This was the third book I’ve read this year, starting out strong for my 50 book challenge. And I’m not thrilled with it. To be honest, not a fan of the main character (such a doormat). Not a fan of her love interest (bizarrely perfect). Not a fan of the main character’s sisters (one of them is, quite frankly, a money grubbing thief while the … Continue reading I Doubt It
You are all aware that I found two follow-up books for Agnes and the Hitman written by Bob Mayer that focus on a covert organization, and I used those books as an excuse to read one of my favorite books again on a recent trip. I have since read the first book, Shane and the Hitwoman, which occurs about 6 months after Agnes ended, and … Continue reading Not Jennifer Crusie
I really enjoyed the first book that I’d read of Abby Jimenez months ago, called Part of Your World. It was a classic romance novel, with all the typical romance tropes that go along with a romance novel. I wrote about it here, and said that I’d absolutely flew through it because I knew what to expect. Abby Jimenez has done it again! Yours Truly is … Continue reading Yours Truly
I love Cecelia Ahern. This all started back in 2005 when I picked up one of her books during an international relocation, and found something funny and lovely – just what I needed to entertain myself in a country in which I didn’t understand the language. Of course it was a love story – I’d be surprised if you expected anything else from me. Having … Continue reading One Hundred Names
At the beginning of this book, I’m making some immediate assumptions of the main characters. Aimee has been following a path that I assume she’s created for herself, with the help of those she loves: her parents and her childhood sweetheart fiancé. Her plans are tragically destroyed when her fiancé is killed in a boat accident, and further demolished when her parents decide to sell … Continue reading Iffy
At some point in my past, I purchased this book on my Kindle. I’m guessing it was because Amazon was running some kind of sale, or I was in a digital book binge type of mood. As a result of the previous pretty bad books I’d read, I selected this one for a work trip – something simple and easy. Bonus was that it’s set … Continue reading Quick and Easy Reads
I have about 8 books from Book of the Month club in a bag next to my bed, waiting for me to find the motivation to get back to reading. I’ve traveled a bit, and have therefore taken my e-reader (Kindle Paperwhite, if you’re curious) – MM has made suggestions of things to read, and I picked up a book that I’ll review later from … Continue reading Part of Your World
By far, this is one of my most favorite novels. It’s one of those that I come back to pretty much once a year, just to feel comforted and happy. When I get to the point where I just don’t want to care anymore, and I don’t want to have to figure out what the author is trying to tell me, I head to Jennifer Crusie, and specifically, to Bet Me. I went to a signing for Ms. Crusie years ago, and in her talk, she referred to many of her books and the general theme she sticks with, but mentioned that Bet Me is one of those books that doesn’t quite fit the mold. Why? Because this book is a straight up fairy tale. Read ahead for potential spoilers…
A long, long time ago, I read Little Earthquakes by a relatively new author with a humorous last name (what can I say? I was a lot younger!). I loved it, and rapidly read her next novels – In Her Shoes, Good in Bed, Then Came You… At some point, I became bored with the fairly consistent premise. The main character, usually female, usually larger in size, usually angry in some way, started to get old. So I put her down for a while. For a long while. But then this book showed up as an add on book for my subscription to Book of the Month, and the summary seemed interesting – the potential of being a good chick-lit book.
And that’s how it started. I’m not a huge fan of influencers. I don’t tend to understand why they’re looked at as something to be, but I was able to put that aside for a bit, to concentrate on a larger woman, navigating the internet and haters, building her life with her crafts, and a job she seems to like (though babysitting? Really? How old is she supposed to be again?), and living with a bisexual Indian woman. I can’t identify with all of those things, but it wasn’t too difficult to suspend my own reality to enjoy what I was reading. The reentry of an old friend who abused her so badly through high school was… interesting… and the way they connected was a little out there.
But still, I was willing to believe it.
Maybe the first indication that this wasn’t what I thought it would be was around the time that I realized that time had jumped forward with little to no notice – there’s no way that a woman like Drue would ask an ex-friend to be a bridesmaid with only weeks left to go in planning. There’s references to dress shopping, catering, programs, multiple events that Daphne helps to plan… there’s just now way that it was done in a few weeks. She had to have been asked with at least a few months to go. So that was a little jarring. All of the sudden, we’re to the weekend of the wedding, the night before the wedding, and the big twist.
Stop reading here if you don’t want to know the twist…
We start with two sisters who seem to be as disparate as they can be. One stayed in her home town, the other left as soon as she could. One followed in the footsteps of her family, though it meant disconnecting from her mother, aunt, and sister, and aligning with her late husband’s family, while the other went as far away as she could (while still being in the same country), and made a name for herself as a tidy/organized influencer.
The book resolved well, but it seemed really lazy. Read more
