My Favorite Read of February 2023: The Happily Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez

“This was just a season, and there’s beauty in all seasons. Even if you are looking forward to the next one.”

Abby Jimenez, The Happy Ever After Playlist

Goodreads Synopsis:

Two years after losing her fiancé, Sloan Monroe still can’t seem to get her life back on track. But one trouble-making pup with a “take me home” look in his eyes is about to change everything. With her new pet by her side, Sloan finally starts to feel more like herself. Then, after weeks of unanswered texts, Tucker’s owner reaches out. He’s a musician on tour in Australia. And bottom line: He wants Tucker back.

Well, Sloan’s not about to give up her dog without a fight. As their flirty texts turn into long calls, Sloan can’t deny a connection. There’s no telling what could happen when they meet in person. The question is: With his music career on the rise, how long will Jason really stick around? And is it possible for Sloan to survive another heartbreak?

My Thoughts:

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about this book. I really liked Sloan and Brandon’s relationship in The Friend Zone and his death felt unnecessaary to the plot (I later learned that Jimenez wrote this book first and went back and wrote The Friend Zone). While the relationship between Sloan and Jason moved quickly, it still respected Sloan’s history. Even thought Jason was all-in from the beginning, he understood that Sloan would need some time. At times I found the drama frustrating, but I think it was realistic to what it would be like to be in a relationship with someone in the public eye.

What I liked about this book:

Even though Jason helped pull Sloan out of her grief, it was clear that Sloan had found her own strength
Tucker: the dog knows what he wants and how to get it
Jason is the perfect combination for a modern romantic hero: Hot Rock Star and Sweet dog-lover
Balance of humor and serious scenes

March 1, 2023

Favorite Read of November 2022: How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior

Life can be generous. It can heal the heart and whisper that it’s always possible to start again, never too late to make a difference. It asserts that there are many, many things worth living for. And one of those things—one of the most unexpectedly joyful things of all—is penguins.
-Hazel Prior, How the Penguins Saved Veronica

Goodreads Synopsis:

Eighty-five-year-old Veronica McCreedy is estranged from her family and wants to find a worthwhile cause to leave her fortune to. When she sees a documentary about penguins being studied in Antarctica, she tells the scientists she’s coming to visit—and won’t take no for an answer. Shortly after arriving, she convinces the reluctant team to rescue an orphaned baby penguin. He becomes part of life at the base, and Veronica’s closed heart starts to open.

Her grandson, Patrick, comes to Antarctica to make one last attempt to get to know his grandmother. Together, Veronica, Patrick, and even the scientists learn what family, love, and connection are all about.

My Thoughts:

It’s not secret I love penguins, and I kept hearing wonderful things about this book. So, my expectations were really high going into the book. It lived up to all of them.

What I liked about this book:

It’s filled with penguin facts
Veronica is a spunky 85-year-old protagonist
It shows that it’s never too late to change your life
Patrick, the adopted penguin, is a great character
Did I mention there are penguins?

December 1, 2022

Favorite Read of October 2022: Words in Deep Blue by Cath Crowley

Words matter, in fact. They’re not pointless, as you’ve suggested. If they were pointless, then they couldn’t start revolutions and they wouldn’t change history. If they were just words, we wouldn’t write songs or listen to them. We wouldn’t beg to be read to as kids. If they were just words, then stories wouldn’t have been around since before we could write. We wouldn’t have learned to write. If they were just words, people wouldn’t fall in love because of them, feel bad because of them, ache because of them, and stop aching because of them.
Cath Crowley, Words in Deep Blue

Goodreads Synopsis:

Years ago, Rachel had a crush on Henry Jones. The day before she moved away, she tucked a love letter into his favorite book in his family’s bookshop. She waited. But Henry never came.

Now Rachel has returned to the city—and to the bookshop—to work alongside the boy she’d rather not see, if at all possible, for the rest of her life. But Rachel needs the distraction, and the escape. Her brother drowned months ago, and she can’t feel anything anymore. She can’t see her future.

Henry’s future isn’t looking too promising, either. His girlfriend dumped him. The bookstore is slipping away. And his family is breaking apart.

As Henry and Rachel work side by side—surrounded by books, watching love stories unfold, exchanging letters between the pages—they find hope in each other. Because life may be uncontrollable, even unbearable sometimes. But it’s possible that words, and love, and second chances are enough.

My Thoughts:

I am always drawn to books that are centered around bibliophiles. Usually the protagonists in these books are well into adulthood. I liked that this was a new adult book, showing a young man who loves books and poetry. There is drama and misunderstandings, but I felt like they rang true for that age.

What I liked about this book:

Their bookstore has a library where customers exchange notes in the books. I loved this concept, and the excerpts were an innovative technique for adding depth to the story.
There is a deep appreciation for the power of words in this book, balancing Henry’s love of poetry and Rachel’s love of science.
Rachel is dealing with her brother’s death and how to move on without feeling guilty. She and Henry have a lot of deep discussions about life and death.
George and Martin are fantastic side characters. Even though the central romance is between Henry and Rachel, I was more drawn to their story. George is Henry’s cynical sister, but Martin wiggles his way into her heart by refusing to take her insults personally.

November 1, 2022

Favorite Read of September 2022

The ones that speak to me are those whose final pages admit there is no going back. That every good thing must end. That every bad thing does too, that everything does.

That is what I’m looking for every time I flip to the back of a book, compulsively checking for proof that in a life where so many things have gone wrong, there can be beauty too. That there is always hope, no matter what.
Emily Henry, Book Lovers

Goodreads Synopsis:

Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.

Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.

If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.

My Thoughts

I read a lot of great books this month. So much so that I am planning on adding and honorable mentions post. Book Lovers took the honor because I felt the deepest connection. I love Hallmark movies, but I keep thinking that I want a twist where they don’t want to stay in the small town. That’s what this is, a look at the other side. The person who usually gets dumped in the movies because they love their jobs and city life. Even though I’m more of a small-town girl, I loved the way Nora and Charlie were so dedicated to helping their family. As someone dipping her toes into the writing world, I also really liked the behind-the-scenes view of the publishing industry.

What I liked about this book

Nora and Charlie are both great characters
The book is a good mix of humor and sentiment
Even though Charlie and Nora had bad first impressions of each other, they didn’t drag it out too long once they finally realized they had a lot in common
The relationship between Nora and her sister Libby

My Favorite Read of August 2022

“Libraries are like a net, there to catch those of us in danger of falling through the cracks.”
Freya Sampson, The Last Chance Library

Goodreads Synopsis

June Jones emerges from her shell to fight for her beloved local library, and through the efforts and support of an eclectic group of library patrons, she discovers life-changing friendships along the way.

Lonely librarian June Jones has never left the sleepy English village where she grew up. Shy and reclusive, the thirty-year-old would rather spend her time buried in books than venture out into the world. But when her library is threatened with closure, June is forced to emerge from behind the shelves to save the heart of her community and the place that holds the dearest memories of her mother.

Joining a band of eccentric yet dedicated locals in a campaign to keep the library, June opens herself up to other people for the first time since her mother died. It just so happens that her old school friend Alex Chen is back in town and willing to lend a helping hand. The kindhearted lawyer’s feelings for her are obvious to everyone but June, who won’t believe that anyone could ever care for her in that way.

To save the place and the books that mean so much to her, June must finally make some changes to her life. For once, she’s determined not to go down without a fight. And maybe, in fighting for her cherished library, June can save herself, too.

My Thoughts

There’s no lack of books featuring an introverted millennial who spends their life absorbed in books, avoiding real life. That is until their beloved bookstore or library comes under threat, and they must step out of their comfort zone to save it. Naturally, a handsome potential love interest will show up as well, and they must learn to risk their heart. While it might be turning into a cliche, there’s a reason these books are so popular. They leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a sense of belonging with the reading community. The Last Chance Library was both funny and touching. I really liked the way it emphasized the role of a library in a community beyond just providing books.

What I liked about this book:

the group of “pensioners” occupying the library was so funny
the way June and Alex shared books with each other to convert the other to their favorite genre
even the minor characters were well developed and showed different sides
it’s about the love of books!

My Favorite Read of April 2022

I’ve been waiting for this one. I finished reading it on April 2, but already knew it was going to be my favorite read of the month. It’s not just my favorite read for April, it’s one of my favorite reads ever.

Goodreads Synopsis

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace Price from his own funeral, Wallace suspects he really might be dead.

Instead of leading him directly to the afterlife, the reaper takes him to a small village. On the outskirts, off the path through the woods, tucked between mountains, is a particular tea shop, run by a man named Hugo. Hugo is the tea shop’s owner to locals and the ferryman to souls who need to cross over.

But Wallace isn’t ready to abandon the life he barely lived. With Hugo’s help he finally starts to learn about all the things he missed in life.

When the Manager, a curious and powerful being, arrives at the tea shop and gives Wallace one week to cross over, Wallace sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Under the Whispering Door is a contemporary fantasy about a ghost who refuses to cross over and the ferryman he falls in love with.

Things I loved about this book

Original concept: I loved this interpretation of the afterlife, where people are given time on Earth to adapt to being dead before crossing over
The characters: There are so many great, diverse characters in this book.
The message: the story has a great message about how to live your life and what really matters
Humor: When I read the description of this book, I had no idea how funny it would be. Not many books make me both laugh and cry, and this one did

May 1, 2022

My Favorite Read for December 2021

Goodreads synopsis:

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her meddlesome mother calls for her even more meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, a dead body proves to be a lot more challenging to dispose of than one might anticipate, especially when it is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to the over-the-top billionaire wedding Meddy, her Ma, and aunties are working at an island resort on the California coastline. It’s the biggest job yet for the family wedding business—”Don’t leave your big day to chance, leave it to the Chans!“—and nothing, not even an unsavory corpse, will get in the way of her auntie’s perfect buttercream flowers.

But things go from inconvenient to downright torturous when Meddy’s great college love—and biggest heartbreak—makes a surprise appearance amid the wedding chaos. Is it possible to escape murder charges, charm her ex back into her life, and pull off a stunning wedding all in one weekend?

My thoughts:

This was such a fun read. When her blind date is too aggressive, Meddy accidentally kills him. The situation snowballs and soon Meddy, her mother and aunts are in the middle of a huge cover-up. While the situation is crazy, Sutanto does a great job creating insane , yet realistic, family dynamics.

This book is perfect for readers who like

…loving, meddling families

… second generation immigrant stories

… crazy, humorous situations

… second chance romance

January 2, 2022

My favorite Read for September 2021

One of the first metaphors we learn as children is “Do not judge a book by its cover”. In the case of The Bookstore on the Beach by Brenda Novak, I made the mistake of judging a book by its title.

I saw the title The Bookstore on the Beach, would be a perfect end of summer read. I assumed it would be a light “beach read” for booklovers. In reality, neither the bookstore nor the beach are significant to the plot, other than providing a setting, and the issues are anything but light.

The conflicts in the novel are a refreshing contrast to secret affairs that permeate women’s fiction. Shifting between four different points of view, Novak follows the typical themes of family secrets and self-discovery with unique twists. Mary (the matriarch), Autumn (Mary’s daughter), Taylor (Autumn’s daughter) and Quinn (Autumn’s high school crush and new love interest) each experience issues, which would be national-news-worthy.

One of my biggest pet peeves in literature is when minor problems are turned into major issues that could’ve been easily solved if the character simply told the truth. There were plenty of secrets, but the characters had solid reasons for keeping them. When secrets were revealed, the others were upset enough to be realistic, but ultimately empathetic and forgiving. Therefore, even though there were serious issues in the book, I still got the warm fuzzy feeling I wanted.

If you want a book that is pure lighthearted fun, this probably isn’t the book for you. However, if you want more grit to the story, while still keeping the warm-hearted feel of a Hallmark movie, this is the book for you.

October 2, 2021