Leigh Kramer

How To Find Love In A Bookshop by Veronica Henry {review}

How To Find Love In A Bookshop - Veronica Henry

 

My Review - 3 Stars

How To Find Love In A Bookshop was off to a promising start. I can usually tell fairly early on what my rating will be, barring any unexpected changes, and this was going to be a pretty solid 4 stars. 

It had book-lovers and a bookstore and romance. What else did my book nerd heart need?

Unfortunately, the story also included two of my big pet peeves. Pet peeve might not be the right way to put it. When I run into either of these things in a novel, I kind of shrivel up inside because I just can't handle it. The elements at least partially kill my enjoyment of the story. This is 100% my personal preference. Plenty of people have read this novel and not been bothered by these elements and there's no judgment on my part. 

This is a delightful novel in so many ways and I'm glad I read it. I loved the story of how Julian came to open the bookstore and what it means to the community. I loved how Emilia essentially grew up in the bookshop and how this formed her, even though she went away. Deciding to take the bookshop on after her father's death was no small task and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing how she handled the challenges.

In addition to flashbacks with Julian's story and Emilia's perspective as the novel's glue, we also get to know some of the villager's stories and how Julian and the bookstore figures into their lives. Of those, my favorite story belonged to Thomasina, an extremely shy cook who meets a man while browsing the cookbooks at Nightingale Books. Of course, it's possible that was my favorite story because it's essentially my dream to fall in love while at a bookstore. It's a pity this novel didn't come with a how to manual. ;)

So that's all well and good but then along came my pet peeves. I'm going to say what they are but not the particulars so as not to spoil the story. Like I said, this is my personal preference. We all read books through the lens of our own experiences and beliefs.

I can read about people behaving very badly and not be overly bothered by it but these things do bother me and mar my reading experience. The first is infidelity, especially when we are essentially supposed to root for the lovers to be together. I just can't do it. If someone is in an unhappy marriage, then either fix it or leave. I couldn't understand the characters' decisions in this novel and had a very hard time extending any sympathy.

The second thing is when someone is dating an awful person and everyone knows it but them...and everyone decides not to say anything. Even when the person is going to marry the jackhole! I strongly believe if you see red flags in a person's character, you owe it to your friend or loved one to say something. You can be gracious in how you say it and then it's up to your friend as to what they do with the information. So for characters to not say something in this instance about killed me and I did not care for how the storyline was resolved. Nor do I think it reflected well on the character who dated the awful person.

Aside from these two instances, this was an enjoyable and cozy read, a great pick for a chilly winter day. It's hard to resist an ode to book lovers, just as it's hard not to dream about working at a bookstore again someday.

 

Synopsis

Everyone has a story . . . but will they get the happy ending they deserve?

Emilia has just returned to her idyllic Cotswold hometown to rescue the family business. Nightingale Books is a dream come true for book-lovers, but the best stories aren't just within the pages of the books she sells - Emilia's customers have their own tales to tell.

There's the lady of the manor who is hiding a secret close to her heart; the single dad looking for books to share with his son but who isn't quite what he seems; and the desperately shy chef trying to find the courage to talk to her crush . . .

And as for Emilia's story, can she keep the promise she made to her father and save Nightingale Books?

 

Buy The Book Here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Disclosure: I received a free copy from Pamela Dorman Books via Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.

For The One Who Has Never Been Picked

Our circumstances do not dictate our worth.

We matter, as we are. But some days we need someone else to believe for us or to be reminded so here is your reminder.

 

For the one who was picked last and for the one who was never picked first.

For the one who longs to be a part of the popular group.

For the one who has been excluded and overlooked.

For the one who has never been on a date.

For the one who is still waiting to meet the one.

For the one who yearns for a baby.

For the one who has moved to a new town and is trying to start over.

For the one who wants to have weekend plans.

For the one who is estranged from their family.

For the one who has never been welcomed with arms wide open.

For the one who believes they will never belong.

For the one who has cried themselves to sleep.

For the one who has cursed the heavens and their luck.

 

Whatever your circumstance, whatever your story, this much I know is true.

 

You matter.

You belong.

You are enough.

You are loved.

 

Smooth: A Love Story by Tracy Ewens {review}

Smooth: A Love Story - Tracy Ewens

 

My Review - 4 Stars

The moment Patrick and Aspen first interacted in Brew (read my review), I wanted their story. I knew there had to be some kind of chemistry between them and I was excited to see how it would play out in Smooth. (You don't need to read Brew first but you should definitely read it at some point.)

It was pretty evident Patrick had more interest in Aspen than she did in him. She's just a kickass lady living her life and she has no time for shenanigans. Come to find out, Patrick has been interested in Aspen since the day he first saw her in junior high but he's never believed he had a shot with her. Cue swooning.

They might have continued on as nothing more than coworkers until a business trip reveals Patrick's extreme fear of flying and Aspen starts to see him in a new light.

This is a slow burn romance. There are false starts and they both have hangups. Aspen doesn't want to be dependent on any man after witnessing the disaster of her mom's love life. Patrick doesn't want to fail at anything and this singlemindedness has him latching onto an albatross at work, as well as not wanting to take a chance on Aspen and being rejected.

I loved how good they are at their jobs and how Patrick wants to get married. I adored Aspen's friendship with Vienna, Bri, Sistine, and Ella. Female friendship is so important and I appreciate the way Ewen centers it in her novels.

Patrick and Aspen work so well together at work but initially neither are sure about starting a relationship. But Patrick has a harder time shutting down his feelings for Aspen and she finds herself thinking more and more about him too. There are mishaps and miscommunications along the way as they each figure out what the other person means to them.

I was here for it. For every longing glance, every question of what might be, every remembrance of the other person's best qualities.

These two know each other so well and I was certain they were right for each other. Of course, there are bumps along the way. I don't want to spoil anything but there is a situation that develops that brought me to literal tears. At another point, I wanted to kill Patrick. 

But this is a love story and so we do get a happily ever after the tears and heartbreak. It was super satisfying, as was the epilogue. 

I came to care about these characters so much. The way Ewens developed them and allowed them to grow was just fantastic. They were fully realized people, the sort I'd be friends with and I only wish I could walk down to the Tap House after work one day.

This is the last book listed out for this series but I really, really need the author to write a story about Sistine and Cade so I'm hoping that's on the horizon.

 

Synopsis

If only life came with a guarantee. 

Patrick McNaughton wants more. More people drinking Foghorn’s beer, more money to push their brewery past the competition, and more cooperation from his brothers, who have no sense of urgency. He’s all about conquering one challenge on his way to the next, so long as there’s a remote chance of winning. That’s why Aspen Pane sits in the office down the hall, oblivious to his attraction. Patrick has always wanted more with her, but he never was one to risk it all.

Aspen Pane has more than enough. As business manager for Foghorn, she keeps the brewery in the black and lives up to the nickname the McNaughton brothers gave her—Wonder Woman. She’s worked hard her whole life for the money she now has in the bank, the small house she calls home, and time with her friends. So, even though it seems everyone close to her, including her brother, is inconveniently falling in love, Aspen sticks with her to-do list. Because love risks everything and she doesn’t do that for anyone.

After an unexpected flight and an eccentric venture capitalist thrust them into a battle of wits and lies even they’re not sure they can win, Patrick and Aspen must learn the difference between making a connection and making money. They may need to face their fears and risk it all in the name of finding a new work-love balance.

Note: Each Love Story is a standalone. There are some shared characters throughout the books (siblings, friends, etc.) Closely related books are often distinguishable by the similar covers. The book order so far is as follows:

-Premiere
-Candidate
-Taste
-Reserved
-Stirred
-Vacancy
-Playbook
-Exposure
-Brew (my review)
-Smooth

 

Buy The Book Here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Disclosure: I received an advance review copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.

My Last Love Story by Falguni Kothari {review}

My Last Love Story - Falguni Kothari

 

My Review - 3.5 Stars

Trigger warning: rape

This is a complicated book to review. I was intrigued by the idea of a dying man essentially setting his wife up for a life without him. It is an interesting premise that explores themes about friendship, religion, secrets, and family in unexpected ways.

The relationships at the center of this novel are complex. Simeen, Nirvaan, and Zayaan have been friends ever since the night Nirvaan and Zayaan saved Simi's life at a party. They call themselves the Awesome Threesome and while Simi married Nirvaan, Zai was her first love and the one she hoped to marry someday. 

We find out fairly early on that something terrible happened to Simi the night of her 18th birthday. The actual circumstance is not depicted until about halfway through the novel. The rape plays a big role in Simi's life, not only the trauma of what happened but her decision not to tell Zai and Nirvaan about it. Her choice to keep this a secret was really hard for me- I could understand to some degree but wished she would at least tell her husband.

Between Nirvaan's decline, his wish for Simi to have their child via IVF even though she's not sure she wants to be a mother, and the specter of her rape, there are a lot of heavy issues to wade through. If that wasn't enough, Simi is trying to figure out how to relate to Zai, whom she still has feelings for, even though she desperately loves Nirvaan and does not want him to die.

The idea of a threesome comes up often throughout the novel, which caught me off-guard at first. Although Simi has wanted to, they've never had a sexual threesome but their lives are intertwined as an emotional threesome. It was interesting to see it play out in a genre other than romance, particularly because of how Nirvaan pushes Simi and Zai to get together once he dies. I wish the author would have explored Nirvaan and Zaiyaan's relationship to one another- were they just friends who liked to share women or was it something more? What about the religious implications, particularly for Zai who is a devout Muslim?

I liked that Simi was not the typical "my spouse is dying" caregiver. She admits her shortcomings and grapples with guilt. She has a hard time being strong for her husband. She doesn't want to have a child but doesn't know how to deny a dying man's request. This was one of the most interesting parts of the story and I wish it had been further developed. 

I wish Nirvaan had had palliative care or hospice involved. Some of the medical aspects of his story made me cringe because they didn't need to play out that way, although I recognize how Kothari used it to develop her plot. The way that family and friends react to Nirvaan's decline was heartbreaking.

I'm glad I read this novel but I'm still not sure how I felt about it and maybe that's the point. Kothari doesn't give us any tied-up-with-a-bow conclusions about the Awesome Threesome. The ending is messy, as is life. 

 

Synopsis

Promise me you'll learn to cuss, learn to love again. Live again. Promise me you won't give up on each other.

Simi Desai is thirty years old and her husband is dying of cancer. He has two last wishes in his final months: first, that she'll have his baby so that a piece of him lives on, and second, that she'll reconcile with her old flame, who just happens to be their mutual best friend. And so over the course of their last summer together, Simi's husband plans a series of big and small adventures for this unlikely trio, designed to help them say goodbye to each other and prove to Simi that it's okay to move on without him--and even find love again. 

Beautiful and poignant, Falguni Kothari's My Last Love Story will pull your heartstrings as only unforgettable love stories can.

 

Buy The Book Here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Disclosure: I received an advance copy from Graydon House in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.

Keep Her Safe by K.A. Tucker {review}

Keep Her Safe - K.A. Tucker

 

My Review - 4 Stars

Do you ever find yourself wanting to yell at characters while reading and then reminding yourself that they don’t know they’re characters in a mystery novel? Therefore, they are not as highly attuned to the danger you know they’re in.

But still, I’ll want to argue with myself, they should know better. If you find out someone you love was killed because they threatened to expose a dirty cop, you should probably keep your cards close to your chest and not talk about it outside while playing basketball with your buddy where anyone could overhear. I’d remind myself: Noah and Gracie are young. They don’t know better! But I still wanted to yell at them.

You might read that and think I didn’t have a good reading experience as a result but it was the exact opposite. I wanted to yell because I LOVED these characters. I wanted to prevent them from coming to harm.

Noah and Gracie are the reason to read this novel. They are well developed characters and I loved the growth that happens in this novel. Their lives used to be closely connected when they were young but Gracie and her mom left Austin when she was little after her dad Abe was killed and exposed as a dirty cop. She has few memories of her dad and even fewer of Noah and his mom Jackie.

I don’t want to say more about the plot because you need to experience it for yourself.

The word that kept coming to mind as I read was complicity. Good people are complicit when they see evil and do not act. Whether it’s the events that led to Abe’s death or the current circumstances of uncovering the truth, people have the option to avert their gaze or do the right thing and share what they know. Maybe they didn’t pull the trigger but many people were ultimately responsible for Abe’s death.

This becomes Noah’s test as well. Does he keep his mouth shut about his mom's drunken ramblings or does he track down Gracie and try to learn the truth? Is he willing to change his understanding of who his mom and Abe were after years of believing otherwise? I can’t imagine learning this kind of thing about your family and having to figure out the right thing to do. But he does. Not always perfectly but he does keep choosing to learn the truth and give Gracie and her mother closure.

This story opens up a lot of questions related to power dynamics and racism. I thought these aspects were handled really well. Although I’m more cynical when it comes to “a few rotten apples,” it can be hard for a story about police corruption to also show respect for the good men and women in blue and I think the author managed to do it.

Noah and Gracie’s relationship was the best part. I loved watching them slowly connect and become closer. The romance was developed so well and I could not get enough of their burgeoning feelings for each other.

It would have been stronger without the additional POVs, as their voices weren’t as compelling as Noah and Gracie’s. The chapters yanked me out of the story. I wanted to experience these characters through the people who loved them, not relive the days leading up to Abe’s death.

I figured out what happened fairly early on but seeing it come together was still a satisfying experience, maybe in part because I didn’t want to be right about certain aspects. My dread was right up there with Noah and Gracie’s.

The ending was refreshing. The story may not have surprised me but I really enjoyed my reading experience. Other people have said they were really surprised by the twists and turns and I hope that’s your experience too.

Sensitive readers will want to know this story has the following trigger: suicide.

 

Synopsis

Making a Murderer meets Scandal in this story of police corruption, family secrets, and illicit affairs from bestselling author K.A. Tucker, celebrated for her “propulsive plot twists and searing seduction” (USA TODAY).

Noah Marshall has known a privileged and comfortable life thanks to his mother, the highly decorated chief of the Austin Police Department. But all that changes the night she reveals a skeleton that's been rattling in her closet for years, and succumbs to the guilt of destroying an innocent family's life. Reeling with grief, Noah is forced to carry the burden of this shocking secret.

Gracie Richards wasn't born in a trailer park, but after fourteen years of learning how to survive in The Hollow, it's all she knows anymore. At least here people don't care that her dad was a corrupt Austin cop, murdered in a drug deal gone wrong. Here, she and her mother are just another family struggling to survive...until a man who clearly doesn't belong shows up on her doorstep.

Despite their differences, Noah and Gracie are searching for answers to the same questions, and together, they set out to uncover the truth about the Austin Police Department's dark and messy past. But the scandal that emerges is bigger than they bargained for, and goes far higher up than they ever imagined.

Complex, gritty, sexy, and thrilling, Keep Her Safe solidifies K.A. Tucker's reputation as one of today's most talented new voices in romantic suspense.

 

Buy The Book Here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

 

Disclosure: I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Affiliate links included in this post.