Book Nerds Across America

Sunday, May 2, 2021

Book Review: Anatomy Of Desire by L. R. Dorn

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Claire Griffith seems to have it all, a thriving career, a gorgeous, successful boyfriend, a glamorous circle of friends. She always knew she was destined for more than the life her deeply conservative parents preached to her. Arriving in Los Angeles as a flat broke teenager, she has risen to become a popular fitness coach and social media influencer. Having rebranded herself as Cleo Ray, she stands on the threshold of achieving her most cherished dreams.

One summer day, Cleo and a young woman named Beck Alden set off in a canoe on a quiet, picture-perfect mountain lake. An hour later, Beck is found dead in the water, her face cut and bruised, and Cleo is missing. Authorities suspect foul play and news about Cleo’s involvement goes viral. Who was Beck and what was the nature of her and Cleo’s relationship? Was Beck an infatuated follower who took things too far? If Cleo is innocent, why did she run? Was it an accident? Or was it murder?

As evidence of Cleo’s secret life surfaces, the world begins to see just how hard she strived to get to the top— and how fast and far the fall is from celebrity to infamy.

L. R. Dorn’s reimagining of Theodore Dreiser’s novel told in the form of a true-crime docuseries a la Serial and The Jinx—with characters speaking through the “transcripts” of recorded interviews—The Anatomy of Desire exposes the ambition, sexual passion, and dark side of success that readers will find as achingly poignant as they did a century ago

TEE'S REVIEW

Anatomy of Desire is the debut novel by L.R. Dorn, which is the moniker of husband and wife writing team Matt Dorff and Suzanna Dunn. It is a thriller that will keep you turning the pages right from the beginning and takes on the world of social media influencers.

The key players in Anatomy of Desire include Cleo Ray, an up and coming fitness influencer

Beck Alden a hair and makeup artist in LA

Sandy Finch one of the most popular and influential influencers in social media

Cleo Ray seems to have it all, living the best life in LA. An up-and-coming fitness influencer she has over some a bad past, that she is hiding from everyone. Things begin to change with the tragic death of Beck Alden, and her life quickly begins to crumble.

Each of the main characters written well, they are rich in character and show the struggle of being an influencer and their desire to gain more and more likes, and followers so they will be offered more money from sponsors. ( Meanwhile here I am just wanting 10K so I can get that coveted swipe up feature on Instagram ) . The book also touched on the whole cancel culture, showing how quickly a person in that area of influence can be dropped to nothing if scandal hits them.

The entire book was written as if you were reading either a TV script or court documents ( think Daisy Jones ), this makes it a quick and easy read, but there were times I felt there needed to be a bit of filler in between to help along with the story.

The writing format does do a great job of building the story perfectly, moving us through murder, love, deception, affairs, and the fall of celebrity. What more could you possibly want in a thriller?

Anatomy of Desire, a modern take on An American Tragedy, has great courtroom drama and mystery, you def will keep reading to see how it all plays out, but the book is also thought-provoking, making it a great thriller read.

Thursday, April 29, 2021

Book Review: Foes and Cons by Carrie Aarons

GOOD READS SUMMARY:

Sawyer Roarke was my best friend.

Growing up, our families were inseparable. We spent summers vacationing at the beach. In the schoolyard, it was us against the world. Then puberty hit, and we skated the thin line of staying buddies or becoming more.

Until I accidentally found the pros and cons list he made about whether or not to date me. And there were definitely more bullet points on the no side. Acting out of rage and hurt, I embarrassed him in the most public way possible. Now, we’re enemies.

We’ve spent the last two years tearing each other to pieces. Everyone knows that Blair and Sawyer hate the ground the other walks on, and unfortunately, I got the unpopular end of the stick while he became Mr. Prom King.

Until senior year starts, and I’m tired of running scared. For the first time ever, I stand up to the golden boy with the whip-smart tongue. As the challenges and dares pick up speed, hearts start to fall and feelings get entangled. Despite my initial discovery, I wonder if being caught by each other wouldn’t be so bad.

Except Sawyer has no idea what I found all those years ago. And if the truth comes out about why I pitted us against each other, not only will he add one more con to his list … but he can add my broken heart as well.

TEE's REVIEW:

Have you heard the old saying that there is a thin line between love and war? Well, author Carrie Aarons took that saying and ran with it. I have never read one of Aarons's books, and rarely do I read YA, but her new book Foes and Cons, which is a YA romance was an addicting read.

Blair Oden and Sawyer Roarke began life doing everything together as best friends. Their families are friends, their fathers in business together. That all changed when they were Sophomores in high school when each of them made mistakes and tore their relationship apart, making them enemies from then on out.

Jump forward to their senior year in high school and Blair arrives back at school looking all hot and changed from spending a summer volunteering in Haiti. Sawyer makes sure she knows that he is still our to make her life a living hell, and she is ready to take him on.

This book does take the enemies to lovers seriously, and at times some of Sawyers's actions are right out bullying, so if something like this does bother you, Foes and Cons may not be the book for you. Reading things like this does not usually bother me, but I will admit that even I cringed at times.

Emotions. Oh how they run high in this story, it is a rollercoaster ride through both Sawyers and Blair's feelings as they navigate the halls of their high school. Heartbreak is heavy throughout with the push and pulls of their hearts. You feel it. I love a book that can put me right in the scene, and I have all the feelings of the characters. You are there when they realize they have feelings for each other and then when they push back again in anger. They walk that thin line very well.

Foes and Cons is a quick, well-written read, it has all the things you’d want in an enemy to lover story…angst, love, and of course hate. Carrie Aarons had the power to keep me entertained in a YA romance and I wasn’t sure that was possible.

Monday, April 19, 2021

Book Review: The Perfect Daughter by DJ Palmer

GOODREADS SUMMARY

Grace never dreamt she’d visit her teenage daughter Penny in the locked ward of a decaying state psychiatric hospital, charged with the murder of a stranger. There was not much question of her daughter’s guilt. Police had her fingerprints on the murder weapon and the victim’s blood on her body and clothes. But they didn’t have a motive.

Grace blames herself because that’s what mothers do—they look at their choices and wonder, what if? But hindsight offers little more than the chance for regret.

None of this was conceivable the day Penny came into her life. Then, it seemed like a miracle. Penny was found abandoned, with a mysterious past, and it felt like fate brought Penny to her, and her husband Arthur. But as she grew, Penny's actions grew more disturbing, and different "personalities" emerged.

Arthur and Grace took Penny to different psychiatrists, many of whom believed she was putting on a show to help manage her trauma. But Grace didn’t buy it. The personas were too real, too consistent. It had to be a severe multiple personality disorder. One determined psychiatrist, Dr. Mitch McHugh, helped discover someone new inside Penny—a young girl named Abigail. Is this the nameless girl who was abandoned in the park years ago? Mitch thinks Abigail is the key to Penny’s past and to the murder. But as Grace and Mitch dig deeper, they uncover dark and shocking secrets that put all their lives in grave danger.

TEE'S REVIEW

Wow….that is all I have to say about The Perfect Daughter by DJ Palmer..just wow…the ending. I did NOT see that coming at all… I could end it there but that would be a shite review, wouldn’t it?

Penny has DID which is short for Disassociative Identity Disorder or what use to be called Multiple Personality Disorder, and she has been found covered in blood, holding a knife kneeling down next to her birth mother's brutally murdered body. She is sent to an institute for the criminally insane until her trial. Her mother, is hell-bent on proving that Penny did not kill Rachel ( her birth mother ) But did she?

The book is a great psychological thriller with its horrific murder, and characters that were unpredictable and unreliable. The characters are all well developed, and the scenes with Penny or one of her alters ( the other personalities, Eve, Chloe, and Ruth ) are chilling to read. Palmer seemed to have really done his research on the disorder, and I really liked these moments in the book, learning a bit about the disorder with each scene.

The writing was brilliant and addictive and kept me reading late into the night. Palmer knows how to take the reader on a wild ride of twists and turns, throwing in plenty of roadblocks that will have you guessing if the path you were on was right.

The courtroom scene, which finally reveals the truth, is TV-worthy and will leave you re-reading to make sure you really read what you read. It is definitely a WTF moment.

Tense moments and certainly suspenseful, The Perfect Daughter will not disappoint the thriller fans.

Saturday, April 17, 2021

Kisses and Croissants by Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau

Book Summary

Seventeen-year-old Mia, an American girl at an elite summer ballet program, has six weeks to achieve her dreams: to snag an audition with one of the world’s best ballet companies. But there’s more to Paris than ballet—especially when a charming French boy, Louis, wants to be her tour guide—and the pair discover the city has a few mysteries up its sleeve.

In the vein of romances like Love and Gelato, this is the perfect summer adventure for anyone looking to get swept away in the City of Love.

Flo's Review

This was such fun! Through and through, it was a love story to Paris. I loved seeing the city through Mia's eyes. It was so romantic, so beautiful, so exciting, so fresh, so unique. She loved it and I think it would be hard for the reader of this book not to love it as well. Next to the Paris love, my favorite thing about the book was the fun, happy tone. It wasn't a big, dramatic all this stuff happens, there's drama between ruthless girls and backstabbing and melodrama -- none of that. Mia's friends were fun and supportive and I loved reading the friendships. Toward the end I couldn't put it down, but then the climax...I don't know...didn't sit well with me? I definitely understand why it happened as far as the story, but I also feel like it didn't quite fit in with the light, happy tone that the rest of the book had. But that was my only complaint. All in all, this book was a perfect escape. I truly enjoyed getting to spend time with Mia falling in love with Paris and in Paris, and I can't wait to see what else Anne-Sophie writes.

Wednesday, April 14, 2021

Book Review: Elizabeth & Margaret the Intimate World of the Windsor Sisters by Andrew Morton

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

This biography from a New York Times bestselling author follows Queen Elizabeth II and her sister Margaret as they navigate life in the royal spotlight. They were the closest of sisters and the best of friends. But when, in a quixotic twist of fate, their uncle Edward Vlll abdicated the throne, the dynamic between Elizabeth and Margaret was dramatically altered. Forevermore Margaret would have to curtsey to the sister she called 'Lillibet.' And bow to her wishes. Margaret's struggle to find a place and position inside the royal system—and her fraught relationship with its expectations—was often a source of tension.. This book explores their relationship over the years.

TEE'S REVIEW

One of the very first biographies I ever read was Andrew Morton's biography on Diana, Princess of Wales. At the time it was one of the most read books at the library, and after weeks of waiting, I finally went out and bought my own copy. I think I read it in a day. He gave us all a look into the Royal Family with that book and now he is back with yet another book on the famous family, this time with Elizabeth and Margaret.

Though written with respect to the Queen and family, he gave us a thorough history Of Elizabeth and her younger sister Margaret, beginning with their childhood and continuing until Margaret's death in 2002.

He shows us how the decision of their Uncle David who became Edward VIII gave up his title and throne to marry American divorcee Wallis Simpson, altered Elizabeth, and Margaret's future greatly. It thrust the girls and their parents into a limelight none really wanted when their father then became King. This put Elizabeth next in line for the throne ( even though I am pretty sure she was anyway, because David was in his 40s and still not married when he took the throne ). This also made Margaret pretty much just the heir's sister, later the Queen's sister, and caused her a bit of jealousy. You will follow them through disagreements, love affairs, marriages, family deaths, and childbirth, and of course how they dealt with each other, Margaret a loyal servant to her sister and the crown until the day she died, and Elizabeth the loving sister to Margaret.

The two sisters differed greatly in personality and temperament, Elizabeth was shy and obedient, while Margaret was the life of the party, an attention seeker, very outgoing. He writes about Elizabeth and Margaret as sisters , and as individuals, giving us an insight into their relationship with each other, with lovers, and with family. He does spend a bit more time with Margaret which I enjoyed, as there are already so many biographies on just the Queen.

If you are a fan of the Netflix series The Crown, or just want a deeper look into the lives of these two women, or the Royal Family in general then you need to pick up Elizabeth and Margaret, you won't be disappointed.

Friday, April 9, 2021

Book Review: The Bookstore On The Beach by Brenda Novak

GOOD READS SUMMARY:

Eighteen months ago, Autumn Divac’s husband went missing. Her desperate search has yielded no answers, and she can’t imagine moving forward without him. But for the sake of their two teenage children, she has to try.

Autumn takes her kids home for the summer to the charming beachside town where she was raised. She seeks comfort working alongside her mother and aunt at their bookshop, only to learn that her daughter is facing a huge life change and her mother has been hiding a terrible secret for years. And when she runs into the boy who stole her heart in high school, old feelings start to bubble up again. Is she free to love him, or should she hold out hope for her husband’s return? She can only trust her heart…and hope it won’t lead her astray.

TEE'S REVIEW:

The Bookstore on The Beach by Brenda Novak isn’t your typical light beauty read, there is a lot going on in it. It is the story of three generations of women, each troubled and each carrying secrets. The book contains several stories, a husband who has gone missing, kidnapping, teen pregnancy, abuse, and a lover from the past.

It is a rollercoaster of a read with many ups and downs, you will smile and you will cry, it is a very emotional read and for some, it may even have a triggering effect. The storylines are easy to read and keep up with despite the number, however, some of them I quickly grew tired of, for me, I think it was trying to keep everything straight. I am very basic-minded, and while I can keep up with one or two major stories in a book, any more seems to lose me.

Brenda Novak has never disappointed me with her writing, and The Bookstore n The Beach is no exception, her writing was descriptive and entertaining. Her characters felt real and they were flawed, which I appreciate, I do not like characters in a book that feels perfect. I like the majority of characters in the book, and ones I didn’t give me a good reason not to.

My biggest problem with the book…the ending, I am still not sure how I feel about it, I felt a lot was left hanging, and maybe an epilogue or one last chapter would have made it better for me.

Overall The Bookstore On The Beach was a great read, with great family dynamics, but I would have enjoyed a bit more time in the bookstore!

Tuesday, April 6, 2021

Book Review: The Music Of Bees by Eileen Garvin

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Forty-four-year-old Alice Holtzman is stuck in a dead-end job, bereft of family, and now reeling from the unexpected death of her husband. Alice has begun having panic attacks whenever she thinks about how her life hasn't turned out the way she dreamed. Even the beloved honeybees she raises in her spare time aren't helping her feel better these days.

In the grip of a panic attack, she nearly collides with Jake--a troubled, paraplegic teenager with the tallest mohawk in Hood River County--while carrying 120,000 honeybees in the back of her pickup truck. Charmed by Jake's sincere interest in her bees and seeking to rescue him from his toxic home life, Alice surprises herself by inviting Jake to her farm.

And then there's Harry, a twenty-four-year-old with debilitating social anxiety who is desperate for work. When he applies to Alice's ad for part-time farm help, he's shocked to find himself hired. As unexpected friendship blossoms among Alice, Jake, and Harry, a nefarious pesticide company moves to town, threatening the local honeybee population and illuminating deep-seated corruption in the community. The unlikely trio must unite for the sake of the bees--and in the process, they just might forge a new future for themselves.

Beautifully moving, warm, and uplifting, The Music of Bees is about the power of friendship, compassion in the face of loss, and finding the courage to start over (at any age) when things don't turn out the way you expect

TEE'S REVIEW

The Music Of Bee’s is the debut novel by Eileen Garvin and deals with three people …

Alice is a beekeeper, a widow who struggles with panic attacks and feels trapped in her desk job.

Jake is an angry ex-skateboarder who because of a prank that went bad is now confined to a wheelchair

Harry who is full of worry and indecision, he lives with this uncle in a trailer that has been condemned.

All three of them come together at a local bee farm.

Garvin does a great job writing the three characters who are all lost and broken, who all come together on the Oregon Bee Farm where they are able to forge out a friendship with each other and finally find healing. It can be a bit difficult to read when you get into the backstories of the main characters. The journey that each one takes is hard and emotionally difficult to read at times. Each character is rich in personality and struggles. However it is the bee farm that helps lighten up the story, and it is one of the reasons I was so attracted to the book. Gavin brought the farm to life with respect to the bees and the keepers and gave me a bit of in-depth education on the keeping of bees, which I really enjoyed.

The Music of Bees is a beautifully written debut, about friendship, hardships, and beating the odds.

Book Review: Love By Design by Effie Kammenou

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Mia Andarakis just landed her dream job at a luxury magazine. And even better, her boss is the handsome and enigmatic Nicholas Aristedis, a man she has crushed on from afar. But Nicholas isn’t who she imagined. Irascible and mercurial, his instant dislike for Mia makes it almost impossible for her to work with him.

Nicholas has faced many losses and heartaches in his thirty-two years. Determined to avoid heartbreak, he has closed his heart to love. But Mia awakens feelings in him he had long since denied. And soon he discovers their connection is deeper than he realized.

Mia and Nicolas embark on an adventure across picturesque locations as they launch a new publication and uncover the mystery behind her grandfather’s disappearance. But perhaps the greatest challenge is in learning to set aside their insecurities and fears. Can the two forget the traumas of their past? And will they ever learn to trust in the possibility of love?

TEE'S REVIEW:

I was so excited to be able to revisit the Andarakis family once again in the new book Love By Design by Effie Kammenou, which is the second book in the Meraki Series.

Love By Design is all about Mia, the sister of Kally who was in the first book Love Is What You Bake Of It. Mia the middle sister has just landed her dream job with the new luxury travel magazine Opul as the Associated Art Director. When she meets her new boss Nicholas Aristedis for the first time, sparks fly, but they are not the type either expected, they seem to bring out the worse in each other each time they have to be around the other.

Enemies to Lovers is one of my favorite tropes and Kammenou writes it so well. The tension between Mia and Nicholas is great, you will find yourself cringing along with Mia as Nicholas comes off short with Mia about things she is doing. However, the pair are thrown together thanks to Penelope, Nicholas’s sister who with him owns and runs the magazine. She sends them on a trip to Greece, the first location that the magazine is featuring, to scope out the places they are focusing on.

Just like Kally’s story Love by Design is a quick read, mostly because once you start reading, you won't want to stop. The characters are real and heartwarming. They struggle, they love, and they hurt. The Andarakis family, which is a major secondary character in itself, especially YiaYia the grandmother that lives with the family. The sub-story of her and her long-missing husband Panos is absolutely one of my favorites and could stand on its own as a book. I love the way that Effie has worked it in the books, teasing us with a little bit more info in Love By Design.

We also meet Nicholas’s family, which only includes his sister Penelope, who is so likable, especially the way she shows her concern and love for her little brother Nicholas. I found their grandfather Pavlos hard to warm up to, but I also felt he was written as he should have been, a real man with real concerns about his grandson.

I really enjoyed both the main characters, Mia and Nicholas. Mia is strong, but she is also sensitive and sometimes wears her heart on her sleeve. Nicolas is a troubled sort and there were times I wanted to scream at him for his unwillingness to admit his feelings, yet moments later my heart broke for him. I was especially surprised by the sweet little twist that Effie puts into Mia and Nicholas’s relationship, it is one of my favorite moments in the book and definitely sweet and swoon-worthy.

I can not say it enough, Effie Kammenous's writing is spectacular. She makes you a part of this big loving and lively Greek family. I know that there is a third book that features the youngest sister Krystina and I hope Loukas. I won’t lie however, I am looking forward to learning the truth about what happened to Panos. And if I am honest I wouldn’t be opposed to a fourth book that deals with brother Theo. It would be great to read about a lead male character and I know Effie would do it justice.

If you love romance, learning about other cultures, and maybe a bit of mystery, I highly recommend Love By Design, and while you can read it as a stand-alone, you’d be missing so much of the families dynamics by not reading Love Is What You Bake Of It before it!

**Thank You Effie Kammenou and Kate Rock Tours for the gifted copy **

Thursday, March 25, 2021

Book Review: Seven Up by Janet Evanovich

Jacque's Review:

Stephanie Plum is not your typical bounty hunter. She is all luck and minimal skill, but she always seems to be in the right place at the right time. Or maybe it is the wrong place at the wrong time depending upon how you look at it.

This time around she is after Eddie DeChooch. He is an elderly man with connections to the mob who skipped his court date for smuggling cigarettes. If you watched The Sopranos, I was picturing Junior. He is a feisty old guy with a lot of tricks up his sleeve. It doesn't make sense that he would run from the law for such a minor offense when you compare it with his usual dealings. Stephanie begins to realize there is more to the story when a couple of mobsters start following her around trying to get to Eddie first.

Two of Stephanie's friends, Mooner and Dougie, disappear without a trace and then her Grandma Mazur is nowhere to be found. She realizes she is in way over her head and calls in Ranger for assistance. Ranger is one of the other bounty hunters with Navy Seal level skills. I wouldn't want to cross him if I were a fugitive, but his assistance doesn't come without a price. While Stephanie is technically engaged to Joe Morelli, neither of them is ready to go through with it. Ranger is one of the nagging what ifs that is constantly in the back of Stephanie's mind. She is attracted to him, but he is not the marrying type.

Overall, this is a light and funny mystery series. Each book is an independent story or case, but the characters and relationships do evolve. I would recommend reading them in order, but it isn't completely necessary. It is a VERY lengthy series with 29 books currently available. I'm not sure if I am in for the long haul or not, but I have enjoyed them so far and will continue plugging along. I am intrigued by the possible love triangle and want to see how that eventually plays out. I do not feel compelled to binge read the series, so I will continue reading one or two a year and hope I don't fall even further behind.

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

Book Review: One by One by Ruth Ware

Goodreads Overview:

Getting snowed in at a beautiful, rustic mountain chalet doesn’t sound like the worst problem in the world, especially when there’s a breathtaking vista, a cozy fire, and company to keep you warm. But what happens when that company is eight of your coworkers…and you can’t trust any of them?

When an off-site company retreat meant to promote mindfulness and collaboration goes utterly wrong when an avalanche hits, the corporate food chain becomes irrelevant and survival trumps togetherness. Come Monday morning, how many members short will the team be?

Jacque's Review:

When I first started reading this book and could see where it was leading, it reminded me of Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. A group of coworkers from Snoop, a tech company that started a music app, are trapped at a beautiful French chalet after an avalanche hits. One of the party goes missing during the avalanche, but then others start dropping just like the "ten little soldier boys" in Christie's novel. Nobody can be trusted, including the chef and housekeeper, who have done everything within their power to keep things moving forward during this crazy situation.

Topher and Eva are the founders of Snoop. They planned this holiday for their employees to soften the fact that Eva wants to sell out. Topher has bigger plans for the company and wants to hold out until their next update is launched. The two are trying to gain support from the other share holders and need Liz to cast the tie breaking vote. Liz is a former employee that left the company. She could use the money and wants to side with Eva, but she is loyal to Topher and is conflicted.

When one of the party disappears during the avalanche, everyone assumes it was a tragic accident. When other members of the party start dying of unusual causes, nobody feels safe. Everyone is a suspect and even the original death starts looking less like an accident. With no method of communication to the outside world, they are trapped with a killer until they can either solve the crimes or help arrives.

The story is told with an alternating point of view between Liz and the housekeeper Erin. Everyone has secrets they want to keep hidden. You could make a case that just about anyone in the party is the murderer, but I just couldn't figure out a motive that justified the extreme measures. The book was filled with suspense and had me sitting on the edge of my seat in anticipation. I was absolutely shocked when I found out who was behind everything and why. I never would have guess in a million years, but it all made sense in the end.

I enjoyed Ruth Ware's The Woman In Cabin Ten and believe this book was equally as good if not better. If you enjoy a good murder mystery, I have yet to go wrong with one of Ware's books. I will definitely check out some of her others.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

Book Review: Love Is What You Bake Of It by Effie Kammenou

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

The only love Kally Andarakis is baking is in the form of the sweet treats she whips up in her cafe, The Coffee Klatch. Kally never believed herself to be a person worthy of love, but when an intoxicating man she considered out of her league pursues her, she risks everything to be with him. Later, when tragedy strikes, truths are revealed that leave Kally brokenhearted and untrusting. Eight years later, Kally is a successful pastry chef running the cafe she'd always dreamed of owning. With a home of her own, a profession she's passionate about, and the support and love of friends and family, Kally is content with the life she has carved out for herself. Until the day Max Vardaxis walks into her cafe...With arguing parents, meddling relatives, an overly energetic grandmother, a man-crazy best friend, and the long ago, mysterious disappearance of a grandfather, this new man in town is just one more complication in Kally's life, if not the main one.

TEE'S REVIEW:

Love Is What You Bake Of It was such a fun and cute read. I totally devoured the book in a little over a day and I am a card-carrying member of the Slow Readers Club. The story centers are Kally Andarakis and the small bakery/cafe that she owns in the town she grew up in.

Kally is afraid of love, she has been hurt, and she has vowed not to love again, but in walks Max, a local police officer. Max is good-looking and single. He is also afraid to fall in love and is concentrating on raising his daughter Athena, he is also Greek, which would please Kally’s big Greek family.

There were so many things to like about this book… Kally’s family was one. They are humorous and have Kallys best interest at heart, even though at times Kally herself doesn’t always realize this. I especially loved her grandma, who was a bit feisty and seemed to say what she wanted. Like during the romance book club meeting ( yeah Coffee Klatch held book club meetings, how cool is that? ) when she said :

“ The book needs more sex “………” What it is true. I might look old but inside the fire still burns…”

For some reason, anytime she was mentioned in the book, Sophia from The Golden Girls popped into my head.

I loved all the Greek traditions that were portrayed in the book, learning about another culture is always an added bonus to me when I read. They gave me the feeling of the tightness and importance of these traditions to the families that keep them alive, the same as so many in my own Jewish culture. This brought me so much closer to all the characters in the book, and the descriptions seem to just open up this new world that beforehand I had no idea about.

Both Kally and Max were very likable, though at times I wanted to bop Kally for being so stubborn. She was determined to set her own path away from her family and I really liked that strength in her. However, she always held her family close and would step up when needed, as when she went to Greece to help out a family member.

Max was a sexy single dad and I loved the relationship he had with his daughter Athena, and the determination he had to raise her properly.

All in all, I found very little I did not like about Love Is What You Bake Of It, Effie Kammenou's writing weaves together a storyline that is clear and descriptive, she throws in well-developed characters that we all can relate to. The book was humorous, with strong family dynamics and just a sprinkle of mystery and suspense. OH! and I can’t forget one of my favorite parts…BAKING…mmmmhmmm you have to try some of the recipes that are in this book, the blueberry scones are to die for!

** I was gifted this book as part of a blog tour with Kate Rock Book Tours **

Tuesday, March 16, 2021

Book Review: Float Plan by Trish Doller

GOODREADS SUMMARY:

Critically acclaimed author Trish Doller's unforgettable and romantic adult debut about setting sail, starting over, and finding yourself...

Since the loss of her fiancé, Anna has been shipwrecked by grief—until a reminder goes off about a trip they were supposed to take together. Impulsively, Anna goes to sea in their sailboat, intending to complete the voyage alone.

But after a treacherous night’s sail, she realizes she can’t do it by herself and hires Keane, a professional sailor, to help. Much like Anna, Keane is struggling with a very different future than the one he had planned. As romance rises with the tide, they discover that it’s never too late to chart a new course.

TEE'S REVIEW

I don’t even know where to begin with Float Plan the new romance by Trish Doller. It was nothing like I expected it to be, intact it was much more. By looking at the cover I expected it to be a light-hearted romance that somehow incorporated sailing. You know what they say…never judge a book by its cover. While the cover is a brightly covered happy yellow, the book does not always live up to the look.

The book begins with a suicide note, so you are instantly forced into the feeling of grief that Anna is feeling over the loss of her fiance Ben. She is devastated, she quits her Hooters-type waitressing job and decides to take the Caribbean sailing trip they had planned on Ben’s refurbished sailboat, visiting the islands that they had planned to see together. However, Anna soon learns she might not be the person to be off sailing the high seas by herself and she hires Keane, an Irish sailor to guide her on the rest of the trip.

Keane is struggling with a loss of his own, a freak accident that had left him without a leg, and the people he had sailed for in the past doubting his ability to continue his job.

Float Plan is an emotional ride, it is a heartbreaking and honest look at trying to start your life over after a loss, of any kind. Trish Doller’s writing is beautiful and compassionate, helping you feel the pain that Anna is feeling as she navigates her way into learning that it is ok to leave the memory of Ben behind and continue on with her life.

The descriptions she weaves of the islands that Anna and Keane visit are vivid and took me away from a freak winter storm, transplanting me into the warm tropical waters of the Caribbean. The secondary characters, however short their time is in the book are unforgettable as they move in and out of Anna and Keane’s live, providing what they need physically and emotionally. And there is a dog…you can’t go wrong putting a dog to love in a book!

The romance between Anna and Keane is a slow burner, as it should be. I would have been very disappointed in the book if the two were thrown into instant love. It starts with friendship, and learning to trust, and feeling the pain of liking someone and not knowing if you were being unfaithful to someone else memory. Anna and Keane have great chemistry and they play well off each other with humor and kindness, and sometimes anger. It feels real, it feels raw, and this entire book will have you on a rollercoaster of laughing and crying. This book is real because that is exactly how life makes us all feel.

Tuesday, March 9, 2021

Book Review: Too Good To Be True by Carola Lovering

GOOD READS SUMMARY

Skye Starling is overjoyed when her boyfriend, Burke Michaels, proposes after a whirlwind courtship. Though Skye seems to have the world at her fingertips―she’s smart, beautiful, and from a well-off family―she’s also battled crippling OCD ever since her mother’s death when she was eleven, and her romantic relationships have suffered as a result.

But now Burke―handsome, older, and more emotionally mature than any man she’s met before―says he wants her. Forever. Except, Burke isn’t who he claims to be. And interspersed letters to his therapist reveal the truth: he’s happily married, and using Skye for his own, deceptive ends.

In a third perspective, set thirty years earlier, a scrappy seventeen-year-old named Heather is determined to end things with Burke, a local bad boy, and make a better life for herself in New York City. But can her adolescent love stay firmly in her past―or will he find his way into her future?

On a collision course she doesn’t see coming, Skye throws herself into wedding planning, as Burke’s scheme grows ever more twisted. But of course, even the best laid plans can go astray. And just when you think you know where this story is going, you’ll discover that there’s more than one way to spin the truth.

TEE'S REVIEW

Too Good To Be True, the new book by Carola Lovering is a psychological thriller that has all the things you want in one…a clever sociopath, revenge, and lies. But it is also hard to review because if you say too much you will give a lot away.

The book is definitely a page-turner that will keep you guessing and at times will have your jaw-dropping, unfortunately, that all seems to take place in the first half of the book, which ends with a huge twist. For me the second half of the book just didn't live up to the beginning, it seemed to fizzle out and was not as strong. I also thought the ending was a bit anti-climatic. 

The story moves back and forth between three narratives, and all three of the POV’s are compelling. The story will have you questioning the truthfulness of each character. You never seem to figure out who you can believe and who you can't which I think helped with the suspense of the book.

Lovering’s writing is fantastic and the character development is wonderful. The story is driven by the characters and their actions and is full of suspense that will thrill any thriller reader. Even with the slowness of the second half of the book, I think Too Good To Be True is a good read, and I would definitely recommend it to fellow thriller readers. I give it a solid three...I didn't hate it, I thought it was a good read, however I did not love it.

** Thank you NetGalley for the advance copy

Sunday, March 7, 2021

Book Review: Incendiary by Zoraida Cordova

Incendiary was the May 2020 Owlcrate selection. Below is a picture from their website showing what was included in the box. I am not really into graphic novels, so I put that book in my little free library to share with others. I do use straws regularly and like having an additional set of reusable straws. I have some from Tervis Tumbler that I use, but those are fatter and don't fit in some of my cups with smaller openings in the lid. I have also found an additional set of pot holders to be useful. Overall, I was pleased with the gifts included in this month's box.

Jacque's Review:

Renata is one of the Whispers, which is a group of rebels working to protect the Moria from the crown. Moria have various magical powers, but the King is trying to eliminate all Moria that are not directly within his control. It is believed the King now has a secret weapon that can strip them of their powers, so they must act quickly to destroy the weapon and get as many Moria to safety as possible.

Renata lived in the palace as a child and was once part of the King's prized collection of Moria. She has the rare ability to steal another person's memories. This skill can be beneficial if someone no longer wants to remember something unpleasant, but it can also be very dangerous. Removing too many memories can leave someone in a vegetative state. In addition, any memories Renata steals now plaque her memory.

The Whispers "rescued" her during an attack on the palace and she has been helping their cause ever since. She isn't trusted by most of the other members because they believe her skill is too dangerous. Dez, who is the leader of her group, believes she could be the key to their success and trusts her completely.

Renata has witnessed the crown Prince leading the raids agains Moroi and burning towns in his wake. She believes he knows where the weapon is and is the real threat to the Moroi. When the Prince takes Dez captive, she knows it is her responsibility alone to free him. Things do not go as planned and Renata soon discovers there is far more going on behind the palace walls than she ever could have imagined. Her friends and enemies are no longer as clearly defined as she once believed.

I really enjoyed this story and can't wait to find out what happens next. It took a while for the plot to really take off, but when it finally did, we were left hanging in the balance. Everything Renata believed to be true was turned upside down. We finally know where everyone stands and then the book comes to an abrupt ending.

There was a lot of history, world building, and discovery of Renata's past that took place within this book. I think Illusionary, which will be released on May 11th, should take off like a cannon. This is a duology and there is a lot that still needs to take place if Renata is going to save the Moria and the Kingdom. I am glad I did not read this book as soon as it was released. I now only have to wait a couple of months to see how this story will conclude.

This isn't a book I probably would have selected on my own, but it was another excellent pick by Owlcrate.

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