chick lit

Book Review: Paris is Always a Good Idea by Jenn McKinlay ★★

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“This. This was the last time I’d been truly happy. My year abroad. It hit me then that I no longer knew the young woman who had fallen in love with Colin and Jean Claude and Marcelino. I couldn’t even remember what it felt like to be topsy-turvy, dizzy from a smile, ass-over-tea-kettle crushing on someone.”

I picked this book up on a whim. I hadn’t heard anything about it, I’ve never read anything from this author before, and it was a new release. So I just went for it!

It turned out ok 🤷‍♀️. It was a mostly enjoyable read, but definitely not something that I am going to remember long term or anything that had any real impact on me. A lot of it was grating and annoying, and you had to REALLY suspend your disbelief a lot of the time. A very plain 2.5 stars.

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Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne ★★★

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“Love and hate are visceral. Your stomach twists at the thought of that person. The heart in your chest beats heavy and bright, nearly visible through your flesh and clothes. Your appetite and sleep are shredded. Every interaction spikes your blood with a dangerous kind of adrenaline, and you’re on the brink of fight or flight. Your body is barely under your control. You’re consumed, and it scares you.”

This one was pretty good. Cute, surprisingly touching in certain areas, and funny. Overall, it was solid and I enjoyed it. However, for some reason I just didn’t connect with the romance all that much. I liked the characters well enough and really felt for them during some scenes, but I just never 100% committed to them. Three stars.

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Book Review: The Marriage Game by Sara Desai ★★★★

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“Don’t bother unpacking the rest,” she said, tearing the lease in half. “I’m kicking you out now.”

She was almost as strong willed and stubborn as he was. But he had much better taste in furniture.

He snorted a laugh. “I’d like to see you try.”

“I’m sure you would,” she snapped. “It’s probably the only way you can get a woman near you with that giant ego in the way.”

“I’m hardly lacking for female companionship.”

Layla rolled her eyes in an overly dramatic fashion. “I’m not interested in hearing about your visits to the nail bar. I just want you gone.”

“It’s not going to happen, sweetheart. I have the document in digital form, and the law on my side.”

Number one, I love this cover. It’s gorgeous. (Although…the blank face cartoon trend is not my favorite. Poor Layla looks terrible there 😅). Number two, this was really freaking cute. Four stars, yes let’s give it up for well written rom-coms!!!

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Book Review: The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman ★★

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“Nina had looked around and realized she would never run out of things to read, and that certainty filled her with peace and satisfaction. It didn’t matter what hit the fan; as long as there were unread books in the world, she would be fine.”

This book was a huge disappointment. On paper, it sounded really fun and relatable, something cute and easy to fly through. Unfortunately, though, it was none of those things. Instead, it was cliche, boring, lacking, cringey, and very disappointing. I kind of want to give it 1.5 star now, but my initial gut reaction was 2 stars.

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Book Review: Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane ★★★

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“What I was wondering is, if you too hope we have one of those first dates that turns into days and nights…because we can’t stand to be apart.”

This was an interesting read for me. I went in with set expectations and was taken aback when the book turned out to be quite different. I had some qualms with it, but overall, the parts I liked won out and I gave this book 3.5 stars.

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Book Review: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple ★★★

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“’That’s right,’ she told the girls. ‘You are bored. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret about life. You think it’s boring now? Well, it only gets more boring. The sooner you learn it’s on you to make life interesting, the better off you’ll be.’”

I don’t think I would have picked this one up on my own. But, my best friend was reading it and loving it, and I wanted to read it with her. And I’m really glad I did! Granted, I did listen to the audiobook since the wait for the physical book was heckin’ long at the library. And I enjoyed it! I’m so glad I gave this book a chance. 3.5 stars.

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Book Review: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah ★★★

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“She was crying for it all at last–for the pain and loss and fear and anger, for the war and what it had done to her and to all of them, for the knowledge of evil she could never shake, for the horror of where she’d been and what she’d done to survive.”

Hmm I liked this book. I liked it, but it certainly wasn’t the best thing I have ever read and it didn’t really meet my expectations – expectations that were heightened because of all of the hype surrounding it. Overall, I would give the book 3 stars.

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Book Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan ★★

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“That’s what I want for my kids. I want them to love their family, but to feel a deeper sense of pride in who they are as individuals, not in how much money they have, what their last name is, or how many generations they go back to whatever dynasty. I’m sorry, but I’ve had enough. I’ve had enough of being around all these crazy rich Asians, all these people whose lives revolve around making money, spending money, flaunting money, comparing money, hiding money, controlling others with money, and ruining their lives over money.”

I really went into this with an open mind. I was excited to read it and I wanted something different from what I normally read, a light, fun, contemporary about a culture I am not overly familiar with. I gave it my best effort, but I just didn’t care for it 🤷‍♀️. Glad I only spent a dollar on it!

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