Sunday Skim

 

Week of 12/12/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

The Wicked Widow will be my last audiobook for 2021 and it was a great one to go out with. Now I want the next one to come out. This will be a series I continue to do on audio. 

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Julie's Review: Eight Perfect Hours

Author: Lia Louis
Series: None
Publication Date:  September 28, 2021
Publisher: Atria
Pages: 336
Obtained: publisher via NetGalley
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4/5
Bottom Line: Not just a light romance
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: On a snowy evening in March, thirty-something Noelle Butterby is on her way back from an event at her old college when disaster strikes. With a blizzard closing off roads, she finds herself stranded, alone in her car, without food, drink, or a working charger for her phone. All seems lost until Sam Attwood, a handsome American stranger also trapped in a nearby car, knocks on her window and offers assistance. What follows is eight perfect hours together, until morning arrives and the roads finally clear. The two strangers part, positive they’ll never see each other again but fate, it seems, has a different plan. As the two keep serendipitously bumping into one another, they begin to realize that perhaps there truly is no such thing as coincidence.~amazon.com

Review: Fate has a weird way of interrupting our lives, just ask Noelle Butterby who is stuck on a road due to a blizzard and was completely unprepared. Most of us would probably enjoy it (if our phone was charged) to just chill out a little but Noelle is stressed out because she cares for her mom and wasn't planning on being gone this long. Plus her reason for being where she is was also emotional for her. Enter Sam Attwood, handsome and helpful who allows Noelle to hang in his car to charge his phone. Eight hours is a long time to spend with someone without any other distractions, so Sam and Noelle talk for that time and get to know each other. When the roads open, Sam drives off for Noelle to never see him again. 

Except their paths keep crossing over the next year but neither of them is ready to admit to their feelings for each other. Ok well Noelle might be, but she's fallen back in with her former paramour, Ed. It's really easy to fall into past comfort. Plus, Noelle is dealing with a lot taking care of her mom, her best friend and her irresponsible brother, Dilly. 

Sam is dealing with his own issues with his dad and his own past. In other words, they both have baggage that they are working through. Yet fate keeps putting them together. The best part is how it all comes together at the end. I actually had to reread a little bit because it was such an "AH HA".

This is a great romance novel that deals with some serious issues, but Ms. Louis incorporates them so well into the novel and it isn't preachy. 

Sunday Skim

 

Week of 12/5/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

Yep, I'll be catching up on some books over the next few weeks that I didn't get to earlier in the year. Honestly, I can't wait. I'll probably also start on the 2022 releases as well. 

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Sunday Skim

 

Week of 11/28/2021:

Finished:

Currently Reading:

Looking Forward To:

I really am hoping to finish up these December quickly so that I can start to make some progress on books I have sitting on my nightstand and earlier 2021 published books. I have some great time off at the end of the month, so I think I can accomplish a lot. Do you have any goals for December with your reading? 

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Julie’s Review: Meet Me In London

Author: Georgia Toffolo
Series: Meet Me #1
Publication Date:  September 28, 2021
Publisher: HQN Books
Pages: 328
Obtained: Publisher Book Tour
Genre:  Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4.5/5
Bottom Line: Lovely romance set during the Holidays in Christmas
Grab, Just get it at the library, or Remove from your TBR list? Grab

Summary: Aspiring clothes designer Victoria Scott spends her days working in a bar in Chelsea and her evenings designing vintage clothes, dreaming of one day opening her own boutique. But these aspirations are under threat from the new department store opening at the end of her road. She needs a Christmas miracle, but one is not forthcoming. Oliver Russell’s Christmas is not looking very festive right now. His family’s new London department store opening is behind schedule, and on top of that his interfering, if well-meaning, mother is pressing him to introduce his girlfriend to her over the holidays—a girlfriend who does not exist. He needs a diversion…something to keep his mother from meddling while he focuses on the business. When Oliver meets Victoria, he offers a proposition: pretend to be his girlfriend at the opening of his store and he will provide an opportunity for Victoria to showcase her designs. But what starts as a business arrangement soon becomes something more tempting as the fake relationship starts to feel very real. But when secrets in Victoria’s past are exposed, will Oliver walk away, or will they both follow their hearts and find what neither knew they were looking for…? ~amazon.com

Review: I love novels where the 2 main characters start off in a fake relationship and then deny they are falling for each other and then finally admit it. This is exactly what Meet Me in London is all about. It does have a bit of You've Got Mail vibe with the big department store vs the little local shops but that's where it ends. Victoria is a bartender to make ends meet while she teaches underprivileged kids to create their own designs and while also pursuing her dream of having her own fashion collection. Oliver has been sent into the new store to clean up his cousins mess, which he has done countless times before. 

Neither one is looking for romance when they collide on the street outside the department store but maybe it's fates way of saying wake up! In order for their relationship to seem real, Oliver and V need to spend time together to ensure they know each other in ways couples would but both of them are holding back issues from each other. Both of them have things in the past that are holding them back from others and from being themselves. They can't be honest with each other because they aren't even honest with themselves. 

This book was so lovely and exactly what I needed at the time. I can't wait for the next book in the series and what Ms. Toffolo does next. If you are looking for a wonderful romance set during the holidays, Meet Me in London is the perfect escape. 

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Monthly Rewind: November

I wanted to try a little something new here and see how it goes. I thought it might be fun to see how the books I read the previous month fell out. I'll include both books I've read and listened to for the month. 

* Denotes Audiobooks

Home Run (You should run and get this): 

*

I know I'm late to the Four Winds party but it was spectacular. Pick any one of these fantastic books up right away! 

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

StrikeOuts(Don't bother):  N/A

Kind of a light month but read some fantastic books. I also took a few days off throughout the month so my audiobook listening was a bit limited. Definitely looking forward to a great month of reading in December. 

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