[37] The Roommate (The Shameless Series #1) by Rosie Danan
Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, heard about from Stephany, Kindle
Synopsis: Clara Wheaton has been raised to be the picture-perfect socialite, but defies her family and moves across the country to California, to live with her childhood crush and finally have a chance with him. Only on the day she arrives, he tells her he’s going on tour with his band she’ll actually be sharing the apartment with Josh, a handsome and unexpectedly insightful stranger. When Clara discovers Josh’s unconventional career (he’s a porn star!), their summer living arrangement takes an unexpected turn, leading them to launch a bold venture to challenge the stigma around female desire.
Review: I appreciate the creative concept here but Clara’s character was so flat that her relationship with Josh did nothing for me. She’s set up as this socialite that comes from a family with a scandalous past and that affects so many of her choices… yet we get hardly any of those stories and she doesn’t interact with her mother at all. It was boring and I didn’t buy their insta love connection. Meh.
Recommend? No
[38] Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean
Young Adult Fiction / Family / Parents, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio
Synopsis: Izumi Tanaka has always felt out of place in her small California town, but she has a great relationship with her mom, a group of ride or die friends, a dog who tolerates her, and plans to attend community college in the fall. Then she accidentally discovers her long-lost father is the Crown Prince of Japan, making her an actual princess. She’s swept off to Tokyo, and must navigate royal life, intense public scrutiny, and unfamiliar traditions, all while dealing with scheming relatives and a grumpy bodyguard who might just steal her heart.
Review: This story of discovering who you are and where you belong was so cute and pure. I picked it up randomly, not realizing it was YA, but it turns out YA was a nice little break for my brain. Who knew? Sure, it’s a little far-fetched and leans into the rose-colored-glasses view of the world, but I was completely here for it.
Recommend? Yes
[39] Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Fiction / Romance / Workplace, saw in “Available Now” on Libby, Audio
Synopsis: Viola Bowen’s company lands her dream job – designing a video game based on her favorite book series – but there’s a catch: she has to work with her longtime crush turned nemesis from another company, Jesse Andrews. Forced into a snowy team-building retreat, the two are stuck in close quarters, and as tensions thaw, Viola realizes Jesse may not hate her like she thought.
Review: Ha. For a bit, I thought I was going to like – and even recommend – an Ali Hazelwood book (well, novella), but nope. This one completely unraveled for me. It had that classic “I thought you hated me but you actually don’t!” miscommunication trope, and the explanation was super weak. Then they decide to take it slow (spoiler alert ahead)… and suddenly she’s standing in front of him naked? I genuinely thought I’d skipped ahead by accident in the audio. I hadn’t. It just felt jarring and oddly paced – like that section needed a better edit. There wasn’t much of a story overall. I get that it’s a short novella, so I’ll give it that, but still… meh. But it kept me entertained on my drive to and from my blood appointment, on my run yesterday, and on my drive to get groceries and gas today, so there ya go!
Recommend? No
