Review | Beach Read by Emily Henry

Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

Beach Read is a romance novel by Emily Henry.

A romance writer who no longer believes in love and a literary writer stuck in a rut engage in a summer-long challenge that may just upend everything they believe about happily ever afters.

Augustus Everett is an acclaimed author of literary fiction. January Andrews writes bestselling romance. When she pens a happily ever after, he kills off his entire cast.

They’re polar opposites.

In fact, the only thing they have in common is that for the next three months, they're living in neighboring beach houses, broke, and bogged down with writer's block.

Until, one hazy evening, one thing leads to another and they strike a deal designed to force them out of their creative ruts: Augustus will spend the summer writing something happy, and January will pen the next Great American Novel. She’ll take him on field trips worthy of any rom-com montage, and he’ll take her to interview surviving members of a backwoods death cult (obviously). Everyone will finish a book and no one will fall in love. Really.

I'm so happy to be reading Emily Henry right now. I need more.

I'm not typically a romance reader, but I do enjoy romance in my genre books and in my movies.

I love Emily Henry's style of romance. I've only read two, but they fit the cozy vibe I'm seeking right now. I like all of the characters, and I like that they communicate with each other. Beach Read is an enemy to lovers romance, but not the kind that makes you hate the enemy before they fall in love.

Emily Henry makes me cry and her books aren't even heartbreakers. She just gets me right in the feels. I cried reading Book Lovers and Beach Read made me cry, too. Heaven help me if she ever writes a tearjerker.

I took Beach Read to the beach with me to read, but thankfully I knew it wasn't actually a "beach read". It was a great excuse to read it, though, and also the perfect escape while on vacay.

I feel like I'm probably the last person making my way through Emily Henry's books, but if you are a genre reader making a reach into spheres that are more cozy than your typical read, have a look into Emily Henry's books. You might just enjoy them, too!

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

4/5 stars

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Review | Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers is a romance book by Emily Henry.

One summer. Two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming....

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

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

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

If you've been following my blog recently, you know I've been on a quest for cozy things. Cozy books, games, movies, I'm here for your recommendations. I've been looking for more cozy genre books, but I also wanted to branch out into some romance books as well.

One thing that stuck out to me in the reviews of Emily Henry's books was the maturity of the characters. I'll admit I don't read romance books hardly at all, but I do watch a lot of Hallmark and Lifetime romance movies around the holidays. The few romance books that I have tried were definitely not the right fit for me. Emily Henry's books, however, sounded exactly like the type of romance books that I would enjoy.

I think Book Lovers was a great book to kick off my cozy romance journey since the main characters were book lovers and this was a world I felt comfortable in.

“You're in books. Of course you don't have a life. None of us do. There's always something too good to read.”

Nora is an agent and Charlie is an editor, and while this is a bit of an enemies to lovers story, all of the characters are very likeable. I loved being able to root for everyone in Book Lovers.

Another thing I loved is this book wasn't just about Nora and Charlie's relationship. It was also about the relationship between Nora and her sister Libby. I adore when books give us deep, meaningful relationships outside of romance. Book Lovers gave us both!

Book Lovers wrapped up exactly how I wanted it to, and I was not expecting it to hit me in the feels the way it did. I have a copy of Beach Read that I'm hoping to get to sooner rather than later then I'm sure I'll be picking up People We Meet on Vacation as well. If you have any recommendations similar to Emily Henry - romance or otherwise - I'd love to hear them. Otherwise, take this review as a recommendation to read Book Lovers.

5/5 stars
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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Source: personal purchase. This is a review of my reading experience.

Book Review | Cackle by Rachel Harrison

Source: Preordered purchase. This is a review of my personal reading experience.

Cackle is Rachel Harrison's latest horror novel. 

 

All her life, Annie has played it nice and safe. After being unceremoniously dumped by her longtime boyfriend, Annie seeks a fresh start. She accepts a teaching position that moves her from Manhattan to a small village upstate. She’s stunned by how perfect and picturesque the town is. The people are all friendly and warm. Her new apartment is dreamy too, minus the oddly persistent spider infestation.

Then Annie meets Sophie. Beautiful, charming, magnetic Sophie, who takes a special interest in Annie, who wants to be her friend. More importantly, she wants Annie to stop apologizing and start living for herself. That’s how Sophie lives. Annie can’t help but gravitate toward the self-possessed Sophie, wanting to spend more and more time with her, despite the fact that the rest of the townsfolk seem…a little afraid of her. And like, okay. There are some things. Sophie’s appearance is uncanny and ageless, her mansion in the middle of the woods feels a little unearthly, and she does seem to wield a certain power…but she couldn’t be…could she?

Cackle was such a delight!

I really enjoyed Rachel Harrison's debut novel The Return last year so I was excited to read Cackle.

I loved the characters of Annie and Sophie. I could relate to Annie, and I loved the dynamic between her and the mysterious and enchanting Sophie.

If you've read The Return, there were moments in that book where you are like what?! Just ask your friend where she has been!! There are similar vibes here where Sophie will say something completely off the wall and Annie is oblivious, but it's a fun journey.

If you need a pick-me-up, I do recommend reading this wicked and witchy book of friendship and living your best life.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★
4/5 Stars

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Book Review | The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

The Bride Test is a contemporary romance novel by Helen Hoang.

Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or contentment when ledgers balance down to the penny, but not big, important emotions—like grief. And love. He thinks he’s defective. His family knows better—that his autism means he just processes emotions differently. When he steadfastly avoids relationships, his mother takes matters into her own hands and returns to Vietnam to find him the perfect bride.

As a mixed-race girl living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City, Esme Tran has always felt out of place. When the opportunity arises to come to America and meet a potential husband, she can’t turn it down, thinking this could be the break her family needs. Seducing Khai, however, doesn’t go as planned. Esme’s lessons in love seem to be working…but only on herself. She’s hopelessly smitten with a man who’s convinced he can never return her affection.

With Esme’s time in the United States dwindling, Khai is forced to understand he’s been wrong all along. And there’s more than one way to love.

Subjective review alert! The Bride Test was this month's selection for my book club.

First I'm going to explain why The Bride Test was a great read. I think the representation of autism was my favorite aspect of The Bride Test. One of the main characters was autistic, and this aspect was handled so well. The writing was really compelling, too. If I didn't have to take care of my family, I'm certain this would have been a one sitting read. Even with commitments, it was still only a one day read for me.

Now I'll explain my three-star rating. It's a contemporary romance, and I'm just not a romance reader. I pretty much need plots that aren't possible.

I think folks who like sweet and sexy romances would probably dig The Bride Test. though.

While The Bride Test was a step completely outside of my wheelhouse (which is exactly why I'm in a book club), I enjoyed the representation of autism and recommend it to folks who love reading  contemporary romance.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Book Review | A Dangerous Collaboration by Deanna Raybourn

A Dangerous Collaboration is a mystery novel from Deanna Raybourn.

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker's brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly's house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée--much to Stoker's chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly's wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband's mind.

As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker's help to discover the host's true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund...

A Dangerous Collaboration was delightful. I may lose my credibility when I say this, but A Dangerous Collaboration was a lot like reading a Scooby Doo novel. It was definitely an adult version of Scooby Doo, but Scooby Doo nonetheless. Veronica and Stoker were staying in a castle on a haunted island, and everything was gothic down to the candlelight and secret passageways.

A Dangerous Collaboration is the fourth book in the Veronica Speedwell series. I have not read the previous three, but this one seemed to stand alone just fine. I would have liked to have a deeper understanding of the relationships between the characters, but I was able to dive into the story well enough.

Veronica Speedwell is an interesting character. She's a lepidopterist (she specializes in butterflies), and I enjoyed all of the facts about butterflies. It never felt out of place, and I enjoyed the tidbits of nature. A Dangerous Collaboration was plants and butterflies by day, whodunit mystery and family drama by night.

I enjoyed this installment of the series. I would happily read more of them.

⭐⭐⭐⭐★

Review copy provided by publisher

Book Review | The Suspect by Fiona Barton

The Suspect is the latest mystery/thriller from Fiona Barton.

When two eighteen-year-old girls go missing on their gap year in Thailand, their families are thrust into the international spotlight: desperate, bereft and frantic with worry.

Journalist Kate Waters always does everything she can to be first to the story, first with the exclusive, first to discover the truth – and this time is no exception. But she can’t help but think of her own son, who she hasn’t seen in two years since he left home to go traveling. This time it’s personal.

And as the case of the missing girls unfolds, they will all find that even this far away, danger can lie closer to home than you might think . . .

I'm looking forward to getting back into thrillers this year. Last year was remarkably light in the thriller department so I'm making a point to place some focus back on thrillers.

I became a fan of Fiona Barton after reading the first book in the Kate Waters series (The Widow). It was one of those compulsive reads I couldn't put down so I was really looking forward to reading The Suspect.

The Suspect is the third book in the Kate Waters series, but each of these books can stand alone without having read the others. I missed out on reading book two, and my experience with The Suspect did not suffer at all. (I do still plan to read The Child, though!)

The Suspect is about an investigation into what happened to two girls who went missing while on vacation in Thailand. The story shifts between Kate and the parents' current point of view and the girls' past point of view before they went missing. I found these shifts very easy to follow, and I loved how Fiona Barton crafted her reveals and the timeline of the story.

The focus of The Suspect was understandably on the events that took place prior to the girls going missing and the steps being taken to find them and solve what happened. For me, this took away a lot of focus from character development. My reactions to events in books are directly tied to how deeply I care for the characters. The Suspect was an entertaining and quick read, but it's not one that will stick with me beyond the experience of reading it.

If you enjoyed Fiona Barton's previous releases, you are sure to enjoy The Suspect as well. If you like to focus on crimes and the events surrounding them, this is probably an excellent choice for you. There were some surprising moments in The Suspect. I just would have liked to have a deeper understanding of the characters.

⭐⭐⭐★★

Review copy provided by publisher