Book Review: Float Plan by Trish Doller

This was more emotional than I expected based on the cover. That’s not a complaint-just an observation.

Anna’s journey was gripping and emotional. She’s still grieving the loss of her fiance to suicide. This sailing journey is an attempt to push herself, but also doesn’t magically fix her. There are moments she’s fine and others when she breaks down. That felt very real based on my limited experience with death. This does have a romance, but I think this is more about Anna’s struggle.

Keane was a great romantic interest and friend. He is such a good guy who is so understanding. He has some of his own issues mainly dealing with a return to sailing after losing part of his leg. But, again, most of it is about Anna’s issues.

I did like the romance. I worried it would be a little rushed, but it wasn’t. Anna isn’t just rebounding. And the conflicts to the romance were pretty different. 

This had a road trip vibe, but at sea. In retrospect that makes sense. I think road trip book lovers would really like this. I don’t understand all the boating and sailing terminology, but it felt natural in the story.

One last thing that’s pretty minor. Anna never says her fiance committed suicide or killed himself. Instead she says he died by suicide. I’ve seen a lot of conversation online in the last few years about how to talk about suicide. Ms. Doller seems to be aware of these conversations and I’m sure these small word choices will be appreciated.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: The Heiress Hunt by Joanna Shupe

This was my first Joanna Shupe book. I also don’t read a ton of American-set historical romances. I haven’t found a new favorite author, but I will read more books by Joanna Shupe.

This has a friends-to-lovers element, but it also has some unrequited love which is not a trope I like. I liked Harrison and Maddie was OK. I didn’t mind their romance, but I didn’t fully connect with it. My issue mainly stemmed from a lack of belief in Maddie’s investment in the romance.

There’s definitely a lot of sequel bait here with Harrison and Maddie’s friends. I’m definitely a big fan of sequel bait. Generally, I’m interested in their friends. ANd I’m definitely happy they have good, supportive friends.

There was a secondary plot toward the end that kind of confused me. I don’t want to go into spoilers so I’ll be vague. Because of how that issue was resolved I’m unsure what the point of that plot point was. At this point it just feels like lazy writing for relationship drama. Maybe it’ll come up in a future book.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

March Wrap-Up (2021)

I can’t believe March is already over. I probably say that every month. I did get my second Covid vaccine this month which is exciting. Other than a little arm pain I had no side effects.

My reading was pretty good. I didn’t read as many books as I hoped, but still over 20 books so no complaints here. I wouldn’t say I have any new favorites this month either. THere were a lot of 4 star reads.

Here are the books I read in March along with my ratings and some quick thoughts on each one.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

April TBR (2021)

These are some of the books I’m excited to read in April. Hopefully I get to all of them.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Heartscape by Garrett Leigh

This was an emotional read, but I didn’t cry. I tried hard not to cry. I also read most of it in one sitting. Overall, I enjoyed it, but I had trouble remembering if I was in Tanner and Jax’s POV.

Jax and Tanner have been through some pretty difficult situations. And they are in various stages of dealing with these issues. There are mentions of abusive relationships and suicidal thoughts. Garrett Leigh did a good job, in my opinion, of exploring these topics and how they impact you, but doesn’t dwell on it. This leads to the perfect amount of angst, emotion, and character development. I’m also really happy this didn’t hide from the fact that women can be abusers.

Objectively, the romance was a little fast, but didn’t feel like it. They also had adult conversations which I want in my romance novels. Both Jax and Tanner are Bi. I can’t speak from personal experience, but I liked the representation. I’m also a big fan of LGBTQ+ books with tons of acceptance because it’s the world I want to live in and they give me hope.

There’s a side character named Molly-I’m going to need a story for her. I especially loved the growing friendships between Tanner, Jax, and Molly.
Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch

I literally don’t know what to say. This didn’t really impact me-positively or negatively. I was pretty bored the whole time. I never connected with Persephone and Coll-either as individuals or as a couple. It’s kind of sad because I really liked the second book in the series and was very excited about this one. This probably would’ve been 2 stars, but I gave it an extra one because I really like Francesca.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

I finished this in a day. I was listening to the audio so when I got home from work I had to find things to do for the last few hours. I was just so invested in Kai and Banks.

Both Kai and Banks were characters I was rooting for. I think I liked Banks a little bit more, because she felt a bit more developed. She has been through a lot in her life. You can definitely see how her exposure to trauma in the past impacts her behavior in the present. Kai is a nice guy-not perfect or anything, but definitely nice.

The romance was compelling and the pacing kept me engaged. Their interactions in the past felt pretty repetitive and did start to get annoying. And it was very steamy-at least compared to what I normally read. 

After the first book I was up in the air on this series, but now I’m on board. I’m still a little conflicted when it comes to dark romance, but I’m on board. I’m still a little conflicted when it comes to dark romance, but I’m liking this. I’m definitely curious to read Damon’s book. It’s probably going to be a difficult, but powerful one. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I was all over the place with this one. In the end, I did enjoy it.  And it was a very fast and engrossing read. I will read more from Ilsa Madden-Mills, but don’t feel the need to right away. That’s probably good for my bank account.

My main issue was with Knox. His behavior and personality was all over the place. She definitely tried to explain why he was like this, but it just didn’t work for me. I can suspend my disbelief, but the whiplash it caused me would just bring me right out of the story.

Ava was a nice character and it was easy to root for her. But she also didn’t feel like anything special. I’m already starting to forget things about her.

A lot of this is standard NA romance. There’s a rich guy and poor girl. There’s a sexual assault storyline. The romance has a forbidden aspect. The author did do something with the resolution that I wish more authors did. It really helped me buy into their romance. 

I haven’t read a lot of bully romances and I’m not sure it’s a trope for me. I like some enemies to lovers (mostly rivals) romance and angst (when I’m in the mood). I get the impression bully romances always have angst which is good to know if I ever want that in the future.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna

It took me over a week to finish this which is very unusual for me. I think that was 25% caused by the book and 75% caused by my own headspace. This is also still one of the most beautiful covers I’ve ever seen. This review may come across negative, but I will continue with the series-there is so much potential here.

One of the things that drew me to this-other than the cover-was a group of girls coming together. That was there, but not as much as I wanted. Britta is probably the best developed character outside of Deka (the main character). Id di really like her and the bond she had with Deka, but I think it could’ve been deeper. This did get a little better toward the end and I believe will get stronger as the series goes on. 

I think the world is interesting, but I don’t fully understand it. I was frequently confused about the history and politics. I’m hoping this will become clearer as Deka learns more.

Deka was a good main character, but also a little frustrating .Maybe that was on purpose. She kept changing her opinion on people and things because someone would tell her something with no real proof. This happens a lot with procedural crime dramas and always bothers me. You didn’t trust this person two pages ago, but now you do because they told you something. It always feels like a plot whole or just convenient for plot progression. THe romance also felt a little forced. I love a good romance and hopefully I’ll come to really like this one. For Now it felt like it was there because YA Fantasy is expected to have a romance.

I do recommend this. It is good with some compelling conversations. And it has so much potential as a series.
Thanks for reading!
Holly

February Wrap-Up (2021)

This was not my best month-emotionally. 2021 in general hasn’t started very well. But I did read a lot of books.

Book Review: Holdout by Jacqueline Snowe

Jonah and Ryann’s story was great and had some heavier emotional beats. 

They end up having secret friends-with-benefits thing going on. It's a secret because Ryann’s older brother is super overprotective and he doesn’t want any of the guys on his hockey team even considering a relationship with his sister. It’s no secret that this is one of my least favorite tropes. It was still annoying, but nowhere near as frustrating as others I’ve read. Jonah and Ryann have great chemistry and I really liked the pacing. They really become friends as well as lovers. 

I liked Ryann and Jonah as individuals, too. They both had personalities and emotional baggage-lives outside of their romance. I did really like Jonah’s relationship with his dad. I love positive father-son relationships. But I did have trouble remembering whose POV I was in. Their voices weren’t distinct at all.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Slapshot by Rebecca Jenshak

This sucked me in quickly and I finished it in only a couple of hours. It kind of gave me Off-Campus (by Elle Kennedy) vibes.

You first meet Kaitlyn in Heartland by Sarina Bowen. I don’t really remember her, but she’s Chastity’s roommate and Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. I really liked Kaitlyn here. The synopsis kind of does her a disservice (in my opinion). She’s a rich girl cut off by her dad. While that isn’t an original idea, Ms. Jenshak did a good job with it. Lex wasn’t quite as developed. I think that happens a lot in romance. The author’s really delve into one character and make them the lead instead of having two main characters. 

The romance was cute. It wasn’t full of angst and drama. Of course there is conflict, but it isn’t constant. Lex was a really great supportive partner.

Speaking of, can we shout-out my girl Vivian? She’s Kaitlyn’s friend who is such a great friend. I love quality friendships and hope Vivian gets her own HEA.

This has so much more hockey then the first book in the series which was what I wanted. If I’m reading a hockey romance, I want hockey. I especially liked Kaitlyn’s competence as equipment manager. Ms. Jenshak could’ve gone for cheap jokes and made her bad, but instead gave her talent.

I have one kind of random complaint. There was no discussion of safe sex or birth control. I know some people think it isn’t sexy, but it’s a must for me. They didn’t have to talk about it every time, but at least once. 

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Blindsided by Victoria Denault

This was good. It was definitely a fast and easy read. But it also didn’t blow me away and I’ll probably forget most of it in a couple weeks.

This has an enemies-to-lovers thing going on. It’s a Romeo and Juliet vibe, but Tate and Maggie completely buy into the family feud. I can appreciate a good enemies-to-lovers romance. It usually has a lot of heated bickering which is my jam. This didn’t really have that. Tate and Maggie did bicker, but I didn’t really work for me. I don’t have an issue with the romance but I also didn’t completely buy it. It kind of felt like they got together because the story wanted them to. 

I prefer a little more hockey in my hockey romance, which is completely personal preference. The characters aren’t as fully developed as I would like. But Ms. Denault did a good job of giving them lives outside of the romance. They both have friends and family they routinely interact with. 

This isn’t a new favorite, but I’m still very excited for the Moo U and World of True North books. This is probably a good intro to New Adult romances.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

February TBR (2021)

This is my monthly TBR for February. I didn’t read everything in my January TBR so I’m sure some of those will carry over. Here are some of the books I’m hoping to read this month.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

January Wrap-Up (2021)

I can’t believe January is already over. I read a lot, but was hoping I would finish more. I did go on vacation. I normally don’t read on vacation, so maybe I shouldn’t be surprised. Work was also really stressful this month, so I’m sure that contributed. I was often mentally exhausted when I got home and had trouble reading.

No books really blew me away this month. I think all my five stars were re-reads. They weren’t horrible books either, but no new favorite. I did read Roommate by Sarina Bowen which is kicking off the World of True North books which I am very excited for.

Below are the books I read along with my ratings and some quick thoughts.

Book Review: Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker

This was cute, but a bit forgettable. I enjoyed my time reading this, but feel no desire to read it again or purchase a copy. I also don’t have a lot to say.

The characters were likable, but also nothing special. Lucas is a widower and single father. Paige is a workaholic with relationship baggage because she was cheated on. They initially don’t get along, but are attracted to each other. 

The romance was fine, but a bit rushed. They really only know each other for a week because Paige is staying at Lucas’ Bed and Breakfast. I just didn’t buy that they fell in love that fast. This did have closed-door sex scenes. I don’t mind explicit sex scenes, but I know some don’t. So I’m happy their are books for people who want to read romance without descriptive sex scenes.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine

This was a pleasure to read-even as an adult. I also couldn’t remember how it resolved, so I got super-invested in the story. 

Ella is really easy to connect to. She is a real young woman. Sometimes she would get petulant, but that’s normal for teenagers. She’s also really nice, but not a paragon of femininity like a lot of Cinderella characters.

And the romance between Ella and Char is adorable. They become friends and talk to each other so much. I need more of that! And it really helps build a wonderful and beautiful romantic relationship.

The romance is not the main focus of this. It is Ella’s story as she lives her life with a curse/blessing of obedience. You really feel the frustration of her curse and how limiting it is for her. Ella completely loses any agency. She also goes through a lot: ogres, evil stepsisters, and finishing school. And the story takes place over a year. But it also goes by so fast.

I’ve never had a problem with the movie even though it’s a terrible adaptation. But I may be more bothered by it this time. The book is just so perfect as it is. This is an amazing read and I highly recommend it for anyone, but especially young girls.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Quarter 1 TBR Jar Picks (2021)

I started this quarterly TBR thing last year. I pick 20 prompts, put them in a jar, and pick 5 every quarter. I don’t pull specific books, but prompts to guide my reading. I of course do assign a book to each prompt when I pull them. Sometimes the prompts are strict like “read the shortest book on my TBR”. Others are more open like “read a translated book”. This gives me some flexibility while still pushing me.

For 2021, I decided to do more prompts that would encourage me to leave my comfort zone. I tend to read a lot of the same books or same types of books over and over.

Last year I did a video every quarter pulling my picks. I’m still doing that this year, but I thought I would also do a blog post. 

Below are the prompts and books I picked for the first 3 months of 2021.

Book with Most Ratings on My TBR

Shortest Book on My TBR

2020 Booktube Favorite

Read a Translated Book

Book From My First TBR Video

Book Review: Shopaholic to the Stars by Sophie Kinsella

I finally read a new book in the Shopaholic series. I did like it, but I also see why people really wouldn’t.

Becky definitely backslides in this one. And more than that, she’s incredibly selfish. For me, it was incredibly hard to read how she treats Suze. I don’t like that she lies to Luke, but her relationship with Suze has been around longer. And Suze has always supported Becky.

Becky is predictably sucked into the world of Hollywood with its glamour and artifice. But she does have moments of clarity and love. Her moments with Minnie did redeem her. Becky may be flighty and selfish at times, but she is a loving mother.

Luke is still a wonderful husband and some of his scenes were my favorite. He is always a pleasure to read about.

This also ends on a cliffhanger which is different from the other Shopaholic books. I need to take a little break because I’m unexpectedly worried about Tarquin. While I do want to know what’s going on, I’m not sure I can handle the level of stress a Shopaholic novel puts me through right now.

Thanks for reading!
Holly

Book Review: Corrupt by Penelope Douglas

I am so conflicted about this. I liked parts of it, but it also may be a little too dark for me. Honestly, I’m still feeling out the dark romance subgenre, but I’m trying to push myself.

This is definitely steamy and very erotic. It goes places I’m not used to. I’m not sure what would be a spoiler, so I won’t go into too much detail.

The romantic relationship between Rika and Michael is largely based on sex. I personally like more conversation, but I also understand why this would be liked. It’s also a potentially unhealthy relationship. That seems to be very common in dark romance so you have to kind of just go with it.

The bulk of the story surrounds illegal and morally grey situations. This is definitely one of the things that holds me back from enjoying it. I also struggle with the reality of the things these characters do and the consequences-or lack thereof. I think this is another thing where you have to suspend disbelief.

Lastly, I want to talk about a small thing that was like nails on a chalkboard for me. Ms. Douglas would constantly mention music that was playing. I don’t know why, but it really bothered me. It was also a little bit on the long side.

This review may come across a little negative, but my issues are solidly grounded in personal preference. And I do plan on reading the next book to try and pin down my thoughts on the series and Penelope Douglas.

Thanks for reading!
Holly