Review: You Are Here (by David Nicholls)

My Rating: 3 stars

I had decided to pick up David Nicholls’s You Are Here because so many of my book friends loved it, so when my audiobook hold finally came through, I was excited to finally read this, as there were so many aspects of it that seemed to be right up my alley:  smart and funny protagonists, witty banter, heartwarming humor, characters that are realistically written, a love story rather than pure romance, etc.  I liked all the characters well enough, especially Marnie and Michael, who were relatable and realistic, and as a romance novel, I appreciated the not-as-common premise where two middle-aged protagonists unexpectedly get a second chance at finding love while on a 10-day hike through England.  With so many things going for it, I was truly expecting to fall head-over-heels in love with the story like all my friends did. 

Yet for some reason, I found it difficult to get into this one.  Perhaps it was the slow start to the story, as Nicholls does take quite a bit of time to set things up, and also the structure, where each (short) chapter hopped back and forth between Marnie’s and Michael’s perspectives in seemingly quick succession, which felt a bit dizzying and also made it hard to get to know each of the characters deeply.  It also perhaps wasn’t a good idea to listen to this one on audio, especially at the speed that I’m usually most comfortable with (1.25x).  While the two narrators were lively and entertaining, it was hard to understand what they were saying at times due to the accents not translating well at higher speeds – whenever this happened, I would pause the audio and locate the same spot in the book so I could see what I missed.  This repeated “stop-and-go” got a bit tiresome after a while, not to mention it took me out of the story so often that it started to negatively impact my reading experience.  Specifically, this became a somewhat tedious read which, overall, made me enjoy it much less than I initially anticipated.  About halfway through the audio, I decided to switch over to the e-book version and while that worked a lot better for me, as I was able to read the book through without stopping, it was, unfortunately, a bit too late by then. 

I think the lesson learned here for me is to choose carefully when deciding which books to listen to on audio versus which ones to read in print, and definitely to do more research before diving in, since the impact to the reading experience can be quite significant.

I may try this again at some point down the road, as my book friends don’t usually steer me wrong and I think in this case, I just picked the wrong medium with which to experience this one. If I do end up taking another stab at this, definitely will go with the print version.

Received ARC from Harper via NetGalley.

Review: Dolly All The Time (by Annabel Monaghan)

My Rating: 5 stars

I’m usually not much of a romance reader, not because of anything wrong with the genre, but mostly because of my own misplaced biases when it comes to real-life romantic relationships.  For the most part, my general attitude toward romantic love is a cynical one (probably attributable to the fact that I’ve seen and/or experienced my fair share of bad relationships in real life), to the point that, over the years, I’ve pretty much internalized the romance trope of “happily ever after” as a fictional illusion that only occurs in fairy tales.  Okay, to put it more bluntly – since I’ve never bought into the idea of “happily ever after,” it makes sense that given this concept’s prevalence in romance novels as well as my lack of belief in its existence (in reality that is), I’m generally not interested in reading about it over and over again in romance novels.  That being said, this doesn’t mean that I don’t read romances at all, rather it means that I am incredibly picky with the romances I do choose to read.  While there isn’t any specific “criteria” per se in terms of what types of romances I prefer to read or not to read, I do tend to be drawn to those that have more or less the following elements: 1) a strong female protagonist with a growth arc that allows her character to evolve and grow (basically the opposite of the stereotypical “damsel in distress” trope), 2) witty banter (the fun and non-offensive kind), whether between the main couple or the other characters in the story, 3) a believable main couple that I can root for (if they have sizzling chemistry, all the better, lol), 4) humor, whether ironic or sardonic, as long as it’s not hurtful or mean, 5) delightful, funny, and/or endearing supporting characters (which sometimes can make or break a story even more than the main couple), and 6) emotional depth that has the ability to make me both laugh and cry. [Sidenote: If you’re thinking at this point that it sounds like I’m describing a Jane Austen novel, you would be absolutely right, since Austen is one of my favorite authors].

Annabel Monaghan’s newest work, Dolly All the Time, is exactly one of those romances that encompasses all 6 of the above elements, and then some!  The main protagonist, Dolly, is capable, competent, dependable, hardworking, yet at the same time also has a fun personality – I was drawn to her from the start.  But more than anything, I connected with Dolly on a deeper level because of her role as a caretaker – a reliable “fixer” who finds it “easier to take care of things than to ask for help,” resulting in her putting everyone else’s needs in front of her own. I’ve been the main breadwinner and caretaker of my family since I was 18 years old (I’m in my forties now) and, like Dolly, my “whole identity [was] tied up in doing everything for everyone.” I’ve never known how to not be responsible, to not fix things, to not try to help come up with a solution to a problem. At one point in the book, Dolly notes the following: “One thing about caretakers is they are never carefree.  Without our cares, we’d just be takers like everyone else.” This is probably my favorite quote from the book because it so succinctly encapsulates the essence of who Dolly is as person, but at the same time, it also captures perfectly what those of us who are lifelong caretakers instinctively understand:  that we will always have a fear of asking for things for ourselves not because it goes against our selfless natures, but rather, because we can’t afford to be selfish, especially when everyone is relying on us to keep all the plates constantly spinning. And it is precisely because of this that I cried tears of joy when Dolly, in falling in love with Stewart, finds it in herself to let go and loosen up, even if only for a little while: “My favorite thing about myself…is that I don’t need help.  I make do.  I’m someone who can make something out of nothing.  This summer I loosened up on that a little, sort of pretending I was a different kind of person.  I wasn’t gripping my righteousness so tightly…I actually felt like myself, just not so tired.  Not thinking of every single other person before myself.  I’d like to figure out how to be her all the time.”

With the character of Dolly, Monaghan created a character so relatable that I honestly never want to stop reading about her.  I feel like I have so much to learn from Dolly — through her, I see what’s possible, the light at the end of the tunnel.  I honestly haven’t felt so inspired by a book in a long time and yes, I want to hold onto that feeling for a while longer (which is one reason why aim taking my precious time writing this review).  I love this book so much that, as soon as I finished it, I went and added all of Annabel Monaghan’s books to my TBR (and hope to incorporate as many of them as I can in between my other reads, especially during times when I’m craving a lighthearted pick-me-up).  

Given how much I loved this book, it’s probably quite obvious that I would highly recommend it, but more so, I would actually recommend listening to the audio version narrated by the inimitable Julia Whelan (one of my favorite audiobook narrators).  Her performance of this book truly elevated it to the highest levels — for me, it definitely made the difference between a 4-4.5 star read to a solid 5 stars! 

Review: The Other Side of Disappearing (by Kate Clayborn)

My Rating: 3.5 stars

As has probably been evident from the sparseness of my postings in recent weeks, I've been a bit behind on my leisure reading lately.  Don't get me wrong — I've definitely been reading a lot, everyday in fact, it's just that most of it is stuff I need to read for class so that I can complete my assignments.  With that said however, in not wanting to sacrifice my leisure reading too much, I've been trying to find a better balance between work, family, and grad school obligations so that I can get to as many of the books on my teetering TBR as possible (albeit at a slower pace than usual). 

One of the books on my list from last month is Kate Clayborn's newest romance The Other Side of Disappearing.  Since I don't read a lot of romance overall, I usually go off recommendations from friends when it comes to this genre and Clayborn came highly recommended.  I can definitely see why, as Clayborn's romance feels different from ones that I've read in the past — it's written in a way that leaves much food for thought.  The story is narrated in the first person and alternates between the perspectives of the main couple, Jess Greene and Adam Hawkins.  Adam is employed by Broadside Media, where he is assigned to  work with veteran journalist Salem Durant, whose popular podcast about con artist Lynton Baltimore catapulted her to fame over a decade ago.  That podcast resulted in some unfinished business and Salem wants nothing more than to track Baltimore down in order to tie up that particular loose end. The opportunity arises when they are contacted by Tegan Caulfield, whose mother Charlotte abandoned her 10 years ago when she ran away with her then-boyfriend (whom Tegan finds out is actually con man Baltimore). With some clues Tegan provides, they arrange to go on a search for Charlotte, which they hope will also lead them to Baltimore.  When Tegan's half-sister Jess finds out about the plans, she insists on going along so she can protect the sister whom she has raised since their mother's abandonment.  On this road trip "adventure," all four characters end up discovering things about themselves that ultimately change the course of their lives.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read and a fun way to take a break from so much heavy academic reading.  One of the things that stood out to me with this story is the interesting angle that Clayborn took with the main theme of "disappearing" — she goes beyond the literal definition of the word and instead goes deeper to explore the various forms that "disappearing" can take (not just the physical, but also the emotional, mental, spiritual, etc).  The nuanced way that some of the themes were explored added a little bit of a philosophical bent to the story, which I appreciated.  

My one complaint would be that I found it difficult to connect with the characters for some reason.  I liked the characters for the most part and Adam and Jess as a couple was one I could stand behind and root for (which I did, of course), but I didn't feel as much of an emotional connection as I was expecting. Regardless though, I would definitely read more by this author if the opportunity were to arise.

Received ARC from Kensington via NetGalley.

Review: Good Fortune (by C.K. Chau)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

As a long time Jane Austen fan, I've re-read her most popular (and well-known) novel Pride and Prejudice more times than I can count since encountering it for the first time back in 8th grade (don't ask me how long ago that was, lol).  Given how much I love P&P (it's definitely one of my favorite novels of all time), I've always been extremely wary of any books that attempt to retell or reimagine the classic in any way, shape, or form — that is to say, I try to avoid reading any retellings as much as possible.  With that said, there are occasions (albeit rare) where I'm drawn to a book precisely because of its P&P and/or Austen adjacent angle and end up really glad that I decided to give the book a chance due to how much I enjoyed the experience.  C.K. Chau's debut novel Good Fortune, a contemporary retelling of P&P set in New York's Chinatown, fit the bill perfectly. 

I was actually first drawn to this book out of curiosity, as I was interested in seeing what a Chinese-American spin on P&P would look like. Then, after I read the premise, I was even more interested, as I saw that the book would combine several things that were long familiar to me — the Pride and Prejudice story, Chinese culture and traditions, an immigrant family story, cultural identity, and best of all, an entire cast of characters who were all ethnically Chinese (with the exception of one character).  Once I started reading the book however, I was even more delighted to discover that the family at the center of the story (as well as most of the major characters) were all from Hong Kong (my birth city), and more importantly, the entire story would be permeated with not just Chinese culture, but more specifically Cantonese culture (which is what I grew up with and know very well).  I can't emphasize enough how rare it is to see Cantonese culture — my culture — represented so authentically in a mainstream American novel (and it's even more refreshing to see both the good and the not-so-good aspects represented).  I loved how Chau was able to seamlessly work in so many elements from a culture that I was more than familiar with:  the family-run Chinese restaurant where everyone was expected to chip in to keep the business afloat; the nosy and gossipy neighborhood aunties with their relentlessly prying questions (one of my favorite scenes in the book was during Alexa's wedding when the 5 Chen sisters were forced to politely endure the way-too-personal rapid-fire questions from a bunch of oblivious aunties — a "ritual" that I've endured countless times growing up, lol); the Cantonese turns-of-phrases sprinkled throughout the dialogue (in addition to the actual Cantonese words, I got a kick out of seeing colloquialisms such as "ai ya" and "aa" and the "la" at the end of some sentences); the descriptions of local Cantonese cuisine and dishes that, frankly, made me salivate; the Hong Kong pop culture references (I laughed when I saw TVB dramas mentioned at one point in the story); and what I loved most of all, the weekly Cantonese family tradition of yum cha (aka dim sum) — in one (amongst many) of my favorite scenes, Chau perfectly captured the "mad chaos" yum cha experience as we Cantonese are used to experiencing it: the standing room only wait amongst a sea of people for your number to be called, the musical chairs dance / fight for a table, the designated person in the family responsible for chasing down the aunties with the dim sum carts, then getting back to the table only to find that the only food left is whatever you have in your hand (which you had to claw tooth and nail to get), the entire meal taking up most of your morning, only to leave hungrier than when you first arrived…my first thought when I read that entire scene was that only someone who grew up immersed in the Cantonese culture could write a scene like that (needless to say, I LOVED IT!!!). 

Of course, what would a P&P retelling be without the P&P story elements?  In this aspect, I felt that Chau did a brilliant job.  It was fascinating to see how she brought the story from 19th century Regency England to 21st century contemporary America, while also adapting to the modern sensibilities of the times.  Most of the characters we're  familiar with are here (though some with different names and backgrounds):  the Chen family headed by the father Vincent (who, like Mr Bennett, is constantly seeking peace from the chaos of the household), the mother Jade (a high-strung hypochondriac), and 5 daughters Jane, Elizabeth (nicknamed LB in the story), Mary, Kitty, and Lydia;  Darcy Wong, his sister Geo (short for Georgiana); his friend Brendan Lee who has 2 sisters named Caroline and Louisa; Charlotte Luo (LB's best friend); Geoffrey Collins (yes, that Collins), who is the only non-Chinese character in the story; Lady Catherine (yes, there is a character actually named "Right Honorable Lady Catherine") and of course, the main villain Wickham (though he is not called anything close to Wickham in the story, but P&P fans will instantly recognize him as the Wickham equivalent). In terms of plot points, Chau definitely adapted the story to modern times — replacing marriage proposals with job offers, an email confession instead of a handwritten letter, fundraising galas instead of elaborate society balls, etc. (just a few examples). And YES, Pemberley absolutely makes an appearance (but you will have to read the book to find out how and what).  Oh and there is PLENTY of Austen-style humor in here too (gosh, I can't remember the last time I laughed so often while reading a novel).

A quick mention regarding our favorite couple (how could I resist?) — the Elizabeth in this story was actually more "bad-ass" than Austen's original version, which I found interesting and cool (I ended up liking this version of Elizabeth as much as I did our beloved Lizzie).  In terms of the character of Darcy in this story — he was ok, but it was honestly hard for me to picture a Chinese Darcy…regardless though, I think it's going to be a losing battle no matter who tries to "become" Darcy, as whenever I hear that name, the only face that will forever come to mind is Colin Firth's (lol).

By now, it's probably pretty obvious how much I loved this one (though part of me is still a bit surprised).  While it's not necessary to have read Pride and Prejudice prior to reading this one (since the story works pretty well on its own), the reading experience is definitely a lot more fun and enjoyable if you're familiar with the original story (and it's a bonus if you're familiar with the culture aspects as well).  This clever and charming story ended up being the P&P retelling that I didn't know I wanted to read.  I can't wait to see what C.K. Chau has in store for us next!

Received ARC from HarperVia Publishing via NetGalley.

Review: Talking at Night (by Claire Daverly)

My Rating:  4.5 stars

One thing I wanted to establish right off the bat:  this is one of those books that is hard to place into any one genre, since it's technically a mix of several, however I would strongly caution against classifying it as a typical "romance" novel.  Sure, there's a "love story" at the core of this one, with a main "couple" that it's pretty much impossible NOT to root for (more on this later), but there is actually so much more to the story than that.  This is a story with a tremendous amount of emotional depth and nuance, told in a way that is raw, honest, heartfelt, and realistic.  

When the story first starts out, it might seem, on the surface, like "romance trope" territory:  a shy and soft-spoken good girl (who is also an ardent rule-follower) falls in love with a handsome bad boy whom we find out actually has a heart of gold despite his tortured past — but then tragedy tears them apart and they end up going down very different paths, seemingly forever…yet somehow the deep connection they share keeps pulling them back into each other's orbit. That's the general premise, but as the story progresses, we come to realize that there is so much more beneath the surface that, in the end, elevates things to a level beyond a simple love story.  There is love, yes, but also family, friendship, parental expectations, unrequited longing, missed opportunities, regret, tragedy, death, etc…and a roller coaster ride of feelings and emotions both heavy-hitting as well as lighthearted. Throughout it all — despite how many times I felt incredibly frustrated with Rosie's indecisiveness, or how many times I felt incredibly sad seeing Will's pain and anguish dredged up over and over again, or how many times this "couple" broke my heart, put it back together, then broke it all over again — I could not help rooting for them, steadfastly, unequivocally, from beginning to end.  I didn't always agree with their decisions, of course (in fact, I found myself yelling at them more than once), and truth be told that I was a bit more partial toward Will than Rosie (because, um, how could anyone not be after what he does in the later part of the story), but I still ended up loving both of them regardless.

A few comments on the writing, which I personally thought was beautifully done. I felt that there was a lyrical, rhythmic nature to the writing that seemed to ebb and flow alongside Will and Rosie's tumultuous relationship.  Now there will be aspects of the writing that may not sit well with some readers — for example, the lack of quotation marks for the dialogue, some random words and phrases that don't seem to express a complete thought, some sentences that run on for entire paragraphs — but if you become as immersed in the story as I was, you probably won't notice any of these things after awhile (as I didn't).  

This was Claire Daverly's debut novel, though it definitely didn't read like one, at least to me.  There's no doubt that I will be on the lookout for more from Daverly in the future.  In the meantime, if you're looking for a story that's poignant, powerful, and heartfelt, with believable characters that you won't be able to stop yourself from caring about, I definitely recommend picking this one up!

Received ARC from Pamela Dorman Books via NetGalley.

Review: Romantic Comedy (by Curtis Sittenfeld)

My Rating:  3 stars



I'm not a huge fan of contemporary romance novels, and rom-coms especially can be a bit of a "hit or miss" for me.  With that said though, I don't mind picking one up now and then as a palate-cleanser in between heavier reads —  which is why, when one of my book clubs put Curtis Sittenfeld's newest rom-com, Romantic Comedy, on my radar, I decided to go for it, even though the premise didn't really appeal to me.  

Structure-wise, the entire book is divided into 3 long chapters. Chapter 1  revolves around "The Night Owls" (a late night live comedy show similar to SNL) storyline, where one of the sketch writers, Sally Milz, meets handsome pop star Noah Brewster when he guests hosts for one week and they collaborate on a series of sketches for the show.  Chapter 2 takes place almost 2 years later and is told in an epistolary format, consisting of email correspondence between Noah and Sally. Chapter 3, of course, is where Noah and Sally finally hook up and become a couple.

For me, even though chapter 1 was the most interesting arc in the entire story (and hewed closest to the premise), it took me quite a while to get into it.  I think this was mostly because, nowadays, I don't watch a whole lot of English-language TV shows anymore (I used to watch TONS when I was growing up), plus I've never really been a fan of SNL (I can't even remember the last time I watched an episode of the show…maybe decades ago?), so much of what went on during this chapter felt a bit tedious to me (not to mention I most likely didn't catch any of the pop culture references to the real SNL show, so the entire arc was less meaningful to me).  I actually enjoyed chapter 2 a lot more, probably because I have an affinity for the epistolary storytelling format (it's one of my favorite formats), for one, and two, I like reading fun, witty banter and there was plenty of that in this section.  Chapter 3 was run-of-the-mill romance stuff, which was fine, but not really my jam (oh and just a heads up that this section does get a bit "spicy" in places, in case that matters to those who decide to pick this up).  When it comes down to it, I think what I ended up enjoying the most from the entire story was the "girl power" friendship between Sally, Vivian, and Henrietta, and how they were always there for each other through everything, which I found to be very moving (though yes, their hilarious banter back-and-forth cracked me up as well).

Overall, this was a quick, entertaining read, and both fun as well as funny in places, but I think this was written more for a niche audience (fans of SNL, for example), who will likely enjoy and appreciate this story way more than I did.

Review: Book Lovers (by Emily Henry)

My Rating:  4 stars

Recently, aside from reading a lot of non-fiction books (mostly related to my writing project), many of my fiction reads have been on the "serious" and "heavy" side.  Don't get me wrong though — I'm not complaining, not in the least, especially since all of those reads have been good ones.  Coincidentally though, I've also got a lot going on right now, both at work and in my personal life, resulting in fatigue and exhaustion from my stress levels being at a consistently high point.  Because of this, I felt like I needed a little bit of a break from heavier reads at the moment — I wanted something light and warm-hearted, with "feel-good" vibes that I could count on as a guarantee to lift my spirits. In going through my shelves, I came across the latest Emily Henry rom-com Book Lovers, which I had bought when it came out back in May, but hadn't gotten the chance to read yet, so I decided to go for it.  It turns out this book was the perfect choice, as it provided the exact "pick-me-up" that I was looking for, but also had emotional depth and well-drawn characters (two elements that are always important to me).

While it's true that I'm not usually a fan of romances because most are too trope-heavy for my tastes (plus I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to this love and romance stuff), there are times when I come across a romantic tale that meets the moment for me timing-wise and this was definitely one of them.  I had actually read both of Emily Henry's previous rom-coms (Beach Read and People We Meet on Vacation) and while both were enjoyable overall, I didn't take to either of those books the way I did to this one.  Perhaps it's because the main protagonist in this one, Nora Stephens, is a character I could actually relate to: a career woman who works hard to build a financially secure life for herself in order to ensure her family is always well-taken care of, but at the expense of her own hopes, dreams, and desires.  In addition to constantly "fixing" everyone else's problems while neglecting her own, Nora also sacrifices her dream job as an editor in favor of one as a literary agent that pays well, but is cutthroat and requires her to work constantly.  She also doesn't allow herself to have a love life because that would require too much emotional investment — something she doesn't have time for anyway but also because letting her guard down and allowing her vulnerabilities to show are absolutely not options for her (as she mentions herself at one point, she hasn't cried in over a decade because it's not something she can afford to do).  I actually saw a lot of myself in Nora, which is probably why I was able to resonate with her character so deeply.  Of course, it also made me root for her and Charlie even more, despite the fact that I already knew they would definitely have a happy ending no matter what (this IS a rom-com after all).

One of the things that has become a "trademark" of sorts with Henry's books is the witty banter between the main couple in the story and in this one, there was plenty of it, which I loved.  The banter between Nora and Charlie was funny, smart, and oh so satisfying to read — I can't remember the last time I had so much fun following two characters' back-and-forth dialogue. 

Another dynamic that made this book more endearing to me than Henry's previous rom-coms was the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby.  I love the way Henry wrote their relationship — each scene where the two of them were together, there was a genuineness and ease to their relationship that jumped off the page for me (not to mention that it made me wish I had a sister).  

In addition, I also enjoyed the "bookish" thread that ran through the entire story.  Aside from having both main characters work in the world of book publishing, there were also many book references, quotes, and puns that book nerds like me are sure to appreciate. 

This was definitely my favorite of Emily Henry's rom-coms and while it didn't change my sentiment toward rom-coms and romances in general (I'm still not much of a fan), it was absolutely a welcome departure from my usual reads.  I also just found out that Henry has a new book scheduled to release in April of next year — that one doesn't have a bookish vibe like this one, but I still look forward to reading it.

Review: Under the Golden Sun (by Jenny Ashcroft)

My Rating: 4 stars

I remember starting off my 2021 reading year last year with Jenny Ashcroft's previous novel Meet Me in Bombay, which I had been apprehensive about at first, but ended up truly enjoying.  At the time, Ashcroft was a "new-to-me" author writing in a genre (historical romance) that could sometimes be a "hit or miss" category for me. After having enjoyed that novel, I went into her newest release, Under the Golden Sun, with higher expectations and I'm happy to report that this one definitely did not disappoint.  In fact, I actually ended up enjoying this one more, perhaps because I found the story more emotionally resonant, for one, and two, I loved all the characters in here — Rose, Walter, Max, Vivian, Esme, Lauren, etc. — to the point that I didn't want their story to end.  

Of course, going into this, I already knew it would be a love story, but unlike Ashcroft's previous novel, this one definitely felt more well-balanced in terms of the way the historical elements and setting (Australia during WWII period) were incorporated into the story. In other words, the love story didn't overwhelm the plot, but rather complemented it.  Much of this is attributed to the beautiful, atmospheric writing, with its vividly-rendered descriptions of the lush Australian landscape against the backdrop of the historical events of the time period.  Even though there were moments of frustration with some of the characters and at times, I felt like yelling out in exasperation during a few scenes, I found myself captivated by the story overall and felt compelled to keep turning the pages in order to find out what happens to these characters that eventually grew on me.  

One thing that surprised me about my reading experience with this book is the resonance I felt with the story, especially on an emotional level.  I wasn't expecting this book to both make me laugh and make me cry at various points of the story, but that's exactly what it did.  I appreciate a book that makes me feel as much as one that makes me ponder and reflect and this one definitely fits the bill.  With this newest release, Ashcroft adds yet another solid historical novel to her repertoire— I can't wait to read what she comes out with next!

Received ARC from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley

Review: Eight Perfect Hours (by Lia Louis)

My Rating:  4 stars

As I'm sure it has been for many, I found the past two months to be especially difficult and stressful — part of this is because of everything going on in the world right now and the resulting negativity that seems to have permeated every corner of the globe.  On a personal level, having to deal with various concerns and issues related to work and family has been tremendously draining, to the point that, most days, I feel too exhausted to do anything that requires any level of sustained concentration.  Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, this has also started to affect my reading life in that my inability to focus has made reading certain types of books more challenging.  It also didn't help that my last couple of reads have been more on the heavy side, with a few that actually bordered on depressing.  

Given all of the above, I was at the point where I was in desperate need of a "palette cleanser"-type read that would help me forget about my worries (albeit temporarily) and hopefully get my reading life back on track. It is within this context that I decided to pick up Lia Louis's forthcoming release Eight Perfect Hours to read, even though a) I'm not usually a fan of romances, especially rom-coms,  b) I'm a bit of a cynic when it comes to relationships and so I'm not too keen on sappy, cliched, angsty love stories, and c) this book was pretty low on my "priority" list to read right now due to the fact that it publishes at the end of September and I have a slew of ARCs publishing before this one that I also need to get to.  But like I said earlier, I needed something that would get me out of this reading funk that I'd found myself in, and having read (and enjoyed) Louis's previous book Dear Emmie Blue, I figured at least I'm reading a familiar-to-me author.  Well, this one turned out to be a great choice!

As far as heartwarming romances go, Eight Perfect Hours definitely checks all the boxes. While the story itself wasn't too original (and yes, the plot was absolutely predictable — everything panned out pretty much as I thought it would), I still enjoyed this one quite a lot (both from the story and characters perspectives).  One thing I noticed from reading Louis's previous book and now this one is that she has the ability to create realistic, relatable characters who are tremendously flawed and sometimes do frustrating things, yet we can't help but love them anyway (this goes for the main characters as well as the side ones).  With Noelle, the main protagonist in the story, I didn't always agree with her every decision, but I understood her struggles — of being torn between responsibility to family versus pursuing her own dreams, of feeling like she wasn't being seen, of living her life more for others than for herself, etc. — because I've experienced the same throughout my life, so I could definitely relate.  This was also one of the reasons why I found myself rooting for Noelle throughout the story, even though I already knew she would most definitely find her way to a happy ending (this is a romance after all).  And just like with Dear Emmie Blue, I loved all the side characters in this one nearly as much as I loved the main characters — the wonderful chemistry that all the characters had was a bonus that made this one all the more enjoyable.

Another aspect that I liked about this one was that the author was able to strike a good balance between lighthearted moments and the more serious ones, which I felt made this both a fun read as well as one with good emotional depth.  

For those who enjoy rom-coms, I definitely recommend this one.  Yes, the plot is predictable and there are romantic cliches galore, but the characters are endearing and the story overall is quite charming.  For me, this was exactly the "pick-me-up" I needed to get me out of my reading slump during this time.  I'm glad I decided to read this one!

Received ARC from Atria / Emily Bestler books via NetGalley

Review: The Sixth Wedding (by Elin Hilderbrand)

My Rating: 4 stars

I read Elin Hilderbrand's 28 Summers last year and was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book (I'm not usually a fan of contemporary romances).  In addition to the well-developed characters, there was also depth to the story that made it a compelling read for me, though what I had loved most about that book was the structure, with each chapter starting off with various current event and pop culture references from that year – I definitely had a lot of fun taking that trip down memory lane!

 

The Sixth Wedding, which is out today, is the sequel to 28 Summers.  In this super short novella, the story opens in 2023, when the gang decides to reunite at the Nantucket cottage for one last Labor Day weekend.  We get a chance to find out what happened to each of the main characters since that fateful summer in 2020 and later, we get to see how their stories wrap up.   I love that Hilderbrand kept the same format with the current event and pop culture references, though instead of starting each chapter with them, she summed them all up in the Introduction, then after that, we got to hear from each of the characters.  While it was nice getting to catch up with these characters again, it was also bittersweet knowing Mallory wouldn't be a part of it.  Mallory was a one-of-a-kind character who was also the heart and soul of the story, so without her, of course things wouldn't be the same.  

 

Overall, I enjoyed this sequel, though I do wish that this had been longer (maybe not a full-length novel but definitely something more than 76 pages).  If you read and enjoyed 28 Summers, I definitely recommend reading this one too!  

 

 

People We Meet in Vacation (by Emily Henry)

My Rating:  3.5 stars

 

This was a light, fun, escapist read – exactly the type of book I needed at the moment after a slew of heavy reads.  With that said though, I'm not a huge fan of rom-coms and while I liked both of the main characters Alex and Poppy well enough, there were times when the dynamics of their relationship frustrated me.  I don't take well to "angsty" love stories where the main characters (both single and unattached) clearly and obviously love each other, but intentionally suppress their feelings and choose not to communicate it, then proceed to "torture" themselves by pining for each other for majority of the story.  Nothing wrong with this type of setup of course, it's just that, for me personally, I don't have the patience it.  The structure of the story also didn't really help things, as the jumping back and forth between Alex and Poppy's past summer trips and the current one was confusing and while I understand this was meant to show the evolution of their relationship, it actually made it harder for me to stay invested, as I felt it got too repetitive after awhile. 

 

Overall, I would say that I did enjoy this one while I read it, but there wasn't anything special about it that would make me remember it later on or want to re-read it.  The travel aspect was a nice touch though, especially during this time period with most of us having been cooped up at home for the better part of a year – I had fun traveling around the world and seeing which exotic locaiton Alex and Poppy would end up in next!   The humor in the story I also felt was spot on – in fact, the best part of the book in my opinion was the witty banter between Poppy and Alex, which I definitely had a lot of fun reading.

 

I had read this author's previous book Beach Read last year (in May / June, so around the same time as now), also with the intention of taking a break from heavier reads  (as well as everything else that was going on in the world at that time) and in looking back at my review of that book, I found that my sentiments toward it were very similar to how I felt toward this one (which I guess isn't too surprising since the stories themselves are kind of similar): both were well-written, smart, funny, and altogether enjoyable reads, albeit this one had a slower moving plot than I would've liked and also took me longer to read.  Readers who enjoy rom-coms will probably love this one, so if that's you, I'd definitely recommend picking this up! 

 

 

Review: You Have a Match (by Emma Lord)

My Rating:  4 stars

With only a few days left in the year, I didn't think I would have time to finish another book before the last day of the month.  But as I was planning my January and February "to be read" lists yesterday, I got a bit anxious over the insane number of books I have lined up for those 2 months, so in a moment of panic, I decided to get a head start on one of the January releases on my list.  In anticipation that I would likely be reading whichever book I chose through the new year break, I wanted something potentially light-hearted and fun, a relaxing read that wouldn't require me to do a whole lot of unpacking.  Scanning my lists, I came across Emma Lord's sophomore novel You Have a Match and after reading the summary, I knew this would likely fit what I was looking for.  I'm usually not much of a YA or romance reader and though I was aware of this author's much beloved debut novelTweet Cute (which was actually recommended to me a few times last year), I never got around to reading it, so going into this, her second book, I wasn't too sure what to expect.  It turns out this book was exactly what I needed at the moment – a cute, fun read that explores modern day sentiments (i.e. social media, adoption, LGBTQ relationships, complicated family dynamics, sibling rivalry, genetics and DNA testing, etc.) in a way that isn't heavy-handed, which I definitely appreciated.  Many reviews of the book mention the Parent Trap vibe of the story, which I completely agree with given the antics of the two sisters Abby and Savvy, though the story and characters also reminded me of other famous literary "sister" relationships such as Beezus and Ramona from the Beverly Cleary books (which I adored when I was a kid) and the Wakefield sisters from the Sweet Valley High series.  

As for the summer camp setting, it definitely felt like a throwback to my childhood days of camping with schoolmates and Girl Scouts, something I haven't done in decades, so it was fun to get to experience those memories again (even if it's only briefly through a few short scenes).  Reading this book actually made me nostalgic for those carefree days of youth, which isn't a bad feeling to have right now, to be honest.  

If you're looking for a feel-good read with endearing characters and an engaging story, I would recommend picking this one up. I actually surprised myself by finishing this book in two sittings, with the unexpected result of now being able to add another book I enjoyed to my 2020 recap.  

Received ARC from Wednesday Books via NetGalley

 

Review: Dear Emmie Blue (by Lia Louis)

 

My Rating: 4 stars

I usually don’t do sappy romances, especially ones with too much fluff and not much substance.  But I needed something lighthearted after a slew of heavy reads, plus I figured a bit of “sappy” would even be welcome given everything that has been going on as of late.  After hearing this book described on a podcast that I listen to, it actually sounded like something right up my alley in terms of a lighthearted enough story but with a serious element to it.  Now after finishing this one, I’m happy to say that it was just what I needed, but more than that though, I was pleasantly surprised by how well the characters were developed and also the good balance that the author was able to achieve between the lighthearted elements and the “serious” moments.  Nearly all the characters were endearing and easy to root for, though if I had to choose my favorite characters, they would actually be the side characters such as Louise and also Rosie and Fox.  I think one of the elements that made this story work really well (for me at least) was the chemistry between the cast of characters — the camaraderie between Emmie, Rosie, and Fox; the unexpected friendship between Louise and Emmie; also Emmie’s relationship with the Moreau family (Luke, Eliot, and their parents), etc.  

In addition to the character dynamics, I also like the way the writing flowed.  The entire story was narrated from the first person point of view (in this case, entirely from Emmie Blue’s perspective), which I will be honest in saying that I’m not generally a big fan of in fiction because, depending on how the author handles it, writing from first person sometimes throws off the flow of the story, especially when there is too much description.  However, in this instance, the first person narration (no doubt helped along by the fact that there was more dialogue than description) worked well, to the point that I was able to get into the story pretty much right away and breeze through it fairly quickly.

Overall, I enjoyed this one quite a bit, even though the story was technically not very original — it was actually pretty easy to see how everything was going to pan out in terms of the plot (funny thing is that the ending scene I actually guessed within the first few chapters and it played out nearly identical to how I imagined it, ).  This is one of the reasons why I decided to keep this review brief and not delve too much into the plot, as there isn’t a whole lot more that can be said (outside of what is already mentioned in the book’s summary) without giving away the rest of the story.  

If you’re looking for a well-written, “feel-good” read during these current turbulent times, I highly recommend Dear Emmie Blue. Added bonus is that this definitely doesn’t fall into the “fluff” category— rather it does a nice job balancing “sweet” with “serious” and therefore brings an unexpected but greatly appreciated substance to the story.