Been There Done That by Hope Ellis

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Been There Done That
Author: Hope Ellis
Series: Leffersbee #1, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

Stories that feature a past and reconciliation in the romance department pretty much always make me happy. There is just something so sweet and beautiful about them. And often, a little bit heartbreaking. And this story really was no different. It was kind of tragic in moments when you realised all that was lost because of one teenage idiots’ rash decisions. But, it was also lovely – teenage sweethearts don’t always end up having their happily ever after because it is ridiculously hard to grow with another human being.

I love that there is a bit of a moment throughout this in which Zora points out that it is probably good that she and Nick didn’t run off into the sunset to get married. By being apart for the majority of their 20’s, they’re able to grow into their own people. It makes them a lot less reliant on each other in their structure for identity. And so much more sure of themselves. My partner and I have been together since we were eighteen – it is incredibly difficult to maintain some aspects of a relationship when you go through the drastic changes that your 20’s bring.

The title of this story makes it pretty obvious that there is history, and I love that it has this sense of yup, been there, done that. Not doing it again. Especially from Zora – she is such a little firecracker and is able to seriously hold her own. Which, of course is why I fell in love with her so quickly. I always love a strong, slightly off-kilter woman who is able to stand up for herself. Also whilst continuously being slightly uncoordinated and a little bit unable to stop the word vomit. She is so quirky and cute – the type of heroine that is pretty common in the SmartyPants Romance books and the reason I’m so obsessed with these stories.

This is yet another wonderful contemporary romance that made me incredibly happy and content. It’s so easy to understand the flaws and mistakes of both of the characters. And, it is just so damn cute. I definitely have a huge weakness for the SmartyPants Romance books, and I am steadily filling my shelves very happily with these…

<- More SmartyPants RomanceBefore and After You ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: The Secret Garden
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Young adult
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Year: 1911

Thoughts

I did enjoy this story, but I also didn’t really find it much of a story. Most tales that I really get stuck into have a beginning, middle and end. Sometimes this isn’t so distinct, but it is still there. I didn’t really feel like there was anything other than a beginning here. Burnett manages to introduce Mary and all of her flaws beautifully. She is an incredibly dislikeable character. But, after her introduction, it’s possible to feel sympathetic to the reasons behind her characterisation. However, other than that, it was not much of a story.

Alright, the development of Mary’s character, and the friendships that she makes are definitely a good storyline and development. But I always expect more of an external trial and obstacle. In fact, I thought there would be many barriers to the children getting into the secret garden and helping it grow. Instead, they find the secret garden, find friendship and then miraculously heal all of the wounds of the past.

I did enjoy this classic, but I also don’t think I’ll quickly dig into it again. It was a bit of a story line that I felt needed a whole lot more. And one that was just too simple. Maybe a better book to read as a young child than an adult…

<- Bulfinch’s MythologyTarzan of the Apes ->

Image source: Abebooks

Remedial Rocket Science by Susannah Nix

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Remedial Rocket Science
Author: Susannah Nix
Series: Chemistry Lessons #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2017

Thoughts

I both liked and disliked the fact that Nix starts off this book with a trigger warning in the front. It’s great, because you don’t want to read something that might trigger you. But it also made me feel a little hesitant about reading this, because I didn’t know if I would be triggered by said triggers. Plus, at the core of it all, I really hate stories in which infidelity is rewarded. Personally for me, I find it to be a pretty big moral line that shouldn’t be crossed. Having said that, once I got into this story… I found that those “triggers” within the warning were so damn minimal that I wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

I’m going to be honest, it took me a little while to get my head around the timeline. I must have missed the three years ago heading in the first chapter, so I was wondering what was going on when the time jumped. But, I put that entirely down to my own brain lately. Once I got into the swing of things though, I found this book impossible to put down. In fact, I pulled an all-nighter to finish this. Which was bad, but also, oh so good. As soon as the dynamic between Melody and Jeremy starts to make a bit more sense, this became one of my favourite reads in a while. It just took a little while to get going.

I really enjoyed the many geeky references throughout this book. You can tell that Nix has many geeky interests and there were so many comments littered throughout. It wasn’t anything overwhelming, and if you’re not a fan of things such as Star Wars you wouldn’t pick up on it. They were lovely little moments and easter eggs that I will probably find more of on another read through. I know next to nothing about Susannah Nix, but reading this, I want to find out more.

Jeremy and Melody are a lovely couple, but it was the girl-friendship with Lacey that I really got into. Lacey is something intense and completely unexpected. Especially after the first meeting with her. It’s nice that whilst this is a story about Melody falling in love and finding her forever person, it’s also about settling into a new city. And, something I still haven’t figured out, how to make friends as an adult…

<- More Susannah NixIntermediate Thermodynamics ->

Image source: Kobo

Mr. Fiddlehead by Jonathan Carroll

Book Review, ,
Overview
Hauntings: Datlow, Ellen: 9781616960889: Amazon.com: Books

Title: Mr. Fiddlehead
Author: Jonathan Carroll
In: Hauntings (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tachyon
Year: 2013

Thoughts

At first I really didn’t see where the horror in this story came from. And then I got to the ending… trust me, it’s horror. Or at least, horrible. My brain conjured so many less than pleasant moments that could have proceeded this short story. Which was most definitely the point. And, honestly, it was the kind of ending that I love in a horror short story – seriously dark, twisted and uncomfortable.

I know that imaginary friends are a really common thing. It’s not something that I ever remember. And the idea of an imaginary friend coming to life in adulthood… that in and of itself feels incredibly disturbed. I mean, there is something just seriously wrong about it. And brining that into a marriage also felt… well, icky. But it got worse.

Mr. Fiddlehead doesn’t feel romantic or attractive from the get-go. There is a definite parasitic feel to him and his presence from the beginning. It steadily gets worse until the climax of this story. And then you just feel kind of wigged. Or at least I did. And now I’m really hoping that my own child doesn’t have an imaginary friend…

<- AnnaThe Fooly ->

Image source: Amazon

Love in Slow Motion by E.M. Lindsey

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Love in Slow Motion
Author: E.M. Lindsey
Series: Love Beyond Measure #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, LGBTQI
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Year: 2020

Thoughts

It’s taken me a long time to get to this book, considering its been sitting on my bedside table for about six months. I loved The Edge of Heaven, so I think that although I was hoping to love this just as much, I was also a little bit hesitant. Sometimes a banger of a first book can be followed by a not so good second book, and I was hoping against hope that that wouldn’t be the case. Luckily for me, Love in Slow Motion was just as good, sweet and wonderful.

I’ve read a lot on my online book groups about how much people love a “slow burn romance”. And I can’t say that it’s something that I’ve ever noticed much in the romances that I’ve read. There are plenty that feature a couple in which one has always had a crush, or friends to lovers and such. But the slow burn? Wow, I finally get what people are actually talking about. It is a very different beast to the other romance tropes that I’ve been enjoying. I might not want it all the time – I found that the slow burn also meant that we were slow getting to the action, and I needed things to hurry up a little. There is still something so toe curling and butterfly inducing about it that makes me want to read another, similar slow burn. Although, admittedly, that could just be Lindsey’s writing…

Reading the blurb of Love in Slow Motion, I was expecting something both beautiful and a little cringe-worthy. After all, a man falls in love with his best mates dad… there may only be seventeen years difference, but I always find the age gap thing a bit uncomfortable. The fact that Frederic is the father of Ilan’s best friend… I was expecting some serious catastrophic damage and many, many cringe-worthy moments. Yet, somehow, Lindsey was able to make this one of my favourite literary couples of late. All those things that I thought would be seriously cringe-worthy and filled with second-hand embarrassment and discomfort… didn’t even happen.

For all of my reservations on starting this book, I completely adored it. It was fun and witty. Cute and heartfelt as needed. It’s a reminder that falling in love, no matter how we do it can be filled with many, many pitfalls. Many of them being our own insecurities… Lindsey is able to show amazing vulnerability in her characters without it being a painful read. Definitely one of those romances that made my heart beat faster and then skip a beat as I hoped for that happily ever after moment.

<- The Edge of HeavenMore E.M. Lindsey ->

Image source: Amazon

Heart Smart by Emma Lee Jayne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Heart Smart
Author: Emma Lee Jayne
Series: Work For It #2, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

Max and Holly are an incredibly well fit and beautiful couple. And you can tell that they’re going to be so from the very beginning. Primarily because he is the typical grouchy male lead who doesn’t let anyone close. And although Holly isn’t all sunshine and roses, she certainly comes across as that in moments. The more you get to know each of them as Heart Smart unfolds, the more you realise that these initial views aren’t quite correct. But, they’re still a good indication of how well-fit and beautiful the couple of this romance are.

Both Holly and Max are neurodivergent, and although there are some liberties taken (Jayne herself states this at the end of the story), it still has a total sense of authenticity to it. I particularly loved the lack of understanding shown by others – in particular Holly’s ex-husband. And the ways in which other peoples’ inability to understand people who are different manages to scar the two leads. Even if we state that other peoples’ opinions don’t matter, they often do. And when you can’t conform to them, there are some very varied and not always healthy shields that people construct to prevent themselves from getting hurt again. Both Max and Holly might do this is slightly different ways throughout, but they do do them.

It took a long time for me to want to dive right back into tales of academia – I got pretty bitten by that realm when I was a part of it. But, there were also aspects of it that I absolutely adored. And Heart Smart manages to highlight many of them. The total dedication to one area of study, the fascination, the peace and quiet of the lab out of hours… all of those things that Max obviously relishes are things that I, myself, often miss. But, then there’s many of the hurdles that Holly faces – the expectations to conform to a certain type of “smarts”, the requirements of a very specific study pathway, even if it doesn’t work for you… I love how Jayne is able to talk about both these negative and positive aspects throughout her writing.

I absolutely loved reading this book and I am completely disappointed that it is over. Even though you know how this story is going to end (as you always do with a good romance), the journey and the bumps along the way are just stunning. It was a story that was beautiful and heartfelt, and made me think about all of the wonderful ways in which people can create their own families.

<- Street SmartBook Smart ->

Image source: Goodreads

Street Smart by Aly Stiles

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Street Smart
Author: Aly Stiles
Series: Work for It #1, SmartyPants Romance
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2021

Thoughts

So this is definitely a Smartypants Romance book that doesn’t have a ridiculously strong connection to the rest of the series. Or at least, the books that I’ve managed to read in this collection. The mention of the Sandekes is pretty much it. But, I can’t say that that really impacted my enjoyment all that much. I still absolutely adored this tale and couldn’t bear to put it down. It’s a fun, adventurous tale that most definitely left me smiling and just generally enjoying the world that Stiles is able to weave around you.

Although there was insta-love in this story, I really enjoyed the fact that it wasn’t quite insta-love. Through working closely together, Eva and Marcos are able to build their understanding of each other and each other’s strengths. It’s this that truly draws them to one another again and again. Alright, Eva was a lot more aware of some of Marcos’ talents before they meet (the whole resume and hiring thing). But I do like how they slowly get to know one another to build that relationship, and then decide to go further in their relations.

Most stories I’ve read that feature an office romance have the man being the one who is in charge and who has all of the power. I love that in this story, it is Eva who is the office superior. She’s the one who is nominally in charge – a fantastic dynamic and one that I don’t see nearly often enough. The risks and trials that she takes to be with Marcos are also highlighted. Alongside the constantly frustrating feeling of being overlooked and underestimated. It was certainly a wonderful alteration in the expected. One that I want to read more of.

Street Smart is a fantastic romance. It has strong characters, a fun story line and a wonderful sense of being dropped into the corporate world. I love that alongside falling in love, Marcos and Eva are trying to uncover an espionage plot. I have absolutely no interest in joining the corporate world. But I did enjoy the insight that this cutesy romance granted me.

<- More SmartyPants RomanceHeart Smart ->

Image source: Goodreads

Mermaid River by Alexia Arthurs

Book Review, ,
Overview
How to Love a Jamaican by Alexia Arthurs

Title: Mermaid River
Author: Alexia Arthurs
In: How to Love a Jamaican (Alexia Arthurs)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Picador
Year: 2018

Thoughts

I loved how this short story flicked back and forth in time. I definitely feel that it’s the case in any circumstance when you are visiting the past. It’s like a layer of juxtaposition – you see the past and all of its nuances, but then you also place that against the present which you are living. Definitely a unique journey to go on.

Arthurs not only flickers between the past and the present, but also between America and Jamaica, helping to drive home the immigrant experience that many go through. For me, an Aussie, both experiences and countries were thrillingly unique and unexpected. I loved how these totally different worlds sat nestled in the narrators experience and built an incredible picture.

Mermaid River is a story that I’m sure many people could connect to. I myself, who has no experience with either country nor immigration was reminded of grandparents and saying goodbye to the past. Definitely a sweet and wonderful short story that will transport you to another reality.

<- IslandThe Ghost of Jia Yi ->

Image source: Goodreads

Dare to Love by Carly Phillips

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Dare to Love
Author: Carly Phillips
Series: Dare to Love #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2013

Thoughts

There is a really fine line when writing romances with a dominant male – they have to be a little toe curling with their orders. But they also can’t be too overbearing. I’ve read some romances which the line between dominant and abusive feels seriously blurred and flirted with. Phillips doesn’t even come close to that line and discomfort. She is able to write Ian as an incredibly domineering and controlling man, but one that you really want to have in your life. One you want to reach out to and hug.

I also really enjoyed the fact that alongside this level of controlling, Riley also questions the dominant side of Ian. She even goes so far as to really delve into whether her submissions to him are dangerous to her independence, or just something enjoyable between two consenting adults. As I’ve said, some of the bodice rippers that I’ve read don’t really go near this line very well, and Phillips is completely able to do so. Which just made me love both Riley and Ian even more.

Ian’s history with his father and the existence of the “two families” is so tragic and difficult to comprehend. I can completely understand why the man has some pretty big baggage, particularly with his counterpoint in the other family. I like that as Riley and Ian are getting to know one another, Ian is forced to not only confront his own past, but also the family that he never really wanted to know. Now I can’t wait to see how Alex experienced this and what scars he’s been left with. Riley also has some serious trust issues that she spends most of the book working through. She might think that her childhood hasn’t scarred her like, but like everyone else, our childhood’s can influence who we are today and the way we maintain our relationships.

I love that both Riley and Ian have to confront their past and figure out how to trust one another in this story. it’s a great novel, and I do love a bit of the domineering sexuality that comes out. But it was the emotional turmoil and bonding that truly made me not want to put this book down. And, in fact, I pretty much didn’t – reading this all in one day.

<- More Carly PhillipsDare to Desire ->

Image source: Carly Phillips

Reading Update

List

Parenthood is weird. And so far, it’s allowed me to read a surprising amount of books…

Non-fiction

Series

Standalones – Novels