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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
I ended up liking her husband a lot more than I liked her. She did come across a little self-absorbed.
Then again she was young (pre-kids) when a lot of this stuff happened. But she denied her mom being able to see her first born at the hospital or to come to her home to help out because she was in the process of divorcing her father, and she didn't need any bad karma.
Then again she was young (pre-kids) when a lot of this stuff happened. But she denied her mom being able to see her first born at the hospital or to come to her home to help out because she was in the process of divorcing her father, and she didn't need any bad karma.
Totally what I expected, but in the best way. Fast and sweet read.
Can't help wondering if the dtb has pictures.....
Can't help wondering if the dtb has pictures.....
I have been a fan of blogger Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, for several years and have wanted to read her memoir for some time. I thoroughly enjoyed getting a glimpse into her life as a cowboy's wife on the plains of Oklahoma with the Marlboro Man. Open, honest, and candid, Drummond recounts her life from the time she left California after college back to her home in Oklahoma and finding herself metamorphose from a young urban woman into an accidental country wife. As a semi-city girl in the process of moving to the frontier of Texas, I can empathize and relate to her feelings, concerns, and excitement of a new life in the country.
I really enjoyed the storyline of the book - city girl falls in love with cowboy is a classic. Ree's humor that she displays on her blog is every present. The one thing that didn't work for me was the flow of the first two parts of the book - they were clearly blog posts adapted for the novel but were in dire need of some editing. The segments, while they would work as posts that were read days apart, were nice insights into the blooming relationship, there was a certain repetitiveness that was annoying when you read it all in one sitting. The inundation of brand name dropping and references to the golf course/country club living that represented Ree's previous life were off-putting after the tenth time and she certainly was rather self-involved but I suppose all bloggers a bit narcissistic. The third part of the book, the part not specifically written for the blog then adapted, was written and flowed better and was a sweet ending to the love story. Overall, it was a quick, light, and entertaining read that I know die-hard PW fans will (and probably already have) eaten up. (Pun intended.)
reading it on my iphone on the Overdrive app - ebook from the library!
Blogger Ree Drummond (better known as the Pioneer Woman) has quite the online presence; I don't even read her blog(s), but between her photo actions and her recipes, you could probably call me a "P-Dub" fan. I like her writing, too (she's pretty darn funny), so I was excited to see that she'd written a book! I had high hopes for this one and was eager to read it.
But I was kind of disappointed; while each chapter was well-written, it felt pretty hokey when the chapters were put together. There wasn't a lot of story-arc or any real character development for the first 200 pages (or no character development, in the case of "Marlboro Man," who -- while being the absolutely-perfect male protagonist of this story -- is never given an actual name beyond his online pseudonym). And the details that might be endearing in a blog post got old after reading about them page after page; I got pretty tired of hearing about Ree's "Anne Kleins."
On the other hand, this book did have some good things going for it: there were a few laugh-out-loud parts, it was mostly clean (despite some language and quite a lot of steaminess, there was never anything graphic), and there were several "real" moments that I really liked (I was nodding through the chapter of dealing with postpartum hormones and lack of sleep!).
On the whole, this is an easy, light read -- but nothing you need to rush out and pick up.
But I was kind of disappointed; while each chapter was well-written, it felt pretty hokey when the chapters were put together. There wasn't a lot of story-arc or any real character development for the first 200 pages (or no character development, in the case of "Marlboro Man," who -- while being the absolutely-perfect male protagonist of this story -- is never given an actual name beyond his online pseudonym). And the details that might be endearing in a blog post got old after reading about them page after page; I got pretty tired of hearing about Ree's "Anne Kleins."
On the other hand, this book did have some good things going for it: there were a few laugh-out-loud parts, it was mostly clean (despite some language and quite a lot of steaminess, there was never anything graphic), and there were several "real" moments that I really liked (I was nodding through the chapter of dealing with postpartum hormones and lack of sleep!).
On the whole, this is an easy, light read -- but nothing you need to rush out and pick up.
Yes, my review is influenced by my love for all things Pioneer Woman. I think Ree Drummond is a down to earth woman full of heart and down home cooking. So many things in my house are The Pioneer Woman at Walmart line. I have owned every single one of her cookbooks for years; I follow her on Instagram. Despite these things, I have never read this book. Shocking, right? I have had it on my shelf.....but finally (after coming off of the intense "I'll be Gone in the Dark") I picked up the book.
It was an absolutely delightful read. The romance between Ree and her husband is so sweet and passionate. I felt their love (and seeing it play out in real time, I can tell it is still accurate.) Her stories about acclimating to life on the ranch, tending to cows, battling fires, and eating steak after being a vegetarian are awesome and hilarious. Finding out about the less than perfect honeymoon and the first foray into breastfeeding reminds readers of just how normal Ree is as a person. A lot of Food Network personalities change the longer they are on the airwaves. My hope is that Ree continues to buck that trend.
I also love seeing the recipes in the back of the book (especially ones that she references in her story.) But they are also in the cookbooks ;)
It was an absolutely delightful read. The romance between Ree and her husband is so sweet and passionate. I felt their love (and seeing it play out in real time, I can tell it is still accurate.) Her stories about acclimating to life on the ranch, tending to cows, battling fires, and eating steak after being a vegetarian are awesome and hilarious. Finding out about the less than perfect honeymoon and the first foray into breastfeeding reminds readers of just how normal Ree is as a person. A lot of Food Network personalities change the longer they are on the airwaves. My hope is that Ree continues to buck that trend.
I also love seeing the recipes in the back of the book (especially ones that she references in her story.) But they are also in the cookbooks ;)
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
An adorable love story that sounds so much like my own in an odd way. Ree is as always sweet and easy to relate to in so many experiences