I’m a little behind in my book reviews. I finished reading these a while ago but these reviews take me forever to write because I spend too long on the silly synopses. From now on I’m just going to take my initial stab at it and leave it as is.
[7] Penelope in Retrograde by Brooke Abrams
Fiction / Women, first saw in First Reads but didn’t get, Kindle Unlimited
Synopsis: Penelope is a romance author who has a strained relationship with her family and is returning home at Thanksgiving to ask them for a favor. Penelope runs into her ex-husband on the way in, and has to deal with her mom trying to set her up with a stranger, and with her twin sister being upset with her for always causing drama when the family is together.
Review: I started off liking this book and how sassy Penelope was, but by the end she was grating on me and I wanted her to grow TF up and deal with things instead of escaping.
Recommend? No
[8] A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Fiction / Fantasy / Romance, checked it out because my snis loves it so much, Audio
Synopsis: Feyre kills a wolf that is actually a shape-shifted faerie and a beast comes to her home and demands punishment for it. He takes Feyre to Prythian, where the fairies live, and soon realizes her captor, Tamlin (another shape-shifter), is the High Lord of the Spring Court. Feyre realizes most of what she grew up hearing about faeries is false, and finds herself questioning her hatred for them.
Review: This is my snister’s favorite book series, so I had her input of “you just have to get through the first book,” which is exactly what I did. The story moves a bit slow, and Feyre is kind of annoying and immature, but I was rooting for her and invested in her story by the end and excited to start the second book. I did appreciate the pace when it came to world building and character development. Sometimes I struggle with fantasy book worlds, relationships, and names, when they come at me too fast, but the pacing was just perfect.
Recommend? Yes (because I know the second book is really good and you have to read them in order)
[9] The Improbable Meet-Cute Series
Romance, heard about from @rocknreader, Kindle Unlimited
This series of short stories centers around meet-cute scenarios, I really enjoyed the first three, and the last three were meh.
1. The Exception to the Rule by Christina Lauren
A relationship forms between these two accidental pen pals who check in once a year on Valentine’s Day. Super cute! Definitely recommend!
2. Worst Wingman Ever by Abby Jimenez
Holly finds an accidental Valentine on her windshield and starts communicating with the person who left it there. Also super cute! Definitely recommend!
3. Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne
Rosie and her sister go to a spa for Valentine’s Day and Rosie gets trapped inside a sensory tank and a firefighter has to rescue her. Great banter and humor. Recommend!
4. Drop, Cover, and Hold On by Jasmine Guillory
Daisy absolutely loves the bakery in her neighborhood but tries to avoid going there since the owner is so mean to her. Then finds herself stuck there after an earthquake hits on Valentine’s Day. Meh. Don’t recommend.
5. With Any Luck by Ashley Poston
The best woman and man of honor lose the groom at a wedding and try to find him. Also something with best woman being unlucky. Annoying and not entertaining. Don’t recommend.
6. Royal Valentine by Sariah Wilson
A royal goes undercover in Rome so she can experience the city and accidentally takes sleeping pills and is rescued by a handsome stranger. Should have been a fun story, was meh. Don’t recommend.
I’ve heard great things about the COTR series, but the first book was an early DNF for me. I just can’t with the “just get through the first book” thing. The worst example of this was the TV Peaky Blinders. I didn’t make it through the first episode, and my coworker was “oh you just have to make it through the first few seasons and then it gets really good”…wait…you’re telling me I have to spend how many hours watching something slow & boring when I could spend the time watching something good instead?
I’ll be interested to see what you think of the second book – if it’s worth it then maybe I’ll give the first one another try.
Ha. Yeah, if someone told me that for a TV show it would be a hard pass! I’ve read the second book and am on the third now and both are really good. But if you DNF’d the first one because it wasn’t your jam, no need to force it!
I am never reading ACOTR. No one can make me. I really struggle with inter-species romance, though, so this is entirely on me. I clearly have some deep-rooted issues on this topic.
My husband really wanted me to watch Peaky Blinders. I asked for subtitles about fifteen minutes into it and he just turned it off. LOL. I am not willing to work hard for television.
I hope no one tries to make you, because that would be really weird 😉 And technically, only the first book has a little interspecies romance, but not the second one 🤣
Ha! I would not be able to watch that either – I always have subtitles on and am usually painting and trying to listen so if I could not discern any of it, it would be a pass.
It feels like everyone is reading the Improbable Meet-Cute series right now! Every time I go on Goodreads someone new is reviewing one of the books, lol. I don’t love short stories so I’ve passed on it, but it would be an easy way to bump up my reading stats hahah.
I also struggle putting together the synopses for my reading recaps. Sometimes I’ll just steal a few lines from the Goodreads synopsis and call it a day, ha.
It would be! You might think the first three are cute.
I really have been tempted to do that!!!