Review: Beach Read

 

Beach Read
by Emily Henry

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Publication Date: May 19 2020
Publisher: Berkley
Pages: 361
ISBN: 9781984806734
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Adult Fiction
Source: Own

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Synopsis: January Andrews, a bestselling romance author, finds that life isn't quite what she expected it to be. She suddenly finds herself in the darkest part of her life, unsure of what to do next. Completely broke, and in desperate need to get over her writer's block and finish her next book, January escapes to her father's beach house but being there opens up memories of their past and when mixed with present-day, January finds that nothing was quite as it seemed. January wonders, can anything else go wrong? The answer is yes! It turns out that her new neighbor for the next 3 months is Augustus Everett, her grad school nemesis, and acclaimed author known for killing off his characters.

January and Gus have nothing in common except that they both seem to be struggling with writer's block. They end up striking a deal with each other to help force them out of their creative ruts. They decide to swap writing styles, Augustus will spend the summer writing something with a happy ending and January will work on writing the next bestseller. To help with the writing process, January will take Gus on field trips worthy of any rom-com, and Gus will take her on research and interview trips. Will spending so much time together rekindle their grad school feelings for each other, or are they both past that now?

Review: I put off reading this for a couple of months and I'm really mad that I waited so long. This is the first book I have read by Emily Henry so I had no idea what to expect but this book was incredible! I couldn't put it down, it was so good. I loved the writing style, realism, and relatable characters. Both characters were guarded, understandably so, but it was refreshing to see them work out their own issues and then come together.

“It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when we internalize others' assessments; it's usually not just a single experience but rather a series of moments that bruise the spirit and lead us to distrust ourselves and those around us.”
― Emily Henry, Beach Read

I recommend this book to everyone, not just those who love romance. It's such a fantastic contemporary read with real problems. It was such an emotional and exhilarating read.

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Review: Take a Hint, Dani Brown

 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown
(The Brown Sisters, #2)
by Talia Hibbert

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Publication Date: June 23 2020
Publisher: Avon
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780062941251
Genre: Romance | Contemporary | Adult Fiction
Source: Own

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Synopsis: Danika Brown has no interest in love. She's been there, done that, and gotten her heartbroken. It doesn't matter anyway, Dani is focused on work and working her way towards professional success but she's not against having some fun. Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend with benefits, someone who knows their way around the bedroom.

During a workplace fire drill gone wrong, Dani finds herself being rescued by the brooding security guard, Zafir Ansari. Dani thinks it's a sign from the universe that Zaf is her friend with benefits. There's only one problem though, Dani's rescue goes viral and everyone is shipping Dani and Zaf as #DrRugbae. Dani realizes that Zaf has been hiding his past, as a professional rugby player, and that his charity could use some publicity to get donations. Dani and Zaf decide to play along and pretend they're really in a relationship, that way everyone wins - Dani gets her sexy time with Zaf and Zaf gets money for his charity.

There's only one problem, Zaf is actually a hopeless romantic and looking for a real relationship with Dani. The longer the charade goes on, the more in love with her he falls. Will Dani freak out and run, or will she finally take a hint that the universe is trying to give her more.

Review: I really liked the first book in this series, Get a Life, Chloe Brown, so I was excited to read this one. I'm so glad I did! It completely blew the first book out of the water. Talia Hibbert is a writing genius. The best part of all? This book was STEAMY!

Not only is this book full of diverse characters, but Danika Brown is the girl everyone wants to be best friends with. She is smart and sassy, has an amazing fashion sense, and a spunky and eccentric personality. Like seriously, can I just be Danika Brown when I grow up? Zaf is also such a great character. Strong, brooding, sexy - what's not to like? Especially since deep down under is rough exterior he is the sweetest and kindest person.

“Anything you want to do, you can. Hurdles were made to be jumped. Glass ceilings were made to be smashed. But all that can be exhausting, so make sure you can for yourself too. There's great value in the things that bring you joy.”
― Talia Hibbert, Take a Hint, Dani Brown

Overall I absolutely loved this book. I'm looking forward to rereading it in the future, that's how good it is. I definitely recommend it to all rom-com fans, especially if they love steamy scenes and strong females.

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Review: Party of Two

 

Party of Two
(The Wedding Date, #5)
by Jasmine Guillory

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Publication Date: June 23 2020
Publisher: Berkley Books
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9780593100813
Genre: Adult | Contemporary | Romance
Source: Own

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Synopsis: Having recently moved to LA from NYC to start her own law firm with her best friend, Olivia Monroe has no time or interest in dating right now. But when she meets a gorgeous and charming man at the hotel bar where they spend the evening flirting, she can't help but feel a little bit interested. That is until she realizes this gorgeous man just happens to be Senator Max Powell. Olivia has no interest in dating a politician, but then a delicious cake arrives at her office with the cutest message.

Olivia and Max begin dating secretly but when they finally go public with their relationship, neither Max nor Olivia are prepared for the intense media, paparazzi, or Olivia's rocky past coming back to haunt her. Scrutinized by her looks, job, and past, Olivia is finding out that she is not a trophy girlfriend, nor does she want to be. But what Olivia and Max have is something special, now it's up to them to decide if it's worth fighting for or not.

Review: I love Jasmine Guillory and will read anything she writes. It's refreshing how she writes about real people and real relationships, biracial couples, and people of color. When I saw that she was releasing a new book, Party of Two, I just had to preorder it so I could get it as soon as possible. I didn't even want to wait for the library copy, I wanted my very own.

Jasmine loves to write about strong female characters who don't need to be saved by a man. All of her characters are beautiful, smart women, with amazing careers and goals. It's not surprising that her characters would be such kick-ass women, Jasmine herself is a graduate of Wellesley College and Stanford Law School - yup, Stanford.Law.School. Damn!

With all of that said, this book fell a little flat for me. I know I am one of the few who felt this way, other reviews are just seriously raving about this book, so much so that I can't help but wonder if I somehow missed something. Olivia is a fantastic character but unfortunately, Max is a bit dull and Olivia overshadowed him. The storyline was kind of meh. I liked the premise of it and it was a fun read being around the Fourth of July, and also a great look into what a Senator's life is like. I'm not sure exactly what it's missing, but there was just something there that didn't push it over the edge to the next level.

“But you know, I only rush into the big things when I know to my core that they're right. I know to my core that you're right for me, Olivia Monroe.”
― Jasmine Guillory, Party of Two

Overall, I did like this book, it just wasn't my favorite, especially compared to Jasmine's other books. I loved all the food in it though - seriously, there was so much food talk! I swear every scene talks about food, Olivia and Max were always eating, which left me always feeling hungry.

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Review: More Myself

More Myself: A Journey

by Alicia Keys

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Publication Date: March 31 2020
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Pages: 272
ISBN: 9781250153296
Genre: Biography | Adult Nonfiction
Source: Audible

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Synopsis: More Myself is an autobiography about Alicia Key's journey in life. Known across the world for her dynamic vocals and stellar piano playing, Alicia has spent the last 20+ years in the public eye as a music icon. Not only has she been listed on multiple lists as one of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time or 100 Greatest Women, but she also inspired a new sound within hip hop to have a more classical sound, paving her way as a young, gifted, black female.

In this autobiography, Alicia talks about her rise to fame, her journey into adulthood, and the struggle she had with not compromising her values. She discusses relationships, love, and parenting. The reader learns about Alicia's dive into philanthropy and activism and the nonprofit she co-founded, Keep a Child Alive.

Review: I've been a fan of Alicia's music since her debut album, Songs in A Minor, was released in 2001. Though I enjoyed her music and owned several of her albums, I never actively kept up with her career or attended any of her shows. Alicia regained my attention in the last several years, especially with the release in 2012 of her fifth studio album, Girl on Fire.

In 2016 Alicia made headlines by doing a photoshoot for her upcoming studio album, Here, without any makeup. Since that moment Alicia has gone makeup-free to multiple photoshoots and awards show, most notably the Grammy's. Her embrace of natural beauty and the effect that movement has on not just all women, but specifically on youth, is tremendous.

I choose to listen to the audiobook for this read because I love Alicia's voice and I love hearing about people's lives from their own mouths. Bonus points that it also included lots of piano interludes and even some singing, along with quotes from various other celebrities in Alicia's life. At one point she talks about active listening, which is something I have personally been trying really hard to work on with my husband, and how without actively listening, she wouldn't have been able to become the stepmother that she is today. I also enjoyed the rawness her biography had and how she mentions being judge by others, which is something all women experience continuously throughout their lives.

“It's hard to pinpoint the precise moment when we internalize others' assessments; it's usually not just a single experience but rather a series of moments that bruise the spirit and lead us to distrust ourselves and those around us.”
― Alicia Keys, More Myself: A Journey

I highly recommend this, specifically the audiobook, to all women. It coves so many aspects of life and growing into adulthood, and the constant change that happens as you gain more life experience and perspective.

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July 2020 TBR

Happy first day of July, bookworms!

Did you have a good reading month in June? My goal was to read 8 books and I knew that was a pretty ambitious goal. I ended up finishing the month by reading 5 books. Not bad! That tends to be my average for most months.

This month I have another small TBR picked out, mostly because I know not to overreach with my goals. Being back at work is leaving me with less time to read and even when I am home, I feel so exhausted and sometimes fall asleep in the middle of reading. Anyway, I am hoping to read 5 books this month which is my average.

Here's what I'm reading this month:

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

Beach Read by Emily Henry

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

Here's to hoping for a great reading month! What about you? What are you reading this month?

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