Images from Goodreads

[87] Rival Sisters by Louise Guy
Fiction / Contemporary Women, saw on Kindle Unlimited

Trigger warnings: gambling addiction

Synopsis: Sisters Hannah and Nat were best friends until their mother died eighteen years ago. Hannah immediately became controlling and overprotective (and still is), and Nat, who’s more impulsive and naïve, couldn’t (can’t) stand it. Now they’re both in their 30s with secrets that will either drive them further apart, or bring them closer together.

Review: Ugh, it’s hard to like either of these sisters, and therefore, really get in to this book. I couldn’t stand Hannah right away. I thought maybe the entire novel would feature Nat as the likeable sister but that quickly changed as she started making stupid decisions and lying. The keeping secrets trope doesn’t bother me as much in books as movies, but Hannah’s secret really showed what a single-minded control freak she was, which made her almost unredeemable to me. And the title of this book – rival? They aren’t competing for anything or trying to outdo each other, they just don’t get along. Not sure why that word was used.

Recommend? That’s a big NOPE

[88] A Woman Like Her by Marc Levy, Kate Deimling (Translator)
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, saw on Kindle Unlimited

Synopsis: Deepak has been the elevator operator at a private residence in Manhattan for over 39 years. He has a lot of pride and takes his job very seriously. When his wife’s nephew Sanji arrives to visit from India, he has no intent of introducing him to any resident of his building, but fate brings Sanji and resident Chloe together more than once, and they have an interest in one another.

Review Part I: Okay, first of all, the Goodreads synopsis makes it sound like this book is solely about a romance between Chloe and Sanji. That’s really misleading. It’s not. They’re in the book from the start, but at least the first 60% of the book focuses on Deepak’s job and the residents of the building, Chloe’s past (she’s in a wheelchair and it’s slowly revealed why, although if you read chapters at the beginning of a book like I do, it’s obvious), and Sanji trying to raise funds in NYC for his India-based Facebook-adjace* app. Then the book starts to focus on their relationship. I didn’t pick this up thinking it was a romance – I thought it was about a guy who operates an elevator (which it is) – but I was still really surprised when the Goodreads synopsis didn’t even mention Deepak. And maybe this comment belongs on Goodreads and not here. Ha. But I don’t post reviews there (just ratings).

Review Part II: This is a charming story, but some of it feels a bit lost in translation… and I wonder if it literally was lost in translation (from French to English). The dialogue seemed off and hard to follow (who was saying what) at times. There was a lot of random detail about all the residents of 12 5th Avenue that was supposed to give you an idea of everyone’s temperament and politics and it did… but also didn’t feel 100% necessary. So much of this story is about pride (in your work), honor (to your elders), and integrity, but the way it was showcased, mostly by how Deepak and his wife treated Sanji just felt so annoying and intrusive to me. That is definitely a cultural thing I don’t understand. It kind of felt like several stories thrown together, especially at the end. When I started it I thought I was really going to like it, but, meh.

Recommend? Nope

*Ha, they use “adjace” for adjacent all the time on The Popcast and it’s coming out of my fingers

[89] Where the Story Starts by Imogen Clark
Fiction / Family Life, saw on Kindle Unlimited

Synopsis: When Clio’s father passed away she found a note with an address to a home in Whitley Bay. She visits, and becomes fast friends with the home-owner Leah, despite their class and lifestyle differences… and that Clio is keeping a big secret from Leah.

Review: Ahh, the secrets trope again. This story is incredibly predictable, but I kept reading to get to the fallout of the secrets being revealed. And I mostly enjoyed it, despite the predictability, because the two main characters, and their mothers (also main characters) are incredible, strong, likable women. I definitely wanted to know more about one main male character, but, whatever. I struggled with a lot of the British words in this book. I looked up many, but my Kindle didn’t always know what they meant! Row will only mean quarrel to me from now on, ha.

Recommend? Sure, why not?

Phew, that’s four Kindle Unlimited books in a row. My brain wants a break from the fluff!