Julie's Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty Series

To be fair, I read these 3 after I binged the Amazon Prime series, so I had the actors in mind when I read the series. I actually didn't mind the changes to the first book since I watched first and then read. I felt the debutante ball was the perfect plot point to move things along. I really did vacillate on Team Jere or Team Conrad because at times they both drove me nuts. I'm also not a teen girl and saw red flags with both. I loved the cast of supporting characters and according to my daughter I'm a Laurel. LOL At first, I was like what but I'm definitely not chill like Susannah; that would be my friend. 

I flew through these book over the course of 36 hours and that included a baseball tournament. They are fun reads that has you reflecting on your own teen angst. I liked Belly but of course as any teen girl, she got on my nerves. I did think Jenny Han did a great job of having her grow up and in the end follow her heart. 

I can't wait for the 2nd season to come out but I have a feeling it'll be Summer 2023 before we get it. I hope they are filming the books back to back, even if they hold the 3rd season to Summer 2024. 

Sunday Skim

 

Week of 7/17/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

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Julie's Review: Bet on It

Author: Jodie Slaughter
Series: None
Publication Date:  July 12, 2022
Publisher: St. Martin's 
Pages: 315
Obtained: publisher via Netgalley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 3.75/5
Bottom Line: Romance more on the serious side
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: The first time Aja Owens encounters the man of her dreams, she’s having a panic attack in the frozen foods section of the Piggly Wiggly. The second time, he’s being introduced to her as her favorite bingo buddy’s semi-estranged grandson. From there, all it takes is one game for her to realize that he’s definitely going to be a problem. And if there’s anything she already has a surplus of, it’s problems. In Walker Abbott’s mind, there are only two worthwhile things in Greenbelt, South Carolina. The peach cobbler at his old favorite diner and his ailing grandmother. Dragging himself back after more than a decade away, he’s counting down the days until Gram heals and he can get back to his real life. Far away from the trauma inside of those city limits. Just when he thinks his plan is solid, enter Aja to shake everything up. A hastily made bingo-based sex pact is supposed to keep this…thing between them from getting out of hand. Especially when submitting to their feelings means disrupting their carefully balanced lives. But emotions are just like bingo callers—they refuse to be ignored. 

Review: In my opinion and hopefully others, there are not enough books out there with characters who struggle with their mental health but are working on it. Show the struggle and the rewards of taking care of yourself. This is definitely highlighted in Jodie Slaughter's novel Bet on It and not just the main character either. Aja Owens suffers from debilitating anxiety that has come to take over her life at the wrong times, like in the frozen aisle at the Piggly Wiggly. Then it happens that the kind stranger is the grandson of her Bingo partner and that's where the story of Aja and Walker truly begins. 

I will say that at times Walker got on my nerves because at first it seemed like he was more attracted to Aja for her physicality than her her brain or heart. This changed over the course of the story as he was attracted to more than her appearance. Aja is a gem of a character. She's working on herself in ways that all of us can learn from. She puts herself in situations that make her uncomfortable to start to be comfortable. 

As their friendship progresses, they both start to tear down their walls with each other, even if they are still up with others. I appreciated that she also made other ties to Greenbelt besides Ms. May and Walker. 

Bet on It shows how human interaction can help when you are at your lowest and be just what you need.

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Sunday Skim

 

Week of 7/10/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

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Julie's Review: The Crimson Thread

Author: Kate Forsyth
Series: None
Publication Date:  July 5, 2022
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Pages: 405
Obtained: Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Unique story set in WWII
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: May 1941. German paratroopers launch a blitzkrieg from the air against Crete. They are met with fierce defiance, the Greeks fighting back with daggers, pitchforks, and kitchen knives. During the bloody eleven-day battle, Alenka, a young Greek woman, saves the lives of two Australian soldiers. Jack and Teddy are childhood friends who joined up together to see the world. Both men fall in love with Alenka. They are forced to retreat with the tattered remains of the Allied forces over the towering White Mountains. Both are among the seven thousand Allied soldiers left behind in the desperate evacuation from Crete’s storm-lashed southern coast. Alenka hides Jack and Teddy at great risk to herself. Her brother Axel is a Nazi sympathiser and collaborator and spies on her movements. As Crete suffers under the Nazi jackboot, Alenka is drawn into an intense triangle of conflicting emotions with Jack and Teddy. Their friendship suffers under the strain of months of hiding and their rivalry for her love. Together, they join the resistance and fight to free the island, but all three will find themselves tested to their limits. Alenka must choose whom to trust and whom to love and, in the end, whom to save. ~amazon.com

Review: I read a lot of historical fiction, which if you read this blog, you already know. Yet in all my readings, I have never read one about the invasion of Crete by the Nazis. So of course I was intrigued when I got this blog tour request. It helps that I loved one of her previous novels, Bitter Greens. 

Alenka is a wonderful heroine that has a lot coming at her all at once. Between rescuing two Australian soldiers and her brother's allegiance to the Nazi's, she's handling a lot. Plus the only home she's ever know is under attack and they aren't giving up so easily. Jack and Teddy are both quickly falling for Alenka, which will have obvious detrimental affects on their friendship. It'll also try Alenka's feelings for both of them at different times.

What I truly enjoyed about The Crimson Thread was how Ms. Forsyth weaved Greek Mythology with history and a love triangle. All of these aspects weaved wonderfully together for a seamless story about love, hope, forgiveness and tragedy. In the face of war, normal things do occur, like a love triangle and falling in love. 

Thanks to Amy for letting me adjust my review date for the tour! 

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Julie's Review: The Lies I Tell

Author: Julie Clark
Series: None
Publication Date:  June 21, 2022
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Pages: 307
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Psychological Thriller
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: Definition of Cat & Mouse Game
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Meg Williams. Maggie Littleton. Melody Wilde. Different names for the same person, depending on the town, depending on the job. She's a con artist who erases herself to become whoever you need her to be—a college student. A life coach. A real estate agent. Nothing about her is real. She slides alongside you and tells you exactly what you need to hear, and by the time she's done, you've likely lost everything. Kat Roberts has been waiting ten years for the woman who upended her life to return. And now that she has, Kat is determined to be the one to expose her. But as the two women grow closer, Kat's long-held assumptions begin to crumble, leaving Kat to wonder who Meg's true target is. ~amazon.com 

Review: I absolutely loved The Last Flight by Julie Clark when I read it and there was definitely no sophomore slump with The Lies I Tell. 

This book was the ultimate cat and mouse game with both women being either the cat or mouse at different times in the book. By the end of the book, I wasn't sure that Meg was a horrible person like I initially thought. What   she did was shady and wrong but her reasoning, well she wasn't entirely in the wrong. Kat has her own reason(s) for getting close to Meg but can she handle the games they will inflict on each other. 

That ending wasn't what I was expecting either. As much as I want to discuss more about the book, I can't or it'll pretty much ruin the experience for you, dear reader. 

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Sunday Skim

 

Week of 7/3/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

It's that time of year when I begin to feel a bit overwhelmed with all the books I requested and the fact that there isn't enough time in the day for it. So I'll do my best and get caught up when I can. Then remind myself to not request so many books. LOL 

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Julie's Review: American Royalty

Author: Tracey Livesay
Series: None
Publication Date:  June 28, 2022
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 381
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Steamy interracial romance
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Sexy, driven rapper Danielle “Duchess” Nelson is on the verge of signing a deal that’ll make her one of the richest women in hip hop. More importantly, it’ll grant her control over her life, something she’s craved for years. But an incident with a rising pop star has gone viral, unfairly putting her deal in jeopardy. Concerned about her image, she’s instructed to work on generating some positive publicity… or else. A brilliant professor and reclusive royal, Prince Jameson prefers life out of the spotlight, only leaving his ivory tower to attend weddings or funerals. But with the Queen’s children involved in one scandal after another, and Parliament questioning the viability of the monarchy, the Queen is desperate. In a quest for good press, she puts Jameson in charge of a tribute concert in her late husband’s honor. Out of his depth, and resentful of being called to service, he takes the advice of a student. After all, what’s more appropriate for a royal concert than a performer named “Duchess”? Too late, Jameson discovers the American rapper is popular, sexy, raunchy and not what the Queen wanted, although he’s having an entirely different reaction. Dani knows this is the good exposure she needs to cement her deal and it doesn't hurt that the royal running things is fine as hell. Thrown together, they give in to the explosive attraction flaring between them. But as the glare of the limelight intensifies and outside forces try to interfere, will the Prince and Duchess be a fairy tale romance for the ages or a disaster of palatial proportions? ~amazon.com

Review: I am happy to report that while some people will try to twist this into a different version of Harry/Meghan, it is not that at all. Which, given that I'm not interested in the royal family, I was thrilled. American Royalty is steamy as well. 

Dani, aka Duchess, is a thriving rap artist that is continuing to gain fame when she's invited to be part of a benefit concert honoring the late Prince John. It's coming at a good time for her as she's embattled in an ongoing "feud" with a pop star and needs good PR to get her cosmetic company to the threshold it needs to be. Except Dani wasn't expecting Prince Jameson.

I loved Dani and her self-confidence. I also loved that rapping was just a path to launch her skin care line for Black and Brown women. That's her true passion and what she really wants to do. I like how she didn't want to give up who she was or what she wanted to do just because she fell for a Prince. She didn't just want to be tied to him; she wasn't a gold digger. She had gotten this far on her own and could continue. 

Prince Jameson wasn't expecting Dani when he randomly said that he wanted Duchess to perform without realizing how she performed. He's not the most open person but neither is Dani and instead of shutting each other out, they end up being able to open up to each other. Sure, it starts off physically for them but slowly grows into something much stronger. Neither of them is prepared for it and the firestorm it is going to create. Is their relationship worth it? That's up to them to decide. 

I loved the fact that this was more than just a royal/commoner romance novel. It highlighted the complexities of an interracial relationship. I also can't wait to read what Ms. Livesay writes next. 

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Sunday Skim

 

Week of 6/26/2022:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I enjoyed American Royalty much more than I thought. I'm not big into the British Monarchy and was hoping it wouldn't be just a cookie cutter of Meghan and Harry; it wasn't. It is pretty steamy as well. The Book of Cold Cases was a great audiobook which is how I've done all of her novels and probably will continue that way as well. Her stories just seem to translate well to audio for me. 

I'm hoping this holiday weekend allows me some time to read and relax. I also want to finish Pieces of Her and The Lincoln Lawyer on Netflix which are both based on books. 

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Julie's Review: Gilt

Author: Jamie Brenner
Series: None
Publication Date: June 21, 2022
Publisher: Putnam
Pages: 328
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 5/5
Bottom Line: I love me some family drama and this delivers
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: The Pavlin family built an empire on love. As the first jewelers to sell diamond rings exclusively for proposals, they started a tradition that has defined engagements ever since. But when an ill-fated publicity stunt pits the three Pavlin sisters against one another for a famous family jewel, their bond is broken. No ordinary diamond ring, the Electric Rose splinters the sisters, leaving one unlucky in love, one escaping to the shores of Cape Cod, and the other, ultimately, dead. Now, over a decade later, Gemma Maybrook is still reconciling the reality of her mother's death. Left orphaned and cast out by her family after the tragic accident, Gemma is ready to reclaim what should have been hers: the Electric Rose. And, as a budding jewelry designer in her own right, Gemma isn't just planning on recovering her mother's lost memento, she's coming back for everything. From Manhattan’s tony Fifth Avenue to the vibrant sands of Provincetown, Gilt follows the Pavlin women as they are forced to confront the mistakes of the past if they have any hope of finding love and happiness of their own. ~amazon.com 

Review: Jamie Brenner has never let me down with one of her novels and Gilt isn't any different. Its the story of a family that is dealing with a legacy that means different things to the 3 Generations of women to inherit it.  Celeste, the oldest, escapes her family to carve out her own life. Elodie, the middle sister who can’t let go of the hurt and pain of the past; and Gemma, who doesn’t know these women but is connected to them by blood. 

Each of them has to find away to reconcile the past and move toward the future with each other. Celeste has to let go of the guilt she has carried with her and her superstitions about marriage. If she doesn't, she'll lose everything she loves and worked hard for. Elodie, is bitter from something that happened decades ago and can't seem to let go, but if she doesn't she'll lose the family business. Then there is Gemma, the niece was was blackballed by the family for reasons she's never understood but has made her independent in a way she wouldn't know otherwise. 

The family business brings them together to get over the past and plan for the future. They have to learn how to be a family and relate to each other. There are love stories for all 3 of the women in the book but it just stresses the importance of family. 

This book harkened back to some of my favorite novels of the 80s by Danielle Steele. Which then inspired me to buy 4 of my favorites with their classic covers. 

If you've never read Jamie, then I highly suggest picking up her novels and she has quite the awesome backlist as well. 

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Monthly Rewind - June 2022

* Denotes Audiobooks

Home Run (You should run and get this): 

*

Triple (You really don't want to miss it):

*

*

Double (You could get on the waiting list at the library and be ok):

Single (Wait it out): N/A

Strike Outs (Don't bother):  N/A

Another great month for books. Jamie Brenner's writing and novels just keeps getting better with each novel, so I can't wait to see what she has for me in 2023. Again, audiobooks have been my saving grace this month due to a busy June. July doesn't slow down either but I'm hoping some long weekends will help me get some good reading in. 

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