copy of Brew or Die from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

The Royal We by Heather Cocks

When I first started seeing reviews for this book, I rolled my eyes. I could care less about the royal family. I mean, I wish I had Kate’s closet and I think she is gorgeous….but that is about where my thoughts about them end. I was sure I wouldn’t care to read this book….but then all of you…people who normally don’t even read this type of book…gave it a great review. Ok fine, I will read it!!!

Anyways, I LOVED this book!!! It is a long one, and I managed to have it finished in a week which is a pretty big deal for me right now. There is so much character development and little details in this book and I loved all the little side stories leading up to the current time. This was just a super fun read that kept me interested the whole time.

Bottom Line: Read it!! This is probably one of my favorite books so far this year. I really just enjoyed it so much.

Rating:5/5

A Man Called Ove by Frederick Backman

At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like this book. I sort of got lost a little in some of the details of the story at the beginning. I will be vague to not give any spoilers, I then realized what was really going on with Ove and what he was tying to do. That kept me interested and then I really started to enjoy the story. I liked how the book bounced back and forth between current day, and stories from his past that shed light to lead him to who he is. I like how Ove is strict with his routines, principals and views on life. I have a feeling we are all going to be a little cranky like Ove when we are older.

Bottom Line: This was a sweet book and I really enjoyed it.

Rating:4/5

Dashing Through the Snow by Debbie Macomber

I seriously don’t follow the holidays or seasons when it comes to reading. I needed a little snow in my very hot July! This was a cute love story and I enjoyed the holiday aspect of it. To be completely honest though, I never really connected with any of the characters and the story felt a little cheesy to me and very predictable.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a light holiday read, this might fit the bill. It wasn’t my favorite though.

Rating: 2.5/5

Currently Reading:

The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

I am only about 60 pages in to this one so far, but I can already tell it is messed up, but I am intrigued and enjoying it.

Linking up with Steph and Jana for another month of books! So I am going to pose a question. Do you read the reviews of all the books if a person shares what they rated it? I have considered dropping my rating system on these posts because I catch myself skipping over books that people didn’t give a high rating for and the thing is, it might not  have been a  book for them but could have totally been a book you would have enjoyed. You know? Let me know what you think.

Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy

I am weird about YA books, I can either take or leave most of them. I have to say, this may have been one of the best YA books I have read in a long time. You get a little teenage angst, friends that are changing and drifting, new love, inner struggles, confidence issues, everything you remember from high school. I really related to the characters in this book and I loved the story line. It wasn’t always perfect, which made me love the book even more.

Bottom Line: Just read it!

Rating: 5/5

Love, Alabama by Susan Sands

I may have picked this book simply because Alabama was in the title. This was a love story set in small town Alabama. It kept me intrigued the whole time because you don’t find out exactly what happened to Emma in her past until near the end of the story and what happened could shake things up between her and the guy she has fallen for. I liked the small town drama and the book was cute. Of course, a book that takes place in Alabama wouldn’t feel complete without the Alabama vs Auburn touch. I felt like maybe the ending was a little rushed and wrapped up in a bow too quickly.

Bottom Line: This was a quick and cute love story if you are looking for something light and fluffy, but still intriguing.

Rating:3/5

**I received a copy of Love, Alabama from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella

It took me a little bit to get in to this book, but once I did I was hooked. This book does a good job talking about mental health and anxiety in an informal and lighthearted way. I feel like it brings attention to something that a lot of people deal with, but it isn’t a sad or dark book for such a heavy and serious topic. If that makes sense? You get to grow along with the main character and learn some about how crippling anxiety can be. It is heartwarming and there were a few LOL moments, which I always appreciate.

Bottom Line:If you are looking for something a little different, but good…read it!

Rating: 3/5

Meet Me Halfway by Kim Carmody

I was a little irritated with the immaturity in the male character of this book, but I think that was the point since he is a few years younger than our leading female. I liked the football and reporting aspect of this story. It was a cute love story, and I even laughed out a loud a little. I also got a little frustrated with the characters and their reactions to certain events. Mainly with Olivia. But I suppose that is what kept me engaged in the story to see where it was all going.

Bottom Line: If you like the football or media scene, and want to read a good love story….I thought this was a cute read.

Rating:3/5

**I received a copy of Meet Me Halfway from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

You guys. I don’t know why I keep doing this to myself. Reading sad dog books. Art of Racing In the Rain is still embedded in my mind and heart, and now this book. I coincidentally started this book on the anniversary of Gracie’s passing and didn’t even realize it. Maybe she was trying to tell me hi. This book gave me all the emotions and I had a complete breakdown, missing Gracie so much in the middle of this book. This book gives me hope that maybe one day Gracie will come back to me in the body of another dog.

Bottom Line:If you are a dog person, this is a great read. Just be ready with a box of tissues.

Rating:4/5

Currently Reading

Brew or Die a Java Jive Mystery by Caroline Fardig

The Weekenders by Mary Kay Andrews

What are you reading?

It is time to talk about books with Steph and Jana! I had a month of decent reads and I wanted to share them with  you! Before we get in to all the reviews, I have noticed that a lot of people have changed their format for reviewing books. What is your favorite way to read book reviews? Just curios. I had played with changing mine up but stuck with my normal way this month.

The Girl Before by J.P. Delaney

I liked that this book switched back and forth between two characters and times, keeping me interested right from the start. The more I learned about Emma, the less I liked her character. It didn’t take away from my overall feeling of the book though. It was something different and I enjoyed reading it!

Bottom Line: If you are looking for something with a little mystery and suspense but nothing too crazy that keeps you up at night, hiding under the covers…then this would be a good read.

Rating: 4/5

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

The Husband List by Janet Evanovich and Dorien Kelly

You know my love for Janet Evanovich!!! I just adored Love in a Nutshell last year, which introduced us to the Culhane family. The books in this series really read as stand alone books. This book takes places in NYC in 1894. It is sort of a historical romance, if I had to classify it. I was really surprised how much I enjoyed this book, usually I don’t read many historical fiction books.

Staying with the times, Caroline’s parents are trying to find her a proper husband to keep up the good name they have made for their family. Caroline is a very strong willed and independent woman, and doesn’t want to just be married off like some stock prize. If she wants to get married, she wants it to be for love. And she has her eye on Jack Culhane, her brother’s best friend.

Bottom Line: If you are looking for a cute love story, and/or a strong female lead and/or you love Janet Evanovich….then you will love this book! I flew through it so fast, and I am missing the characters! It left me wanting more.

Rating: 4/5

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

This book starts out really sad and depressing. It was pretty dark and I wasn’t sure that I was going to like it. But then I got hooked and couldn’t quit. I wanted to see if Susie’s dad would ever figure out who killed her and be able to prove it! I wanted to slap her mom a few times. And give her little brother lots of hugs. I really loved the side characters in this book too…Ruth, Ray Sing, Grandma Lynn, Sam and Hal Heckler. Not many books do side characters well, so I really appreciated them here. I think my favorite part of the book was how Susie described her heaven. How everyone’s Heaven is different.

Bottom Line: If you are in the mood for something a little heavier, I say read it. There is great character development and it certainly had me hooked.

Rating: 3.5/5

I Don’t Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson

Kate Reddy is a working mother and the breadwinner for her family. She struggles to balance everything and keep up with the judgy stay at home moms. There were parts of this book that made me laugh out loud, and there are parts of this book that made me want to slap Kate. I hated the way that she treated her husband for most of the book and it almost seemed as though she didn’t really enjoy spending time with her kids. She really sheds light on to how  hard working mothers have it though. And just women in general in a male dominant field.

Bottom Line:This is a cute book for the working mom who is struggling to balance it all and could use a good laugh.

Rating:4/5

Royal Scandal by Marquita Valentine

I devoured this book in just a few quick days. Which is quite a feat with a newborn, let me assure you. I really liked the characters in this book and the exiled royal family. It is a fun, light love story about an exiled prince who keeps his identity hidden from his best friend, until he needs to ask for her hand in marriage to get his family back on track. I will say that I read romance novels here and there, and I didn’t really care for how vulgar this one was. I am not sure if I would continue on with the series if they are all written that way.

Bottom Line: This was a quick, fun read if you are in to romance type novels and don’t mind vulgar scenes.

Ratings: 3/5

**I received a copy of Royal Scandal from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are of my own.**

Currently Reading

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid