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stephsbooktalk's reviews
870 reviews
The Usual Desire to Kill: A Novel by Camilla Barnes
2.5
Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Scribner Books for the complimentary copy of this book!
This book is out now.
Sigh. I wanted to like this one. I fear this is more of it's not you, it's me.
I just was not really sure the point of the book? Perhaps I was not the right audience for it which is why it was so hard for me to enjoy. I was waiting for more to happen but then nothing did.
It sadly was not memorable for me. I know there will be others who love this.
I will say as my parents are getting older and have been empty nesters for quite sometime now. WIth my father recently retired, the tension between my mother and him are sky high. So I could really relate to hearing the mom and dad in this bicker back and forth because I know that will be them in the near future.
There was a paragraph that I felt was very poignant:
"When you're little, you're dependent on your parents. But as you grow up, the fear creeps in that at some point they will become dependent on you. Twenty years of looking after your own children, and then just as they finally left home and you can do what you want, your parents start to fall apart. It would be nice to have a few years of freedom in between the two. A few years of not caring. Not caring, and not caring. For others."
I had done the audio of this narrated by Harriet Walter and even she couldn't save this book for me. The book is very short and the audiobook is under 6 hours so it was a quick listen which is why I had not DNF it.
I feel bad for rating this book so low but I just felt lost while consuming it.
This book is out now.
Sigh. I wanted to like this one. I fear this is more of it's not you, it's me.
I just was not really sure the point of the book? Perhaps I was not the right audience for it which is why it was so hard for me to enjoy. I was waiting for more to happen but then nothing did.
It sadly was not memorable for me. I know there will be others who love this.
I will say as my parents are getting older and have been empty nesters for quite sometime now. WIth my father recently retired, the tension between my mother and him are sky high. So I could really relate to hearing the mom and dad in this bicker back and forth because I know that will be them in the near future.
There was a paragraph that I felt was very poignant:
"When you're little, you're dependent on your parents. But as you grow up, the fear creeps in that at some point they will become dependent on you. Twenty years of looking after your own children, and then just as they finally left home and you can do what you want, your parents start to fall apart. It would be nice to have a few years of freedom in between the two. A few years of not caring. Not caring, and not caring. For others."
I had done the audio of this narrated by Harriet Walter and even she couldn't save this book for me. The book is very short and the audiobook is under 6 hours so it was a quick listen which is why I had not DNF it.
I feel bad for rating this book so low but I just felt lost while consuming it.
Night Swimming by Aaron Starmer
3.5
Mini Book Review: Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for the complimentary copy of the book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book will be out on April 29th.
This book had such nostalgia from start to finish. A group of teens who just graduated high school and are figuring out what their future looks like. Trevor and Sarah decided that they wanted break into all the houses that have swimming pools. Until they went to a pool where they were caught by a owner who told them about a natural pool hidden. There with a few other friends they find themselves at the pool reflecting on their lives.
There was a side story happening before each chapter. We are never told whose point of view it was but at the end I think it is Sarah after she decided to leave the pool.
I thought Starmer got the feelings of being a teenager during that phase of life. You just want to hold on to that youth and not having responsibilities for as long as you can.
I thought the magical realism in this was pretty cool and was not expecting it. I would love to have known more of the why but I guess you don't always have that with magical realism and it just has to be what it is.
I read this one in tandem with the audio and Kelli Tager did the distorted voice of the extra tidbits and Michael James Bell narrated the rest. Michael James sounded so youthful and made Trevor especially sounded his age. I thought he was a really good fit for this book.
The book and the audio are very short so this is super bingeable! If you love a "historical fiction" set in the summer of 1994, coming of age told from a 3rd person POV - give this one a try!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
This book will be out on April 29th.
This book had such nostalgia from start to finish. A group of teens who just graduated high school and are figuring out what their future looks like. Trevor and Sarah decided that they wanted break into all the houses that have swimming pools. Until they went to a pool where they were caught by a owner who told them about a natural pool hidden. There with a few other friends they find themselves at the pool reflecting on their lives.
There was a side story happening before each chapter. We are never told whose point of view it was but at the end I think it is Sarah after she decided to leave the pool.
I thought Starmer got the feelings of being a teenager during that phase of life. You just want to hold on to that youth and not having responsibilities for as long as you can.
I thought the magical realism in this was pretty cool and was not expecting it. I would love to have known more of the why but I guess you don't always have that with magical realism and it just has to be what it is.
I read this one in tandem with the audio and Kelli Tager did the distorted voice of the extra tidbits and Michael James Bell narrated the rest. Michael James sounded so youthful and made Trevor especially sounded his age. I thought he was a really good fit for this book.
The book and the audio are very short so this is super bingeable! If you love a "historical fiction" set in the summer of 1994, coming of age told from a 3rd person POV - give this one a try!
The Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
5.0
Mini Audiobook Review: Thank you so much to Simon Books for a copy of the book!
Wow!!! I read House of Eve last year for book club and I wanted to go back to read this one as a reader friend from the club praised it. So when Simon was kind of enough to send me a copy, I knew it was time.
This book is very heavy. I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading. Sadeqa wrote with such honesty and gave such an image of what life was like for Black men and women during the time of slavery. The beginning confused me for a bit but then the light switched and I was invested in this story of Pheby and her life on a plantation. She was counting down until she turned 18 and was freed but instead she ends up at Devil's Acre and becomes the "wife" of the head jailer.
I know this is a fictional book but I imagine most of what happened within the book was what happened during that time in history. In the author's note, Sadeqa was inspired by Mary Lumpkin who was the wife of Robert Lumpkin who ran a jail in Virginia.
Despite the heaviness, I also found a sense of hope. Pheby knew had this hope that it wouldn't be forever and she was just surviving.
I read this one via audio and thought Robin Miles did a fabulous job! I was not familiar with their narration previously bought she was able to bring the strength, vulnerability and resilience through her tone to channel Pheby as well as the other characters.
Highly recommend!
Wow!!! I read House of Eve last year for book club and I wanted to go back to read this one as a reader friend from the club praised it. So when Simon was kind of enough to send me a copy, I knew it was time.
This book is very heavy. I highly recommend checking the trigger warnings before reading. Sadeqa wrote with such honesty and gave such an image of what life was like for Black men and women during the time of slavery. The beginning confused me for a bit but then the light switched and I was invested in this story of Pheby and her life on a plantation. She was counting down until she turned 18 and was freed but instead she ends up at Devil's Acre and becomes the "wife" of the head jailer.
I know this is a fictional book but I imagine most of what happened within the book was what happened during that time in history. In the author's note, Sadeqa was inspired by Mary Lumpkin who was the wife of Robert Lumpkin who ran a jail in Virginia.
Despite the heaviness, I also found a sense of hope. Pheby knew had this hope that it wouldn't be forever and she was just surviving.
I read this one via audio and thought Robin Miles did a fabulous job! I was not familiar with their narration previously bought she was able to bring the strength, vulnerability and resilience through her tone to channel Pheby as well as the other characters.
Highly recommend!
I Would Die for You A Novel by Sandie Jones
3.5
Thank you so much to MacMillan Audio for the complimentary copy of the book!
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy of the book!
I was drawn to the premise of this book because hello I love me a band and I am self proclaimed fangirl. So I knew that this book would be for me.
This book is told from two timelines - the past (1986) and the present (2011). It took me a bit to get used to the timelines. Mostly because the timelines are told from two different perspectives. In the past we are in the perspective of a young Cassie and in the present timeline we are in the perspective of her older sister Nicole.
The premise doesn't really say this but I would say that when we are in the past timeline, I would say a theme of that is obsession. Cassie is only 16 years old and has this admiration for Secret Oktober specifically for the lead singer Ben Edwards. And it only progressed as she got a taste of what it was like to be near him. And a cycle of events that occurred changed the course of everyone involved lives.
In the current timeline, Nicole lives a simple life with her husband and daughter in California and all is normal until her daughter does not get off the bus. The school claims she had been picked up by her aunt in which Nicole had previously authorized. But we learn that there couldn't be an aunt that picked her daughter up. Between the disappearance of her daughter and being visited by a journalist, Nicole starts to spiral thinking back to the incidents that occured years ago.
I was pretty invested in the storyline. Because the perspectives were every other chapter or so, I would be left wanting more which kept me going with the story. I wouldn't say that there was anything jaw dropping when some of the reveals were brought to light. I'm trying to be vague without spoiling but the way Sandie wrote left things up for interpretation until you got the answer. I think for me with the last quarter of the book, things were moving so fast that I was trying to piece together everything that was happening (total me thing and no fault of the author).
Imogen Wilde was the narrator and I thought she did a pretty good job handling both perspectives. I would have loved a 2nd narrator to help distinguish the two a bit more. But I thought Imogen brought an emotional side to her tone especially when Nicole was going through the motions of not knowing where her child was. Mixed with Sandie's writing, the audio listening experience kept me on edge and I credit that to Imogen's narration.
This is my first Sandie book and I am looking forward to reading more from her!
Thank you so much to St Martin's Press and Minotaur Books for the complimentary copy of the book!
I was drawn to the premise of this book because hello I love me a band and I am self proclaimed fangirl. So I knew that this book would be for me.
This book is told from two timelines - the past (1986) and the present (2011). It took me a bit to get used to the timelines. Mostly because the timelines are told from two different perspectives. In the past we are in the perspective of a young Cassie and in the present timeline we are in the perspective of her older sister Nicole.
The premise doesn't really say this but I would say that when we are in the past timeline, I would say a theme of that is obsession. Cassie is only 16 years old and has this admiration for Secret Oktober specifically for the lead singer Ben Edwards. And it only progressed as she got a taste of what it was like to be near him. And a cycle of events that occurred changed the course of everyone involved lives.
In the current timeline, Nicole lives a simple life with her husband and daughter in California and all is normal until her daughter does not get off the bus. The school claims she had been picked up by her aunt in which Nicole had previously authorized. But we learn that there couldn't be an aunt that picked her daughter up. Between the disappearance of her daughter and being visited by a journalist, Nicole starts to spiral thinking back to the incidents that occured years ago.
I was pretty invested in the storyline. Because the perspectives were every other chapter or so, I would be left wanting more which kept me going with the story. I wouldn't say that there was anything jaw dropping when some of the reveals were brought to light. I'm trying to be vague without spoiling but the way Sandie wrote left things up for interpretation until you got the answer. I think for me with the last quarter of the book, things were moving so fast that I was trying to piece together everything that was happening (total me thing and no fault of the author).
Imogen Wilde was the narrator and I thought she did a pretty good job handling both perspectives. I would have loved a 2nd narrator to help distinguish the two a bit more. But I thought Imogen brought an emotional side to her tone especially when Nicole was going through the motions of not knowing where her child was. Mixed with Sandie's writing, the audio listening experience kept me on edge and I credit that to Imogen's narration.
This is my first Sandie book and I am looking forward to reading more from her!
Change of Pace by Kayla Grosse
5.0
Thank you SO much to the author Kayla Grosse for the advance copy!
This book will be out on April 17th.
This is my 2nd book from Kayla and I think it has become my new favorite (I know I know I still have the backlog to work through). You could really tell how personal Kayla was with this book and how much she put into it. And if this didn't pull on your heartstrings (pun intended) then I'm not sure if we read the same book.
"You really want to do all this with me?"
"What else am I going to do, hang out here with all the ghosts?"
I was unfamiliar with Kawasaki Disease and everything that came with it so I appreciate Kayla taking a topic that isn't talked about enough (esp in romance books) and bringing it to light. I know Kayla herself has the disease and as I mentioned above, you could tell the amount of research and the vulnerability within the lines and that this book meant a lot to her. I thought it was done so well and didn't feel like it was information overload on the disease.
Jesse had gone through a lot in such a short time. She was still adjusting to this new life and the last thing she wants is a relationship. Jesse had 2 heart attacks and now has an ICD implant (which is still healing) and it has given her a new perspective on her life. She decides to make a Change of Pace bucket list because morbidly she doesn't think she has time and wants to complete this list before she runs out. First on the list that she goes for is to have a one night stand. Enter Asher. Asher is this tall, burly man with curly dusty blond hair with a brown beard and she is taken by him. And equally, Asher is taken by her. The whole moment in the nightclub was just so great! I have mentioned in other reviews how dancing in any setting has become such a favorite micro trope of mine so I was elated to see it happening on page.
"Well, I figure if you murder me, at least my family and friends will be able to find my body. I also have a security camera."
"The only thing I'm going to murder is that pussy of yours."
Jesse thought she wasn't ever going to see Asher again after she woke up the next morning alone after the best night she had in awhile. He did leave her number but she did not want to complicate things. But fate had other plans. Turns out Asher is her roommate/best friend's brother! One thing leads to an another and suddenly Jesse will be living out her bucket list with the help of Asher and his RV!
I love that we got both Jesse and Asher's point of view. Asher had it BAD for Jesse from the moment he saw her at the bar. He knew when he saw her that she was the one for him. Asher has ADHD and with that he tends to go all in on what he wants. And in this case it was Jesse. The way he left his number on her bucket list - swoooon! Pretty much everything he had done was swoony. Jesse was very adamant that she didn't want to be coddle and treated any differently on their trip and Asher tried really hard to respect that. I think also Asher was just such a nice guy and he had the means to do things and wanted to share that with Jesse.
I was a little frustrated with Jesse as a reader because we all could see how perfect Asher was for her and she would just keep pushing him away. I just wanted to scream HE IS THE ONE FOR YOU. I understand completely why she was scared to let him in but I'm guessing she also didn't realize that even as friends, he and everyone else in her life would be sad if something does happen to her. I will say there was a few times I find myself relating to Jesse. One moment came closer to the beginning talking about herself, "But the trauma of living in a bigger body in a society that tells you it's wrong doesn't go away overnight. I'm not used to men calling me stunning in bars or wanting to hook up with me." And another came towards the end of the book when she says "And you don't deserve to have someone defective. You deserve someone whole." This line specifically cut me deep. I had in the past referred to myself as defective in my inability to have children so it really hit me. I know now that is not the case and my husband loves me either way just like Asher loves Jesse and would never think that of her.
I know this has become a rather long review. But this was such a good and fun read with of course the signature Kayla spice thrown in there. I love all the moments of Jesse and Asher together! Asher really brought out this confident side of Jesse. I love seeing all their adventures and I had to laugh at the world tallest file cabinet visit as I have seen this in person LOL Asher truly made this experience for Jesse worthwhile and I was glad he had not given up on her.
This is a stand alone book. I recommend this book if you love one nights stand - friends to lovers, best friend's brother and a road trip from coast to coast!
This book will be out on April 17th.
This is my 2nd book from Kayla and I think it has become my new favorite (I know I know I still have the backlog to work through). You could really tell how personal Kayla was with this book and how much she put into it. And if this didn't pull on your heartstrings (pun intended) then I'm not sure if we read the same book.
"You really want to do all this with me?"
"What else am I going to do, hang out here with all the ghosts?"
I was unfamiliar with Kawasaki Disease and everything that came with it so I appreciate Kayla taking a topic that isn't talked about enough (esp in romance books) and bringing it to light. I know Kayla herself has the disease and as I mentioned above, you could tell the amount of research and the vulnerability within the lines and that this book meant a lot to her. I thought it was done so well and didn't feel like it was information overload on the disease.
Jesse had gone through a lot in such a short time. She was still adjusting to this new life and the last thing she wants is a relationship. Jesse had 2 heart attacks and now has an ICD implant (which is still healing) and it has given her a new perspective on her life. She decides to make a Change of Pace bucket list because morbidly she doesn't think she has time and wants to complete this list before she runs out. First on the list that she goes for is to have a one night stand. Enter Asher. Asher is this tall, burly man with curly dusty blond hair with a brown beard and she is taken by him. And equally, Asher is taken by her. The whole moment in the nightclub was just so great! I have mentioned in other reviews how dancing in any setting has become such a favorite micro trope of mine so I was elated to see it happening on page.
"Well, I figure if you murder me, at least my family and friends will be able to find my body. I also have a security camera."
"The only thing I'm going to murder is that pussy of yours."
Jesse thought she wasn't ever going to see Asher again after she woke up the next morning alone after the best night she had in awhile. He did leave her number but she did not want to complicate things. But fate had other plans. Turns out Asher is her roommate/best friend's brother! One thing leads to an another and suddenly Jesse will be living out her bucket list with the help of Asher and his RV!
I love that we got both Jesse and Asher's point of view. Asher had it BAD for Jesse from the moment he saw her at the bar. He knew when he saw her that she was the one for him. Asher has ADHD and with that he tends to go all in on what he wants. And in this case it was Jesse. The way he left his number on her bucket list - swoooon! Pretty much everything he had done was swoony. Jesse was very adamant that she didn't want to be coddle and treated any differently on their trip and Asher tried really hard to respect that. I think also Asher was just such a nice guy and he had the means to do things and wanted to share that with Jesse.
I was a little frustrated with Jesse as a reader because we all could see how perfect Asher was for her and she would just keep pushing him away. I just wanted to scream HE IS THE ONE FOR YOU. I understand completely why she was scared to let him in but I'm guessing she also didn't realize that even as friends, he and everyone else in her life would be sad if something does happen to her. I will say there was a few times I find myself relating to Jesse. One moment came closer to the beginning talking about herself, "But the trauma of living in a bigger body in a society that tells you it's wrong doesn't go away overnight. I'm not used to men calling me stunning in bars or wanting to hook up with me." And another came towards the end of the book when she says "And you don't deserve to have someone defective. You deserve someone whole." This line specifically cut me deep. I had in the past referred to myself as defective in my inability to have children so it really hit me. I know now that is not the case and my husband loves me either way just like Asher loves Jesse and would never think that of her.
I know this has become a rather long review. But this was such a good and fun read with of course the signature Kayla spice thrown in there. I love all the moments of Jesse and Asher together! Asher really brought out this confident side of Jesse. I love seeing all their adventures and I had to laugh at the world tallest file cabinet visit as I have seen this in person LOL Asher truly made this experience for Jesse worthwhile and I was glad he had not given up on her.
This is a stand alone book. I recommend this book if you love one nights stand - friends to lovers, best friend's brother and a road trip from coast to coast!
The Queen's Spade by Sarah Raughley
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 28%.
It just wasn’t for me. Wasn’t jiving with the writing and getting confused with the characters
Summer in the City by Alex Aster
4.25
Thank you so much to William Morrow & Harper Collins for the complimentary copy of the book!
This book is out now!
I was a little nervous about reading this one as I saw not so hot reviews of it but honestly I really enjoyed myself! I will admit I did have to rewind some of the audio as work was taking up too much of my time and I was confused on what was happening. But that only had happened once and then I was back on track.
I like that the author made the FMC Elle a successful writer and that she wasn't someone trying to become popular. I also was happy that we didn't have to go through the whole book with Elle pretending she was living in this fancy apartment in NYC and that she was upfront with Parker on the reason why she was staying there. I was though curious how long we would have to wait until the night they originally met was brought up between the two neighbors. And it was probably one of my favorite moments when the revelation came up.
I know a lot of other readers did not like the behavior/attitude of Elle towards Parker especially later on in the book. Parker was so head over heels for Elle and would literally do anything he could to keep her around. She wasn't phased by his money and after their initial meeting two years prior that was least interest her. They both needed each other and thought working together for the summer would benefit them. Elle felt inspired after they met previously and hasn't been able to get past her writer's block and thinks being around him would help her. Parker thought having a girlfriend would give him good press. And of course of the process of fake dating, real feelings begin to develop. Parker was all in and Elle was a little more reserved about it. They had different lives and didn't think it could work.
Money is a very touchy subject for Elle. We learn the reasons why and how it has affected her into her adult life. She is very independent and wants to able to make it without having to rely on anyone. And then you have Parker who has earned all the money he has but always wants to help and spoil those in his life. That is where a lot of the conflict between Elle and Parker come into play. I do feel as if she could have been a little bit more forgiven towards him.
I read this one via audiobook and the narration was done by Diane Guerrero. This was my first book by Diane and it appears that she may be a newbie when it comes to narration. I thought she did a fine job as Elle. I had no issues with listening to the book and the confusion I mention earlier was purely on my part and not on the narration or the way the book was written.
This book also felt like a love letter to New York City. It made me want to go back up there to explore the city. I recommend this book if you are looking for a devoted billionaire boyfriend set across NYC.
This book is out now!
I was a little nervous about reading this one as I saw not so hot reviews of it but honestly I really enjoyed myself! I will admit I did have to rewind some of the audio as work was taking up too much of my time and I was confused on what was happening. But that only had happened once and then I was back on track.
I like that the author made the FMC Elle a successful writer and that she wasn't someone trying to become popular. I also was happy that we didn't have to go through the whole book with Elle pretending she was living in this fancy apartment in NYC and that she was upfront with Parker on the reason why she was staying there. I was though curious how long we would have to wait until the night they originally met was brought up between the two neighbors. And it was probably one of my favorite moments when the revelation came up.
I know a lot of other readers did not like the behavior/attitude of Elle towards Parker especially later on in the book. Parker was so head over heels for Elle and would literally do anything he could to keep her around. She wasn't phased by his money and after their initial meeting two years prior that was least interest her. They both needed each other and thought working together for the summer would benefit them. Elle felt inspired after they met previously and hasn't been able to get past her writer's block and thinks being around him would help her. Parker thought having a girlfriend would give him good press. And of course of the process of fake dating, real feelings begin to develop. Parker was all in and Elle was a little more reserved about it. They had different lives and didn't think it could work.
Money is a very touchy subject for Elle. We learn the reasons why and how it has affected her into her adult life. She is very independent and wants to able to make it without having to rely on anyone. And then you have Parker who has earned all the money he has but always wants to help and spoil those in his life. That is where a lot of the conflict between Elle and Parker come into play. I do feel as if she could have been a little bit more forgiven towards him.
I read this one via audiobook and the narration was done by Diane Guerrero. This was my first book by Diane and it appears that she may be a newbie when it comes to narration. I thought she did a fine job as Elle. I had no issues with listening to the book and the confusion I mention earlier was purely on my part and not on the narration or the way the book was written.
This book also felt like a love letter to New York City. It made me want to go back up there to explore the city. I recommend this book if you are looking for a devoted billionaire boyfriend set across NYC.
Morgana and Oz Vol 2 by Miyuli
4.5
Thank you so much to Webtoon/Wattpad for the gifted copy of this book!
This book is out now!
I read the first volume of this a few months back and really enjoyed it! And the story continues in this volume. The relationship between Morgana and Oz develops a little more in this one. He has so much trust in Morgana and finds her endearing. I was proud of him for standing up to his vampire family when it came to her. Morgana is still trying to trust her instincts and work on her magic more. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Morgana and Oz continues to grow.
I thought this one was a bit more exciting and perhaps because I already knew the characters, I found myself more invested in the story compared to the first. I really wanted to know more about the relationship between Oz and Victor (which I'm hoping we will learn more about in future volumes). I did love the throwback to little Morgana and her meeting Rory/Roland for the first time. And I am glad that they both remembered each other.
The book left on a cliffhanger and now I need to know what is going to happen next!
The graphics of this one is STUNNING. The first volume was beautiful but this one was even more incredible page by page.
This book is out now!
I read the first volume of this a few months back and really enjoyed it! And the story continues in this volume. The relationship between Morgana and Oz develops a little more in this one. He has so much trust in Morgana and finds her endearing. I was proud of him for standing up to his vampire family when it came to her. Morgana is still trying to trust her instincts and work on her magic more. I'm looking forward to seeing how the relationship between Morgana and Oz continues to grow.
I thought this one was a bit more exciting and perhaps because I already knew the characters, I found myself more invested in the story compared to the first. I really wanted to know more about the relationship between Oz and Victor (which I'm hoping we will learn more about in future volumes). I did love the throwback to little Morgana and her meeting Rory/Roland for the first time. And I am glad that they both remembered each other.
The book left on a cliffhanger and now I need to know what is going to happen next!
The graphics of this one is STUNNING. The first volume was beautiful but this one was even more incredible page by page.
Tilt: A Novel by Emma Pattee
3.5
3.5 - Thank you so much to S&S Audio & Libro.Fm for the ALC of this!
Thank you so much to Simon Element for the free copy of the book!
This book is out now!
One of my favorite tropes in books is when a story is told over a short period of time. In this case it was over 1 day. I absolutely love that aspect of it. I love the beginning of this book where a woman is going about her day shopping for a crib for the upcoming arrival of her baby Bean when an earthquake suddenly happens.
My favorite parts were all the parts in the present and as someone who has never fully experienced a natural disaster. I like how we got to see the normalcy of the before, the during and then the aftermath of the destruction it left behind.
What confused me was the parts that was in the past. The format was a little hard to follow via the audiobook. I did have the physical book next to me to reference but until I got used to the switch, it was confusing. And it wasn't until I was speaking to a reader friend and they pointed things out that I think I was missing in the confusion. I do feel like I need to go back to get those emotional connections that I missed. As any major event in someone's life especially one where its a life or death situation occurs, you reflect back on moments in your life that perhaps at the time didn't seem so significant but turned out to be more impactful.
The narrator Ariel Blake kept me engaged while listening and I thought she was able to bring across the rawness of the whole ordeal happening to Annie. The book via audio was a quick listen, clocking in just under 7 hours (physical book is under 250 pages).
I think if you enjoy a book on reflection during chaos - give this one a read!
Thank you so much to Simon Element for the free copy of the book!
This book is out now!
One of my favorite tropes in books is when a story is told over a short period of time. In this case it was over 1 day. I absolutely love that aspect of it. I love the beginning of this book where a woman is going about her day shopping for a crib for the upcoming arrival of her baby Bean when an earthquake suddenly happens.
My favorite parts were all the parts in the present and as someone who has never fully experienced a natural disaster. I like how we got to see the normalcy of the before, the during and then the aftermath of the destruction it left behind.
What confused me was the parts that was in the past. The format was a little hard to follow via the audiobook. I did have the physical book next to me to reference but until I got used to the switch, it was confusing. And it wasn't until I was speaking to a reader friend and they pointed things out that I think I was missing in the confusion. I do feel like I need to go back to get those emotional connections that I missed. As any major event in someone's life especially one where its a life or death situation occurs, you reflect back on moments in your life that perhaps at the time didn't seem so significant but turned out to be more impactful.
The narrator Ariel Blake kept me engaged while listening and I thought she was able to bring across the rawness of the whole ordeal happening to Annie. The book via audio was a quick listen, clocking in just under 7 hours (physical book is under 250 pages).
I think if you enjoy a book on reflection during chaos - give this one a read!
Flirting Lessons by Jasmine Guillory
3.5
Thank you so much to Berkley Romance for the complimentary copy of this ebook & free copy of the book!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
I will always have a soft spot for Jasmine Guillory as she was the first romance reader I have read and really got me back into reading. I was super excited to be given an advance copy of this one especially knowing she was trying something new with a sapphic romance.
The writing itself was typical Jasmine - fun and flirty! There was banter and of course spice. I loved that she showed the complicated relationship between friends and also making friends as an adult (though it was not done intentionally).
Taylor offered to help Avery flirt through a series of lessons as she was new to dating women. What I would have loved to have seen is Taylor actually going on dates with other women. I think this would have helped fueled jealous in Taylor to make her want to pursue Avery on a relationship level and Avery to realize that Taylor is who she likes. Since Avery was new with dating women, I think this would have been good for her to do and to get comfortable with going out on dates and putting the flirting into practice.
As much as I love the cover, I wish we got to see them more dancing! They only went to one class and I think that could have been a way for them to get close if they went to weekly classes together. Or perhaps that could've been how they met.
"Yeah, you don't know if she was serious, but isn't it better to go and maybe do something fun, rather than stay home out of fear? This is low stakes, it's a gardening class. If it's weird or whatever, you just leave! And I get it, rejection sucks and is scary. But the only thing to make it less scary is to face it over and over."
I really like the quote above as I have learned in my thirties that if I want to do something, I need to just do it even if I'm going to be alone, I cannot let fear dictate that because I could be missing out on something fun and worthwhile. I thought that was so smart of Taylor to give that push to Avery. She made this connection with Beth while attempting to pick her up (she did learn she was in a relationship) and Beth was gracious enough to invite her to this gardening club. Avery went and ended up loving it! And not only that she became pretty good friends with Beth.
I did about 60% of this book in tandem with the ebook and then switched to full audio for the last 40%. Since this book was told from 3rd person, there was only one narrator despite having dual point of views. I thought Heidi Franklin did a pretty good job balancing both perspectives but I wish we did have a 2nd narrator to do the other point of view.
I think my biggest issue of this book was that it felt and was long. I am not sure what could have been taken out but it just seemed like it was going on for a long time and I kept losing interest and not wanting to go back to it.
Overall I did enjoy it and wanted to keep reading to see how they end up together. Looking forward to seeing what Jasmine does next!
Thank you so much to PRH Audio for the complimentary ALC!
I will always have a soft spot for Jasmine Guillory as she was the first romance reader I have read and really got me back into reading. I was super excited to be given an advance copy of this one especially knowing she was trying something new with a sapphic romance.
The writing itself was typical Jasmine - fun and flirty! There was banter and of course spice. I loved that she showed the complicated relationship between friends and also making friends as an adult (though it was not done intentionally).
Taylor offered to help Avery flirt through a series of lessons as she was new to dating women. What I would have loved to have seen is Taylor actually going on dates with other women. I think this would have helped fueled jealous in Taylor to make her want to pursue Avery on a relationship level and Avery to realize that Taylor is who she likes. Since Avery was new with dating women, I think this would have been good for her to do and to get comfortable with going out on dates and putting the flirting into practice.
As much as I love the cover, I wish we got to see them more dancing! They only went to one class and I think that could have been a way for them to get close if they went to weekly classes together. Or perhaps that could've been how they met.
"Yeah, you don't know if she was serious, but isn't it better to go and maybe do something fun, rather than stay home out of fear? This is low stakes, it's a gardening class. If it's weird or whatever, you just leave! And I get it, rejection sucks and is scary. But the only thing to make it less scary is to face it over and over."
I really like the quote above as I have learned in my thirties that if I want to do something, I need to just do it even if I'm going to be alone, I cannot let fear dictate that because I could be missing out on something fun and worthwhile. I thought that was so smart of Taylor to give that push to Avery. She made this connection with Beth while attempting to pick her up (she did learn she was in a relationship) and Beth was gracious enough to invite her to this gardening club. Avery went and ended up loving it! And not only that she became pretty good friends with Beth.
I did about 60% of this book in tandem with the ebook and then switched to full audio for the last 40%. Since this book was told from 3rd person, there was only one narrator despite having dual point of views. I thought Heidi Franklin did a pretty good job balancing both perspectives but I wish we did have a 2nd narrator to do the other point of view.
I think my biggest issue of this book was that it felt and was long. I am not sure what could have been taken out but it just seemed like it was going on for a long time and I kept losing interest and not wanting to go back to it.
Overall I did enjoy it and wanted to keep reading to see how they end up together. Looking forward to seeing what Jasmine does next!