nothingforpomegranted's reviews
666 reviews

The Atomic City Girls by Janet Beard

4.0

In November 1942, June Walker joins hundreds of other patriotic Americans at the Oak Ridge research facility and army base. Though most of the employees don’t realize that they are participating in the development of the first-ever atomic bomb, they are excited to contribute whatever they can to the American war effort, while developing meaningful friendships along the way. When June’s jealous (and bigoted) roommate interferes with not only June’s budding romance with Sam, but also the security of the entire project, June is surprised to discover an inner strength and confidence that she didn’t know she could rely on. 

I really appreciated the patriotism of the characters, as well as the honesty of their complex feelings about the nature of the work they engaged in. As Sam and June both pondered the significance of creating a massive force of destruction, they also acknowledged the importance of demonstrating power, and at the same time, their qualms and debates didn’t derail the rest of their lives, which continued to be full of humor, movies, and dinner dates at the lab. The pacing of the novel was a bit inconsistent, packing lots of detail into the beginning and ending quite suddenly, which actually made for a nice in-one-afternoon read and mirrored the suddenness of the bombs themselves. However, if I hadn’t read this in one afternoon, I likely would have been bored or impatient with the slow-pace. That said, the multiple perspectives added layers of intrigue beyond the plot. In addition to Tennessee-native June and Jewish physicist Sam, we also heard from falsely upper class Cici (the roommate), Black construction worker Joe, who had to leave his wife and children at home for months to work this job, and several other characters, which added so much depth to the reading experience. Overall, I was happy to immerse myself in an unusual setting for WWII novel, and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys WWII fiction but has been feeling burnt out by the glut of novels about the camps and French resistance. 

The C*ck Down the Block by Amy Award

4.0

This was a lot of fun and so silly. I loved the wholesome friends-to-lovers dynamic with no third act breakup in sight! Chris’s pet names were a bit too much for my taste, especially “chickadee,” but other than that, I had a lot of fun with this absolutely joyful romance. 

The Pickpocket and the Gargoyle by Lindsay Eagar

medium-paced

3.75

This middle-grade novel is wholesome, surprising, and full of love. In a small village with a central cathedral, young Duck is part of a gang of child thieves, always scheming for their next meal under the leadership of Gnat, their teenage leader. When Gnat decides to install Duck as an apprentice at the bakery, responsible for secretly passing bread and coins to the Crowns each week, Duck is surprised to find herself drawn to the baking and the baker herself. The unexpected affection challenges Duck as she struggles to do the right thing by both of her found families until the Crowns break in and Duck’s duplicity is found out. 

I loved the friendships between the characters, who were all full of love despite any tension or sadness in their pasts. Duck and Ash had a meaningful bond, and I loved seeing Duck consistently surprised by how willing Griselde the Baker was to accept her, flaws and all. The narration of the gargoyle wasn’t my favorite. Those first-person chapters were spliced in seemingly randomly, attempting to create tension that just didn’t serve the story. Overall, despite sweet characters and an interesting plot, this was just a bit too long and filled with excessive description. 

Whiskey Tender by Deborah Jackson Taffa

4.0

A fascinating memoir of a Native woman whose parents cared deeply about her assimilation and success while also prioritizing culture. Aspects of the memoir felt a bit repetitive and the pace was slow, which dragged a bit during the middle portion of the book. I appreciated the stories and the detail, and it was powerful to learn about a culture that is generally unfamiliar to me. 

The Choice by Nora Roberts

2.0

This final book in the series was a disappointment after I rather enjoyed the first two. Not my favorite in any case: I didn’t fully understand the world, and the romance between Breen and Keegan wasn’t convincing. This novel was slow and repetitive, with endless build-up to a battle ending that was quick and unsatisfying. 

Dream Girl Drama by Tessa Bailey

2.75

Maybe because I know people with a similar situation—adult step siblings who got married—I just couldn’t quite muster the investment in the drama of their relationship. It seems easy enough to explain that yes, this is a bit weird, but there’s nothing inappropriate or wrong about the coincidence and then everyone would just move on with their lives. 

Other than that, I liked the story enough, and I loved Sig as a hero. His love was so aggressive and genuine, if a bit dramatic. I loved the tension and the build up, but I found Chloe extremely annoying, so overall, this definitely wasn’t my favorite, but I will definitely continue with the series. I love a hockey hero. 

The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett

3.0

This book dragged for me, despite the mystery and the epistolary style, which should have created a page turning energy. I just wasn’t that interested in Amanda’s background and its connection to the case, and the case itself just didn’t capture my attention. 

The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey

4.5

This hit on lots of favorite tropes (hockey, nanny/single dad, age gap, size difference), and I really enjoyed reading about the connection between Tallullah and Burgess. The end of the book happened a bit too quickly, but the tension build up was so fun, and their spicy scenes were spicy indeed. 

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

4.5

I didn’t think I liked Emily Henry after reading People We Meet on Vacation, so I haven’t been interested in picking up other of her books, even when some of the plots appealed to me (lots of bookish romance in this woman’s repertoire!) When a friend recommended it to me twice in one week, I figured I might as well give it a shot just for the social perks of discussing a book with a friend. Turns out, I loved it! The tongue in cheek approach to the romance genre was endearing and fun as a committed romance reader, and I found myself laughing along with Nora and Charlie’s consideration of and challenges to tropes. 

I pretty much can’t go wrong with a brooding hero who falls harder, and it’s even more fun when he falls first. The averting of small town romance vibes was so fun, and I’m thrilled that

they wound up back in New York

. On top of all that, the North Carolina-New York pipeline (without looking back) is one I know well. Emily Henry brought the sexual tension, and I really enjoyed the push-pull of Nora’s obligations both within and outside of her relationship with Charlie, who was inarguably sexy. 

I also really enjoyed the backstory of the characters and the relationship between Nora and Libby. Henry accomplished a lot in not so many pages, and I’m glad I picked this one up. I’m still uncertain about her other books, but maybe they’re worth a shot. In the meantime, on to a couple hockey romances by Tessa Bailey. 😅

Fangirl Down by Tessa Bailey

3.5

This was silly and spicy and hit on lots of tropes I typically enjoy. I used to think I liked grumpy-sunshine, but I think I actually find sunshine a bit annoying, though I love grumpy. I definitely like she falls first, he falls harder and mean to everyone but her. The spicy scenes were 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️, and Tessa Bailey remains a master of dirty talk, so that was fun. Looking forward to Tallulah’s story! Seems like a really fun premise.