Review: Undercover Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams

Braden Mack thinks reading romance novels makes him an expert in love, but he’ll soon discover that real life is better than fiction.

Liv Papandreas has a dream job as a sous chef at Nashville’s hottest restaurant. Too bad the celebrity chef owner is less than charming behind kitchen doors. After she catches him harassing a young hostess, she confronts him and gets fired. Liv vows revenge, but she’ll need assistance to take on the powerful chef.

Unfortunately, that means turning to Braden Mack. When Liv’s blackballed from the restaurant scene, the charismatic nightclub entrepreneur offers to help expose her ex-boss, but she is suspicious of his motives. He’ll need to call in reinforcements: the Bromance Book Club.

Inspired by the romantic suspense novel they’re reading, the book club assists Liv in setting up a sting operation to take down the chef. But they’re just as eager to help Mack figure out the way to Liv’s heart... even though she’s determined to squelch the sparks between them before she gets burned. ~ Goodreads

Source: e-arc provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Review: I adore this series. The bromances, the brilliant way Adams weaves in topical issues without beating you over the head with a lecture, the way she addresses tropes – gently admonishing the bad - while wholly embracing the genre with love and respect.

I had heard rumblings that this one would be romantic suspense and that gave me pause. One of the things I loved so much about The Bromance Book Club was the humor and I didn’t want the writing style to change to something heavy.

While there is an undercover element and investigation – the winning formula from the first book is still in play and as funny as ever.

Liv is the pastry chef at one of the hottest restaurants, working for a celebrity chef who is volatile and about to go on a book tour for a cookbook of stolen recipes, including one of Liv’s.

Mack is known as a player, but he wants to settle down and thinks his current girlfriend, Gretchen, is the one. He takes her for a fancy dinner where Liv works – ordering the famous $1000 Sultan cupcake, which Liv has to come out and present, with great flourish, with her douchecanoe of a boss. Mack recognizes Liv (readers of book #1 know they didn’t hit it off in that one lol) and tries to give her credit for the pastry – which asshole boss is NOT pleased about – and she ends up dropping the cupcake in Gretchen’s lap.

This sets off a spiral of events that leaves Mack dumped for the first time in his life, Liv fired, and the discovery that her boss is not just a temper tantruming jerk but also sexually harassing the female workers. Mack tries to smooth things over and Liv isn’t having it.

Which leads me to the elephant in the room – if you read Bromance Book Club, chances are you (meaning me) do not like Liv. She’s stubborn, quick to judge and sticks her nose & opinions where where they don’t belong. I’ll be honest, she isn’t a whole lot better here but I also think Mack softened her in a way that let you see her side of things and with her POV – you can see that some of her bite is more snark and comes with an eye roll and not intended as gut punches. Mack also lets most of it roll right off and hits right back – not being mean, but challenging her at every step. If she’s wrong, he calls her out (as do a few other people) and if she’s right – well he heeds her judgement. They work as a couple and even though this romance took a bit of a backseat to the larger – take down the predator arc – I liked them together.

Liv and Mack partner to take down her former boss and enlist the help of the book club as well as a few newly introduced characters, who were all great additions. Undercover Bromance has a lot of smart things to say, and to think about, regarding #MeToo, including the need for men to confront men, the idea that jokes that were funny 10 years ago aren’t allowed to be told now, and how women support (or don’t) other women and they way they choose to handle their own situations.

It also pokes a bit at the romantic suspense genre and how men feel the need to jump in and take control of the case and save the girl. Mack started the Bromance Book Club and has given some of the best advice to help the guys save their marriages but in his own romantic life? Well, he tries a little too hard to make it romance novel perfect. His bafflement and confusion over how to handle Liv is hilarious because he’s coming unglued while everyone else can clearly see what’s happening and how to handle it.

The guys are supportive as ever and this is just such a clever, enjoyable series to me. It balances a few heavier aspects while still making me smile.

I do have a few minor quibbles though. Mack is keeping a secret and Liv’s relationship kryptonite is secrets. When it’s finally revealed I kind of sighed. The I’m not worthy trope is not one of my favorite things – even though I understand where Mack was coming from. And Liv’s reaction to it was so bad and over the top that it erased much of the goodwill she earned. I really wish that was written a bit better or had a bit more time to play out. 

The other thing is Liv and Thea have a complex relationship. I didn’t realize how much until seeing it from Liv’s side. It definitely made me empathize with her more. It’s clear how much these two have been through and support each other but still have sister dynamic issues and I had hoped there was a moment for them to really talk or address it more.

I’m not sure who will be next but there are so many great characters to choose from. (*Update - it's Noah the hacker and Liv's best friend.) Am I weird that I want The Russian to get an HEA?? He has a bit of a stinky reaction to cheese and I can't fathom how you make a  romantic farting hero but I want Adams to try. lol I discussed it with a friend and we thought a dietician girlfriend? I would love a romance that showed some of the messier sides of coupledom Ha!

Whatever Wednesday: Music

Another week – more Fonzi issues. *cries* We had a good streak of 5 days no problems – even weaning him off meds but then he vomited again and won’t even drink broth. I’m SO frustrated…so anyway – what that means is no time to blog other than this quickie post (& a review tomorrow for Undercover Bromance that I already had drafted)

Anyway…MORAL OF THE STORY by ashe is kind of funny, kind of dark, a lot true and I love this quirky little song.

"Talking with my lawyer she said

"Where'd you find this guy?"

I said, "Young people fall in love"

"With the wrong people sometimes"

Some mistakes get made

That's alright, that's okay

You can think that you're in love

When you're really just in pain

Some mistakes get made

That's alright, that's okay

In the end it's better for me

That's the moral of the story babe"

*Trivia - this track was executive produced by Finneas (Billie Eilish's brother) with a lyric contribution by Eilish and it totally has that Billie Eilish vibe don't ya think?

52 Lists Friday

I’m trying to do more personal (non bookish) posts so I’m trying the 52 Lists for Happiness prompts on Fridays as a regular feature.

I’ll posts the prompt for next Friday at the end in case you want to join in.









I’m having one helluva week (Fonzi is still sick on and off, I had a flat tire, leaking furnace, Figment had a vomiting, pooping meltdown the other day because I was out too long & now my laptop computer screen is literally separating from the computer).


via GIPHY

But I’m determined to - not be positive exactly – but maybe not fall into the pit of despair lol so I’m continuing with my 52 Lists for Happiness.


via GIPHY

LIST THE BEST CHOICES YOU’VE MADE IN YOUR LIFE SO FAR

Without sounding super cliché – my husband. He's a calming force in my life because he's so chill while I tend to be a worrier. He's calmed me down SO much over the years. I tended to date the bad boys before him and, luckily, got over that crap. Kevin's a great guy but has a little sarcastic, cynical edge to him so it works lol

Getting my first sheltie, Indy. Well, he wasn't actually my 1st sheltie - my first one came with my house lol The couple was divorcing and they had him tied to the tree and were going to put him to sleep. We took him in but he was a hot mess with severe separation anxiety. After he died suddenly of cancer I had a crazy idea to get another sheltie.

Indy was a fearless, and whip smart puppy. He kept getting bumped up to the next levels in obedience and agility after a week of class - only held back by his slower to learn mom lol He was the epitome of not holding on to any baggage and just moving forward. I learned so much from that dog at a time in my life when I needed it.

In my quest to keep his brain challenged, I pushed myself way out of my comfort zone, taking him to classes with *gasp* people! and competing in obedience and agility and meeting life long friends. And, of course, going on to get my other shelties. They all literally changed my life and Indy was the catalyst.

Starting a blog. I never in a million years thought I would put my self out there on the internet and still be hanging around 10 years later but here I am. I started out as a private political blog on Word Press Ha! THANK GOD I didn't stick with that. And then on Indy's birthday in 2009 I launched For What It's Worth. I didn't even tell anyone I knew for over a year and I still can't believe anyone found me or that I became a book reviewer. I originally intended to talk about TV, movies, music and life.

As you can see, most of my best decisions were ones that pushed me a bit and blogging is no exception. My desire to meet my online friends and authors got me to fly (I hate flying) for book cons (I hate crowds) and contact publishers. It's been life changing.

What are the best decisions you've made in your life?

List for next Friday: List the things (from your past and present) that feel like blockades in the way of happiness.

Oooh...getting deep next week! lol

Review: Alex & Ada, Volume #1 by Jonathan Luna, Sarah Vaughn

From JONATHAN LUNA (GIRLS, THE SWORD, ULTRA, Spider-Woman: Origin) and SARAH VAUGHN (Sparkshooter) comes ALEX + ADA, a sci-fi drama set in the near future. The last thing in the world Alex wanted was an X5, the latest in realistic androids. But after Ada is dropped into his life, he discovers she is more than just a robot.
Collects ALEX + ADA #1-5. ~ Goodreads

Source: Purchased

Review: I started dabbling with graphic novels last year and this series was one that was repeatedly recommended to me so I decided to give it a shot.

Alex is struggling after a break up. He’s lonely and well-meaning friends keep trying to fix him up.

On his birthday his wealthy grandmother surprises him with an X5 android in his living room. Granny has been getting it on with a hot stud model X5 😂 and thinks it can help Alex get out and enjoy life more - or at least not sit at home alone all the time being mopey.

Alex is skeptical at first but does power his AI up out of curiosity. She’s very accommodating and whatever Alex wants is right and that’s very disconcerting for him. He wants her to have a little more…personality. He hopes, over time, their interactions will become more natural. They don’t and Alex feels very uncomfortable with ordering her around and her not being able to express her own wishes or even take care of her own needs (the robots need food for example to maintain power) unless Alex orders it.

After some poking around, Alex finds a secret group that *wakes up* AI’s and decides to do the same for his despite a rogue, violent incident with a sentient AI years ago. But the problem has been fixed with newer models. Or has it?? Dun…dun…dun…

I really loved how Ada’s awakening played out. It wasn’t a happy occasion for her and she’s overrun by stimulus and emotions. Alex is actually a decent guy. He’s not trying to use her as a sex toy – or even as a romantic partner (although I'm sure they'll fall in love later 😍). He truly sees something in her and wants to give her a voice so she can decide things for herself. He doesn't like the power imbalance.

Of course, it’s illegal to turn on AI’s – government secrets, rogue robots and all that and you know what’s coming….lol

There was nothing particularly original about this story. It really reminded me of the excellent AMC series Humans and the movie Ex Machina but there was something about Alex + Ada that drew me in and kept me hooked anyway. The story and artwork flowed really well - even though it was very simple and straightforward.

I know I was supposed to root for the robots to gain sentience. Which, once they are turned on, I’m all for it, but I also kept wondering – it they aren’t already sentient – do they know or care? It’s much safer for them without it and Ada really struggled at first. Was she happier given choice? It didn't seem like it. On the other hand – I’m not in favor of anything that’s being used to serve humans that could even potentially be sentient.

It's an interesting dilemma & thought provoking and I’ll be reading the next two volumes for sure.

Whatever Wednesday…

It's been a while since I've shared any music. While not my most popular posts lol I do enjoy discovering new (to me) groups and songs.

I'll kick it off with one of my favorite groups - Glass Animals. They have really trippy songs and videos (like Gooey & Black Mambo). I was about to see them in concert when their drummer was in a horrible bike accident and suffered brain damage. They're finally on the comeback trail and I'm loving this new song...

Tokyo Drifting - Glass Animals with Denzel Curry


Love the lyrics to this one - 

Go Easy by Matt Maeson

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

February 18th: Who are some of the recent debut/new to me authors that impressed you?

I was in such a bad reading slump in 2019. Reading my old stand by authors weren't working - in fact I've given up on a lot of my favorites.

I'm usually an unapologetic reader of fluff but for some reason I can handle more angst/issue books on audio so that's how several of these more intense authors made the list. Between trying audiobooks, reading outside my usual comfort zone and taking a lot of chances on books since getting Libby/Hoopla at my library - I had a very good reading year and discovered some amazing new to me authors.

ELIZABETH ACEVEDO

I think most people have heard about Acevedo through her break out, award winning, debut – The Poet X. It’s a powerhouse, in your face look at girls anger and determination. I loved it but it was her next book - With the Fire on High – that made her an auto-buy author to me. It’s more understated that The Poet X but no less powerful about girls finding their magic and power in the face of (realistic) odds but it’s also infused with an addictive hope and uplifting quality that left me completely enchanted.

Elizabeth Acevedo shows how wonderful and life changing contemporary YA can be. She doesn’t shy away from tough subjects or harsh realities but there’s always a glimmer (or more) of hope and overcoming the odds.

Although audiobooks can go either way for me, I recommend you listen to these books on audio if you can. The author narrates both and infuses them with a whole other layer of power with her amazing voice and lyrical quality.


Next up for the author: Clap When You Land – May 5th 2020

ADRIANA HERRERA

Olivia from Olivia’s Catastrophe introduced me to this, now favorite, LGBQT contemporary romance author and her American Dreamers series.

Herrera infuses her stories about the immigrant experience with authenticity, anger, passion and love. She does a brilliant job balancing current politics with romance and rounding out the stories with a wonderful supporting cast of characters and found family and, of course, HEA's for all. I get mad, cheer and swoon! Excellent series!

Next up for the author: American Sweethearts, book #4 & the final book in The Dreamers series – March 30th (and available on Netgalley)

LYSSA KAYE ADAMS

The Bromance Book Club series is what I’ve been searching for! It’s topical, clever, funny as hell, with hard won HEA’s. I’m not gonna lie – the first two heroine’s in the series are a bit prickly, and I know that has turned some readers off. (& I’ve mentioned in my reviews that I think Adams makes the mistake in only showing the guys post mistake - doing anything for the women in their lives – and leaving out the parts where they were jerks – and showing the women hesitant to forgive or give a 2nd chance) but it’s a minor thing for me because I just love the humor, the bonding of the guys and yes, the prickly women. She also does a brilliant job of subverting romance tropes and gently poking at some of the problematic things in the romance genre.  It’s a winning formula!

Next up for the author: Crazy Stupid Bromance,  Bromance book Club #3– October 27th 2020

TALIA HIBBERT

Hibbert’s Get a life Chloe Brown is getting loads of (well deserved) attention right now but I fell in love with her writing after A Girl Like Her. Hibbert writes really realistic romance. Grumpy heroines, of all shapes and sizes and shows life with chronic illness, mental illness, mundane things like medications, therapy, even periods and it’s REFRESHING!!! And she has a wicked sense of humor.

Next up for the author – Take a Hint, Dani Brown – June 23rd 2020

ABDI NAZEMIAN

His book Like a Love Story was just...WOW. My most emotional read last year, for sure. Nazemian captures the complexity of (teen) life magnificently.

My Monday Musings…

*whispers* I’m still reading and blogging ahead…

It has been well over a year since I’ve felt this motivated to blog or relaxed about reading and I feel like if I get toooo excited it will stop lol

Here’s a quick recap of last weeks reading and what’s coming up.

READ:

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon ~ Goodreads Super sweet (& hot) romance between a male nanny and whip smart, heart surgeon, single mom. I was a little dubious about Simone sleeping with the nanny (after all her previous nanny had just walked off the job and Rafe was a last minute find – should you risk that?) but these two were so mature and always put the kids first so I bought into it. Super low angst – almost all the dram comes from Simone’s ex but Simone and Rafe are solid. The end was an HEA but kind of abrupt. However, Weatherspoon added a totally satisfying – look ahead- epilogue.



Dread Nation by Justine Ireland ~ Goodreads A really inventive and complex look at institutional racism through an alternate history – at the brink of the Civil War – the dead rise and change the course of history. While slaves are considered *free* and given educational and job opportunities, this is little more than window dressing. The former slaves are instead sent to finishing schools to learn proper etiquette and to oh…kill zombies for the wealthy white people. Jane (bi racial) is smart, pragmatic protagonist. The zombie scenes are pulse pounding but infrequent. I listened to this on audio and the narration by Bahni Turpin was great but I was never really hooked. The story jumps from crisis to crisis and touches on a lot of things without much follow through. The supporting cast is super interesting (especially frenemy Katherine), with their own (non cliché) motivations, but under utilized and flit in and out of the story. I did like this one – and I think it depends more on what your looking for – more action? Then maybe skip it. But if you want more of an alt-history, but realistic look at oppression, a little lighter on the zombie angle then definitely pick it up!

Undercover Bromance by Lyssa kaye Adams ~ Goodreads - This one was an arc so I'll have my review coming up soon but I enjoyed it a lot!

READING:

Graveyard Shift (Not Dead Yet #3) by Jenn Burke ~ Goodreads This is the third book in Burke’s Not Dead Yet trilogy. I always enjoy her books and am finally getting to this one. This started out as a second chance romance between a ghost and a PI but has escalated into quite the messy set up of ghosts/Gods/vampires/shifters and I’m excited to see how it all ends.

The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper ~ Goodreads The publisher sent me this one one (unsolicited) and I’m going to give it a go.  Social media journalist, Cal, is forced to relocate when his NASA pilot father is selected for a mission to Mars. He falls for Leon, another son of an astronaut and I guess there’s an investigation into the NASA program and drama…I’ve read mixed reviews for this and opinions about Cal – so we’ll see.

And maybe Girls with Razor Hearts ~ Goodreads after that.

And just a quick TV rec!

Troop Zero on Amazon Prime was just the sweetest movie I’ve seen in a long time. Not gonna lie – there’s some bullying and that was hard to watch sometimes - but its's so funny and has an old fashioned sweetness and is so inclusive. Both Kevin and I loved it.


 


What are you reading this week?

The Sunday Post

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

It's a chance to share news - a post to recap the past week on your blog,

showcase books and things we have received, and share news about what is

coming up on your blog in the week ahead. 

You can find the info here:

Sunday Post Meme

I have not joined in with The Sunday Post in years! I think I’m finally back in enough of a blogging groove to make it worth it again though and I love catching up with my blogger friends or discovering new blogs.

Just a heads up – I usually take the weekend off from the computer so I will return your comments and visit back – but probably not until Monday!

LIFE

I’ve had so much going on with Fonzi – he had another relapse with his recovery from pancreatitis – that I never got to send out these super cute cards to my girlfriends for Valentine’s Day so I’ll share them now. The company is called Laughing Elephant and they sell a wide variety of vintage cards, decals, stickers and more. I found mine at a local store but they also sell online.

I’m actually not a big celebrator of most holidays (other than the BEST holiday – Halloween) but I love sending Valentine’s Day cards to friends for some reason.

We did have some heavy rains in the PNW that led to a lot of mudslides and road closures but we also had a few spectacular days of sun. We live near the Columbia River and went for a walk in the park and saw at least a dozen Bald Eagles and several pods of seals playing and swimming past the excited people along the beach.

My move from FL to the PNW has been rough but it's hard to not appreciate that this is the view from my house these days.

ON THE BLOG

I can't believe I’m posting more than once a week now! I even have a week or two of blog posts drafted! WHO AM I?

Monday: My Monday Musings – January Wrap-up, TBR Progress, Currently Reading
Tuesday: Tell Me Something Tuesday – My romantic reads recommendations
Thursday: Review: The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert
Friday: 52 Lists Friday – List the things that get you out of your head

COMING UP NEXT WEEK

Another Monday Musings with mini reviews for Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon & Dread Nation by Justine Ireland, Tell Me Something Tuesday – recent or debut authors that left an impression, Whatever Wednesday – music rec’s, Thursday – I review Alex + Ada & 52 Lists Friday – the best choices I’ve made in my life so far…

Be sure to leave a link so I can visit your Sunday Post!

52 Lists Friday...

I’m trying to do more personal (non bookish) posts so I’m trying the 52 Lists for Happiness prompts on Fridays as a regular feature.

I’ll posts the prompt for next Friday at the end in case you want to join in.

* I missed last weeks list because of Fonzi being sick so I'm just skipping that list and jumping ahead tot he next one.





LIST THE THINGS THAT GET YOU OUT OF YOUR HEAD

You would probably think reading would be at the top of this list but I can't really read when I'm stressed. I get too distracted and skip over so many passages that I have to keep going back. So what does get me out of my head?

Nature: walking through the park, driving by fields, anything with animals or flowers - especially gardening restores balance to my life and helps me re-prioritize and put things in perspective.

My pets: except when they're the ones causing the stress in the first place. lol Even if the responsibility is sometimes annoying - having to take care of something else gets me out of bed and moving on days where I'd rather just hide.

Cartoons: I basically watch Adult Swim and other cartoons every night. Especially Bob's Burgers. I need to turn off my brain and just laugh at silly stuff.

Blogging: while reading doesn't usually help, blogging does. It gives me several small tasks to accomplish - like visit blogs, answer comments, draft posts and I like checking in with you all. The social media side is a double edged sword - all the gif's and memes can turn my whole day around but too much negativity & bad news on there just puts me back in a bad space.

Exercising: I hate working out but I try to make myself do it even if it's just a 10 minute low impact cardio or stretch. I never get those endorphin highs either but I hate it so much that it makes me forget the other things that are upsetting me lol

What are the things that get you out of your head when you're stressed or feeling down?

List for next Friday: List the best choices you have made in your life so far

And Happy Valentine's Day! I don't really celebrate so here's a slightly cynical take lol

Review: The Hazel Wood (The Hazel Wood #1) by Melissa Albert

Seventeen-year-old Alice and her mother have spent most of Alice’s life on the road, always a step ahead of the uncanny bad luck biting at their heels. But when Alice’s grandmother, the reclusive author of a cult-classic book of pitch-dark fairy tales, dies alone on her estate, the Hazel Wood, Alice learns how bad her luck can really get: her mother is stolen away―by a figure who claims to come from the Hinterland, the cruel supernatural world where her grandmother's stories are set. Alice's only lead is the message her mother left behind: “Stay away from the Hazel Wood.”

Alice has long steered clear of her grandmother’s cultish fans. But now she has no choice but to ally with classmate Ellery Finch, a Hinterland superfan who may have his own reasons for wanting to help her. To retrieve her mother, Alice must venture first to the Hazel Wood, then into the world where her grandmother's tales began―and where she might find out how her own story went so wrong. ~ Goodreads

Source: Finished copy provided by the publisher via ALA

Review: I’ve had this book on my TBR pile for a few years. Mixed reviews had me hesitant to read it though. I hadn’t realized it was an Alice in Wonderland inspired story and I’m not a huge fan of re-tellings.  Then I saw my pal Lauren’s positive review and decided to clear it from the shelves one way or another. I ended up liking it way more than I thought I would despite a few quibbles here and there.

Alice and her mom Ella have always been on the run. Every time *bad luck* nips at their heels they pack up everything and move on. Now with Ella married to a wealthy man, Ella and Alice think they can settle down. But Alice gets the sense that bad luck is catching up with her again after a few creepy encounters with people from her past and when she goes to tell her mom – she finds her step father in a rage and her mother gone.

With only her author grandmother, Althea’s, infamous fairy tales to go on, Alice enlist the help of Althea superfan, Ellery Finch, to find the one place her mother told her to stay away from – the Hazel Wood.

The Hazel Wood is super imaginative. A world where Alice and Finch encounter an eclectic (often dangerous) cast of characters, un-spooling stories, stories remade and long hidden secrets – all while the author weaves various fairy tales and Alice’s own past together.

It got quite dark at times - which I loved – and I had fun with the story overall but Albert never really developed several of the characters she introduced. Finch and Ella for example – are major characters and pivotal to Alice’s arc – but come and go as needed for Alice’s story despite, honestly, being more interesting than Alice. Finch, in particular, is woefully underused – and yet portrayed as a potential love interest. Albert also introduces several tales, drops them, and then circles back which was an interesting choice but doesn’t necessarily lend you to getting invested in anything. I forgot a few threads until they came full circle and had to go back and think oh yeah! Now I get why she brought that up earlier.

I’m not sure the payoff was worth the journey but I enjoyed the trip if that makes any sense. This was especially good on audiobook.

I see there is a sequel, but this one tied up quite nicely and could be read as a stand alone. No cliffhangers but plenty of possibilities. Which leads me to one more observation.

The Hazel Wood had a fresh take on fairy tales but also bears a lot of similarity to Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series. Albert introduces the concept of “doorways” that lead to fantasy/fairy tale lands – which is the basis of McGuire’s series - but is a little less ambitious, creatively, or as emotionally resonate – as McGuire’s. Although, Albert's book is more action packed and has a faster pace.

If you read The Hazel Wood and loved it or thought I liked it but what if it had higher stakes, more diversity and was even darker??? Then give the Wayward Children Series a try as well.

Tell Me Something Tuesday

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.


Topic: Romantic reads recommendations

Answer: Romance is one of my favorite comfort read genres & I thought this resurgence of rom-coms was going to mean reading heaven for me but most have been disappointing so I’ve been reading as many. But here are a few all time faves and series that I recommend.

The funny and swoony:

Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren ~ Goodreads This book still puts a smile on my face just thinking about it. It’s the type of romance I LOVE. Sweet, funny & oh so swoony .

Sustained (Legal Briefs #2) by Emma Chase ~ Goodreads I read this back in 2015 and remember laughing my ass off. This story has lots of kids and I don’t typically like kids in my romance but, in this case, it works. Chelsea is taking care of her 6 orphaned nieces and nephews and hard ass defense attorney Jack Becker gets caught up in the whole mess and it’s hilarious.

Magical romance:

The Chocolate Kiss (Amour et Chocolat #2) by Laura Florand ~ Goodreads I love *foodie* romances and this is one of my favorites. I can’t say it much better than this Goodreads blurb – “Parisian princesses, chocolate witches, patissier princes and sweet wishes—an enchanting tale of amour et chocolat.” Simply enchanting romance.

Romance with a dose of social justice:

The Glasgow Lads series by Avery Cockburn ~ Goodreads This LGBQT series does a great job at exploring differences (political, socio economic and other issues) while managing to make me interested in UK politics and sports – soccer/curling. My favorite of the series so far is Playing to Win because…hate to love…my catnip.

*Full disclosure – I beta read this series

The Dreamers series by Adriana Herrera ~ Goodreads Another LGBQT series (M/M pairing for the first 3 books, M/f for book #4) that brilliantly explores the immigrant experience with wonderful, flawed, complex characters, supportive friend groups and is sexy as hell.

YA:

Starry Eyes by Jenn Bennett ~ Goodreads Bennett is kinda the Queen of swoony YA, IMO, but Starry Eyes was the swooniest with a cast of compelling characters (she always has wonderful families and a realistic/healthy portrayal of teen sex)

The Winner’s Trilogy by Marie Rutoski ~ Goodreads Bite your nails, read at the edge of your set – how could this possibly end well – romance in a fantasy setting. This was a stressful roller coaster ride of a series but well worth the stress read. Plus you don’t need to wait a year between books since the entire series is published.

I'm horrible at remembering what I read and surprised I came up with this many lol I’m sure I’ll think of more as soon as I finish this post (Ah! See, I just thought of another one -  The Bromance Bookclub! by Lyssa Kay Adams & A Girl Like Her! by Talia Hibbert ) but let me know your favorite romance recommendations in the comments.

My Monday Musings…

Things may be looking up reading and blogging wise.

I read 8 books in January. Not close to my usual 12-20 but I’m reading and reviewing!! And it’s not feeling like a chore so yay for that!

I missed my 52 Lists Friday last week because I had to bring Fonzi back in to the vet but I'm managing to draft several posts a week ahead of time. I think adding a few scheduled features has jump started me and made it easier to get back to things without having to create my own content from scratch.

January Reads:

Loveboat, Taipei by Abigail Hing Wen was my favorite read for the month (review).

Finding Mr. better Than You by Shani Petroff was a fun YA that had the rare – you don’t need a boyfriend to be happy message (mini review).

The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert (Goodreads) didn’t blow me away but I liked it much more than I thought I would. Review is coming this week.

I liked Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn but probably not as much as my blogger peeps – I was expecting a magical, swoon filled romp through NYC but this was more women’s fiction and kind of a downer for me. It would have been better if I had my expectations in check, I think. (mini review).

The Perfect Cover by K. Sterling (Goodreads) was a KU book and also a DNF – it sounded like a lot of fun – a CIA agent hiding in suburbia and falling for the guy next door – and supposedly has great mental illness rep – but I couldn’t get past the writing style and the fact that one of the guys was very manipulative towards his potential love interest.

Whole Food Asian Instant Pot (Goodreads) was also a KU book and great but uses a lot of ingredients (acidic foods) I can’t have but I rec it if you can.

Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come by Jessica Pan (review) was good but not quite the relatable introvert story I was hoping for.

Hook Shot by Kennedy Ryan (Goodreads) – not as intense as Long Shot but I appreciated two romantically cautious characters slowly coming together, talking and being mature when obstacles – like ex’s, children – are thrown their way.

TBR 2020 Progress:

I scanned all my physical books on to a Goodreads shelf to track my progress. I started with 67 books total and I’m already down to 65 in just 2 weeks. *cheers* 🙌

Reading:

Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon (Goodreads) –  Rafe is a male nanny helping out a single mom with her twin girls. For now, it’s low drama and SO sweet!!

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland (Goodreads) – Alt-history + zombies! I’m alternating between HC and audio for this one. A bit of a slow start but it seems to be kicking in and I’m enjoying it now!This is also one of my TBR 2020 reads.





How was your January reading? What are you reading now or plan on reading for February?

Review: Loveboat, Taipei (Loveboat, Taipei #1) by Abigail Hing Wen

For fans of Crazy Rich Asians or Jane Austen Comedy of Manners, with a hint of La La Land

When eighteen-year-old Ever Wong’s parents send her from Ohio to Taiwan to study Mandarin for the summer, she finds herself thrust among the very over-achieving kids her parents have always wanted her to be, including Rick Woo, the Yale-bound prodigy profiled in the Chinese newspapers since they were nine—and her parents’ yardstick for her never-measuring-up life.

Unbeknownst to her parents, however, the program is actually an infamous teen meet-market nicknamed Loveboat, where the kids are more into clubbing than calligraphy and drinking snake-blood sake than touring sacred shrines.
Free for the first time, Ever sets out to break all her parents’ uber-strict rules—but how far can she go before she breaks her own heart? ~ Goodreads

Source: Libby/Audio

Review: Surprisingly, I enjoyed the hell out of this one. I say surprisingly because it’s filled with drama of all kinds – romantic, friendships, family – lots and lots of drama!

Eighteen year old Ever Wong just wants to dance. She’s a good student and a good kid but her Chinese parents, who emigrated to the US to give Ever a better life, feel like she’s squandering opportunities and turning her back on her Chinese culture in pursuit of a career in dancing rather than in medicine.

They send her to Chien Tan, an elite program, in Taiwan to study Mandarin and other cultural classes pre-chosen by them to turn things around. Unbeknownst to them – the school has the nickname of the loveboat because of all the wild antics and hookups the teens engage in. So they basically take a really good kid and throw her in to the pit of teens gone wild. lol

Ever engages in increasingly risky endeavors as a way of fighting back against her parents constraints and it all starts to come crashing down on her.

I’m sure this could be a bit much for some readers. Ever makes a few doozy mistakes and doesn’t always treat people fairly but the teens in Loveboat, Taipei are so authentically written. There is not one thing that happened in this book that I haven’t seen happen during my teen years. As messy as it was – it did not feel over-the-top to me.

The friendships, hook-ups are high drama and I had issues with each and every character at one point or another but they are dealing with pretty intense things (depression, learning disabilities just to name a few) and I think they did great for teens trying to learn and grow. Every single one grew over the course of the book and I’d be happy to read more about any of them.

The kids come from varying backgrounds but all are burdened by expectations and responsibilities they are trying to navigate with little support from the adults around them. But Wen doesn’t create cartoon villain parents. They are written with both flaws and heart. They do pressure their kids but they have also made enormous sacrifices and it was nice to see Ever and her parents navigation of those issues written in a compassionate way.

And watching Ever stumble but find her way back and grow into an even stronger, kinder young woman – who believes in herself but honors her parents was a joy to read. It's been a while since I finished a book with a huge smile on my face but Loveboat, Taipei did just that.

* I listened to the audio of this, narrated by Emily Woo Zeller and she was fantastic!

Currently–February

Currently is hosted by Anne from In Residence

I was going to skip this because I'm just feeling overwhelmed right now. As most of you know, Fonzi made it through a pretty serious surgery (with a high mortality rate) wonderfully! Now, a month later, he has pancreatitis - which can be very serious. He was at the ER for 2 days and he's basically frying my nerves and breaking my bank account 😱

Fingers crossed he keeps improving and doesn't have a re-occurrence (which is common for the type of surgery he had and his breed).

So anyway - I decided this is precisely why I needed to do this post and try to keep my brain from spiraling into negativity.


Loving: My fireplace. We've had a few cool nights and even a few inches of snow and being able to flip on my (gas) fireplace and hide under the covers makes me all cozy & happy.

Embracing: What life is throwing at me. It seems like it's been one thing after another. I don't like it but it's happening and I have no choice but to deal and find the small things that I do love - like walks in the park, winter clothes, soup and catching up on all the movies I've missed. I'm struggling with this one but trying.

Tasting: Soups and stews. I've been using my Instant Pot a lot and have made chicken & dumplings a few times. It's always so warm and comforting. And I tried a new recipe using the slow cook setting - Korean-Style Soft Tofu Stew (Soondubu Jjigae). It's super easy and is a little different than the same old soup because it has kimchi and tofu. And mini blueberry scones. Kevin has had to take a few work trips that have him getting up too early to stop for coffee & scones - so I made these to take to tie him over until he can get a real meal.

Wearing: I got to pull out the snow boots! I bought these on clearance in FL several years ago and this is the first time I've gotten to wear them. And look what a pretty print they make in the snow! (that's Fonzi's little paw print next to mine).

Preparing: We prepared our taxes - does that count? lol And seemingly constantly preparing something for Fonzi - medicine, food - it's all day affair starting at 6am until 11pm that actually requires a spreadsheet (the vet sent him home with it and I LOVE)

What are you Loving, Embracing, Tasting, Wearing & Preparing this month?

Tell Me Something Tuesday…

Tell Me Something Tuesday is hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings and discusses a wide range of topics from books to blogging.

Question: Do you take advantage of chapter previews?

Answer: BEA and ALA started shifting more to chapter books instead of arc’s for their bigger titles a few years ago and I am not a fan of those or the teasers.

I’ve found a lot of them end on cliffhangers (obviously, because it’s good marketing) or are misleading.

They tend to be the most swoony or action packed scenes but the rest of the story doesn’t match the tone when you finally get to the book. 

I’d rather wait until the full book comes out and decide then.

*And...thinking about it more since I first drafted this lol - It sometimes takes me 2-5 chapters to find a connection to the story - so I can't decide yay or nay with a sample anyway.

My Monday Musings…

I made a point of tackling my TBR last year and was quite successful! I started at 148 and got down to just over 40 before my move.

Now that I’m settled in my new place, it seemed like my books were multiplying again lol

I decided to do a new count and double down on the book tackling again in 2020.

*If you read my reading goal posts from last week – one goal was to start a spreadsheet for what I was reading and Kevin, very nicely, set one up for me. So I think I was thinking of starting a TBR spreadsheet for these books too (meaning Kevin would do it lol) but I made a Goodreads TBR 2020 shelf instead. MUCH easier to just scan in all the covers! You can check it out here.

So here are the pile...

There are a total of 67 books - most from past conferences, followed by books sent by friends or publishers and a few that I purchased (even from when Borders had their big closing sale!). 

I'll go by date for the newer arc's I need to review (7 books) in the coming months but most are way past due for that. BAD BLOGGER! But it's always good to give books a second round of attention long after the hype as died down so I'm going to try not to feel too bad about it. 

I think this is a pretty manageable number and varied enough to fit any reading mood I might be in. 

What does your TBR look like? Any books here that you think I should read or pass on?