Audiobook Review: The Inmate {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: The Inmate {Freida McFadden}

My husband caught my hat from the t shirt cannon at a basketball game we went to a few weeks ago. It’s massive, I can’t see anything because it covers my eyes, the front is furry, the bull is shiny, it’s all kinds of insane, and I love it so much!

I feel like with the way my reading habits have been lately, this blog should be named AUDIObook Coffee Happy 😉 I tend to go through phases when it comes to audiobooks…I listen to them back to back to back to back and then I take a break??? Obviously right now I’m in the middle of a major audiobook binge. If audiobooks aren’t your thing, just remember that many, many audiobooks can also be found in print! Here is one of the many audiobooks that I have listened to recently:

The Inmate {Freida McFadden}:

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Inmate {Freida McFadden}:

There are three rules Brooke Sullivan must follow as a new nurse practitioner at a men’s maximum-security prison:

1) Treat all prisoners with respect.

2) Never reveal any personal information.

3) Never EVER become too friendly with the inmates.

But none of the staff at the prison knows Brooke has already broken the rules. Nobody knows about her intimate connection to Shane Nelson, one of the penitentiary’s most notorious and dangerous inmates.

And they certainly don’t know that Shane was Brooke’s high school sweetheart—the star quarterback who is now spending the rest of his life in prison for a series of grisly murders. Or that Brooke’s testimony was what put him there.

But Shane knows.

And he will never forget.

My Review of The Inmate {Freida McFadden}:

So it held my interest long enough that I listened to it fairly quickly but…SO MUCH of this story was so incredibly unbelievable…and not the good kind of unbelievable.

The kind of unbelievable where there is NO WAY that so much of this story could have ever happened! Just so completely unrealistic in so, so many ways. A true work of fiction indeed, lol.

So many plot twists which I love…some predictable, some not. Overall it was just eh. The first half of the story was way more interesting than the 2nd half (shouldn’t it be the other way around??)

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

Would I recommend it? I guess….??

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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Audiobook Review: Do Not Disturb {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: Do Not Disturb {Freida McFadden}

Crumbl Cookies, you have my heart.

Hiiiii! How are you? I have been on such an audiobook kick lately! I listened to this one a few weeks ago over the course of a few days. This is my 2nd Freida Mcfadden book. You can read my review (and book synopsis) of The Surrogate Mother HERE.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of Do Not Disturb {Freida McFadden}:

Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.

To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she’s done.

But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.

Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn’t the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark and disturbing past. And in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick’s ailing wife is always at the window. Always watching.

In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She’ll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.

But first, she must survive the night.

My Review of Do Not Disturb {Freida McFadden}:

I appreciate the writing…so many different storylines and so many characters all weaved together.

The actual story? Eh. I wasn’t nearly as invested in it as I should have been. An easy listen but one I most definitely wasn’t racing to listen to at every chance I got. I kept waiting for it to get better but it just never did. Fell flat for me. And while my predictions did keep changing as I read, I found one major part of the ending to be pretty predictable. Eh.

As an audiobook? Another eh. I hated Nick’s voice.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

I would skip this one. It’s fine…but there are way better audiobooks out there!

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO. READ. THIS. BOOK.

I. CAN. NOT. WAIT. TO. READ. THIS. BOOK.

#obvi

Back in October, my family and I took such a lovely vacation down south (you can read all about our awesome trip HERE). While we were there, I read the most beautiful book: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score (you can read about my decision to buy that book HERE and my glooooowing review of that lovely book HERE).

I have been not so patiently waiting for it’s sequel (Things We Hide From The Light) to be released and this was the week! FINALLY! This is one book that I knew I wanted to own so I happily bought myself a copy. Released on Tuesday, purchased on Friday. EXCITED!

Goodreads Synopsis of Things We Hide From the Light {Lucy Score}:

Nash Morgan was always known as the good Morgan brother, with a smile and a wink for everyone. But now, this chief of police is recovering from being shot and his Southern charm has been overshadowed by panic attacks and nightmares. He feels like a broody shell of the man he once was. Nash isn’t about to let anyone in his life know he’s struggling. But his new next-door neighbor, smart and sexy Lina, sees his shadows. As a rule, she’s not a fan of physical contact unless she initiates it, but for some reason Nash’s touch is different. He feels it too. The physical connection between them is incendiary, grounding him and making her wonder if exploring it is worth the risk.

Too bad Lina’s got secrets of her own, and if Nash finds out the real reason she’s in town, he’ll never forgive her. Besides, she doesn’t do relationships. Ever. A hot, short-term fling with a local cop? Absolutely. Sign her up. A relationship with a man who expects her to plant roots? No freaking way. Once she gets what she’s after, she has no intention of sticking around. But Knockemout has a way of getting under people’s skin. And once Nash decides to make Lina his, he’s not about to be dissuaded…even if it means facing the danger that nearly killed him.

Hoping for Sex Scenes

As I mentioned in my review of Things We Never Got Over, the sex scenes were surprisingly HOT and I am crossing alllll of my fingers that the sequel will also deliver the goods. I loved Things We Never Got Over for so many reasons and those awesome sex scenes were such a FUN and unexpected bonus 😉

Bring on the sex!

Just like Things We Never Got Over, Things We Hide From the Light is THICK. Very, very think. Almost 600 pages (589 pages to be exact) thick.

A 3rd Book in The Knockemout Series Will Be Coming in September!

I can’t wait!

As always I’ll share my full review once I finish reading!

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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Audiobook Review: The Arrangement {Kiersten Modglin}

Audiobook Review: The Arrangement {Kiersten Modglin}

My daughter and I went thrift store shopping a few weeks ago. I thought these were BOOK DISHES! They…weren’t, lol.

I have a book (audiobook) review for you today of a book that has been on my TBR for YEARS! I’m so happy that I finally had the chance to read (listen) to this one. It came highly recommended to me from a friend so I had very high hopes!

Note: This book is not to be confused with The Arrangement by Robyn Harding! Same title, totally different book.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Arrangement {Kiersten Modglin}:

Ainsley Greenburg is a fixer.
It’s what she prides herself on.

So, when she realizes her marriage is at its breaking point, she makes a decision to repair it, no matter the cost. Approaching her husband to propose the arrangement is supposed to be the hard part, but Peter agrees to the salacious plan almost immediately.

The rules are simple:
They will each date someone new once a week.
They will never discuss what happens on the dates.

Soon, though, the rules are broken, turning terrible mistakes into unspeakable consequences.

When the only person they can count on to keep their darkest secret is each other, new questions and deceits surface. Can they truly trust the person they share a life with, or will the vicious lies that have mounted over the years destroy everything they’ve built?

Once, Peter and Ainsley vowed to stand together forever, but as they push boundaries of deception, suspicion, and temptation, each begins to wonder if ’til death do us part may come sooner than they’d intended.

My Audiobook Review of The Arrangement {Kiersten Modglin}:

There were twists after twits after twists which I LOVE! One big twist I figured out from very early on but the others I NEVER saw coming. LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

So I do have a pretty big….complaint? Observation? I felt like I was listening to 2 completely different books. The first half of this book is so incredibly different than the 2nd half of this book! There really isn’t much I can elaborate on this without giving away the entire book so I’ll just say this…I enjoyed the 1st half much, much more than I enjoyed the 2nd half.

This is book #1 in a 3 book series. I don’t feel the need to continue reading…I’m good. I despised every single character in this book so I honestly don’t really care what happens to any of them in future books.

Remember in the beginning of this review I mentioned that this book has the same title as a Robyn Harding book? HANDS DOWN I would read Robyn’s book over this one! You can read my review of that awesome book HERE.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

The first half of this book was AWESOME. The second half was not nearly as awesome.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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2 Books I Recently Stopped Reading Without Finishing…

2 Books I Recently Stopped Reading Without Finishing…

My favorite holiday scent is still going strong over here!

Ugh so I’ve started reading 2 seperate books over the past 2 weeks….aaaaand I’ve put both down without finishing. I HATE WHEN THIS HAPPENS!

To quote myself (I say this alll the time): “life is too short to read books you’re just not enjoying”. I just wasn’t ENJOYING these. They were both…fine! Just not enough to make me excited to pick them up each day (which is always the sign for me that it’s time to move on). Sometimes books like this are ok to read and push through in hopes that they will turn around but sometimes…you just need for books to grab you right from the start. Neither of these were “grabby” enough for me (well THAT certainly sounds dirty…Happy Valentine’s Day, lol).

Book I Stopped Reading Without Finishing #1:

The Bookshop of Second Chances {Jackie Fraser}

Goodreads Synopsis of The Bookshop of Second Chances {Jackie Fraser}:

Thea Mottram is having a bad month. Her husband of nearly twenty years has just left her for one of her friends, and she is let go from her office job–on Valentine’s Day, of all days. Bewildered and completely lost, Thea doesn’t know what to do. But when she learns that a distant great uncle in Scotland has passed away, leaving her his home and a hefty antique book collection, she decides to leave Sussex for a few weeks. Escaping to a small coastal town where no one knows her seems to be exactly what she needs.

Almost instantly, Thea becomes enamored with the quaint cottage, comforted by its cozy rooms and shaggy, tulip-covered lawn. The locals in nearby Baldochrie are just as warm, quirky, and inviting. The only person she can’t seem to win over is bookshop owner Edward Maltravers, to whom she hopes to sell her uncle’s antique novel collection. His gruff attitude–fueled by an infamous, long-standing feud with his brother, a local lord–tests Thea’s patience. But bickering with Edward proves oddly refreshing and exciting, leading Thea to develop feelings she hasn’t felt in a long time. As she follows a thrilling yet terrifying impulse to stay in Scotland indefinitely, Thea realizes that her new life may quickly become just as complicated as the one she was running from.

Book I Stopped Reading Without Finishing #2:

Nora Goes Off Script {Annabel Monaghan}

Goodreads Synopsis of Nora Goes Off Script {Annabel Monaghan}:

Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same.

The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.

Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story–the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.

Soooo there you go. Although it does hurt my heart to put down books I’m not enjoying, I always do it! Moving on! I am well aware that there are people who feel that they must finish all books they start…I am quite CLEARLY not one of those people 😉

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Have you read either of these books? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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Audiobook Review: The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}

Audiobook Review: The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}

Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your day was spent with those you love!

Selfie on the way to a delicious Valentine’s dinner with my husband last night 🙂

A librarian I follow on Instagram recently read this book and the synopsis had me instantly intrigued. Sounded so good! A few weeks ago when I decided that it was time for me to choose a new audiobook to listen to, this was the first title that came to mind.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Goodreads Synopsis of The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}:

Abby wants a baby more than anything.

But after years of failed infertility treatments and adoptions that have fallen through, it seems like motherhood is not in her future. That is, until her personal assistant Monica makes a generous offer that will make all of Abby’s dreams come true.

Or all of her nightmares.

Because it turns out Monica isn’t who she says she is. The woman now carrying Abby’s child has dark, twisted secrets.

And she will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

My Audiobook Review of The Surrogate Mother {Freida McFadden}:

Awesome audiobook choice! Lots of twists. Totally held my interest from the very beginning and I really enjoyed seeing how everything came together in the end.

I had lots of predictions…all wrong. I love when that happens!

I would definitely recommend this one and I can’t wait to read (or listen to) more by Freida McFadden as this was my first! I really loved her writing style, had me instantly hooked from the very beginning.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue:

It was great!

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Long Time No Blog and a Book Review: The Maid {Nita Prose}

Long Time No Blog and a Book Review: The Maid {Nita Prose}

If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I took a break from blogging, posting, etc. to be with my family following the death of my husband’s wonderful grandmother. It’s been a horrible time and for the first time ever, I found myself using a book at night to completely escape from what was going on in my life. I’ve never done that before! I’m very fortunate that I live a life that I never want or need an escape from but these past few weeks have weighed so heavily on my heart.

I turned to this book each night over the past 2 weeks for a little bit of peace. I allowed myself to completely get lost in the story after some really long and heartbreaking days in my real life. This book has received some pretty major HYPE and I was curious to find out if it’s worthy…

I had asked on Instagram back at the beginning of the month if you have read this one and if so, what you thought.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Maid {Nita Prose}:

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

My Review of The Maid {Nita Prose}:

Eh.

So the parts of this book that I like the most had absolutely nothing to do with the mystery. I loved learning about the different characters and the relationships that they formed with each other. In fact, the parts of this book that I liked the LEAST were the parts about the mystery!

I don’t think straight up mysteries are for me. I LOVE psychological thrillers but “who done it” mysteries? Eh. At times I was bored. Obviously psychological thrillers have an element of mystery to them, but it’s the THRILLER element that keeps me intrigued. Without that thriller component, this one just didn’t keep me as entertained. I could easily put this one down in between reading sessions. A good psychological thriller literally CANNOT be put down!

Would I recommend this book? Oh absolutely…if mysteries are your thing.

Book Coffee Happy Epilogue (my first one since announcing the change to my blog reviews):

Loved the characters and loved the relationships between them…but I didn’t love the mystery.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Xo,

Jenny

Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby…

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What I’m Currently Reading (Amazing), What I Recently Read (Adorable), What I Think I’ll Read Next (Hopefully Worthy of the Hype) {Book Coffee Happy}

Hi 💗

I love when Book Coffee Happy can participate in WWW! The Three Ws: What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?

Thanks so much to Sam from Taking on a World of Words for hosting this fun weekly post!

What Are You Currently Reading?

Ugly {Kelly Vincent}

I was so fortunate to receive a copy of Kelly Vincent’s Ugly a few months ago and I’ve been so looking forward to reading it! Be on the lookout for a blog giveaway of this gem coming soon…

Goodreads Synopsis of Ugly {Kelly Vincent}:

Sophomore Nic Summers tries to ignore the taunts of “ugly lesbian.”

Because she’s not sure they’re entirely wrong. But she also has bigger concerns for now, including prepping for the school’s art contest. And while she isn’t certain of her sexuality, she does know her life is on the verge of falling apart when her best and only friend, Sam, drops the bomb that her family’s moving to Scotland. Together, to soften the blow and distract themselves from the inevitable, they start Operation Social Interaction for Nic—or OSIN for short—to try to find her some new friends.

But it’s an uphill battle for the introverted teen artist.

As Sam’s last day nears, Nic’s self-confidence wavers even more, and she starts questioning everything. If lesbian doesn’t feel quite right, maybe she’s transgender? It isn’t until she stumbles across the label “gender nonconforming” that things start to make a little more sense, and fall into place. But finding the right label doesn’t really tell her what to do next, and before she knows it, Sam is gone.

Mustering all her resources, Nic realizes she needs to find her own path and live her own truth.

What Did You Recently Finish Reading?

All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}

On 12/26 I put a poll on Instagram asking if my next read should be a holiday read or if it was time to move on. 61% of you told me that it was time to move on! After lots of consideration, I decided that I just wasn’t ready to move on juuuuuust yet and decided to squeeze in 1 more holiday book before calling it quits!

I will post my full review during Blogmas 2023 (!!) but here’s a quick, 3 word summary for now: It was adorable 🙂

Goodreads Synopsis of All I Want for Christmas {Maggie Knox}:

When Sadie and Max are selected as contestants on the famed reality singing show Starmaker, each thinks they’ve finally gotten their big Nashville break. But then they’re paired up for duet week and stun the world with their romantic onstage chemistry. With fans going wild for #Saxie the network demands that they remain a duo on and offstage, or exit the competition. Faking a relationship until their final performance in the Starmaker holiday special shouldn’t be too hard, except for one small problem–Sadie and Max can’t stand each other.

But with their dreams just within reach, they agree to the ruse. Will their fake relationship be exposed before they can win? Or will an unexpected trip to Banff spark real feelings by the Christmas finale?

The Maid {Nita Prose}

Time to find out what all the hype is about.

Goodreads Synopsis of The Maid {Nita Prose}:

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

Have you read any of these 3 books? What did you think (no spoilers)? What are you currently reading? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Happy Friday! I hope your weekend is filled with love and BOOKS!

Xo,

Jenny


Thank you so much for reading Book Coffee Happy! Spend some time searching through old blog posts, I have been blogging since 2018 and I’ve read a LOT of books 🙂

Click HERE for the 13 best books I read in 2022

Book Coffee Happy’s 13 most viewed posts of 2022 can be found HERE

My Favorite Posts that I wrote in 2022 can be found HERE

I would be so thankful if you could do the following to support my favorite hobby:

*Follow me on Instagram* (I am VERY active on Instagram and usually update my Instastories daily)

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Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Instamom {Chantel Guertin}

Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Instamom {Chantel Guertin}

Goodreads Synopsis of Instamom {Chantel Guertin}:

It’s the influencer’s golden rule: know your niche. Kit Kidding has found hers on Instagram, where she gets paid to promote brands and share expertly curated posts about her fun, fabulous, child-free life. Kit likes kids just fine, but she passionately believes that women who choose not to become mothers shouldn’t have to face guilt. Or judgement. Or really hot chefs who turn out to be single dads.

Will MacGregor is aggravating, sexy, persistent, averse to social media, and definitely a bad idea. As soon as Kit learns his parenting status, she vows to put their scorching one-night stand behind her and move on. But Will and Kit are thrown together on an Instagram campaign, and the more time she spends with him—and his whip-smart, eight-year-old daughter, Addie—the more difficult it is to stay away, much less sustain what Will so cleverly calls her “Resting Beach Face.” Kit’s picture-perfect career path is suddenly clashing with the possibility of a different future—messy, complicated, and real. Which life does she truly want? Will she have to re-invent herself? And will love still be waiting by the time she figures it out?

My Review of Instamom {Chantel Guertin}:

It was…good. Not great but good!

As someone who LOVES Instagram and follows tons of influencers, I loved the premise of this story and a behind the scenes look at how these people live their lives. Definately my favorite parts of the book were the parts where Kit would discuss her influencer status and all that it entails to be successful.

That being said, I didn’t enjoy the relationship between Kit and Will. In fact, it was so forgettable that I just had to pick up the book to even remember Will’s name, lol. I found their relationship completely unbelievable and I never felt whatever spark they claimed that they had. Eh.

The overall message of the book was a good one although I disliked so many of the characters that the delivery just wasn’t there for me. I found myself struggling to finish the book and never wanting to pick it up although it was an easy read!

Eh…if you’re looking for a light, easy book this one is ok although honestly, I’d probably just skip it.

Bottom Line:

Eh.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

12/11 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

12/12 Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

12/13 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

12/14 Blogmas 2022: INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}

12/15 Blogmas 2022: The Holiday Book I’m Most Excited to Read NEXT Holiday Season

12/16 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas {James Patterson, Tad Safran}

12/17 Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

12/18 Blogmas 2022: Review of the Christmas Book With One of the Prettiest Book Covers I Have Ever Seen

12/19 Blogmas 2022: Smash or Pass Book Tag

12/20 Blogmas 2022: My Favorite Book Coffee Happy Posts of 2022

12/21 Blogmas 2022: 11 Non Book Gift Ideas for Book Lovers

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

Book Coffee Happy’s 12 most viewed posts of 2021 can be found HERE

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Blogmas 2022: Review of the Christmas Book With One of the Prettiest Book Covers I Have Ever Seen

BLOGMAS 2022: Review of the Christmas Book With One of the Prettiest Book Covers I Have Ever Seen

Annual holiday drive thru AKA one of my favorite family holiday traditions! This lit up tunnel was STUNNING!

Ok so WOW. My little book blog BLEW UP with page views yesterday…apparently you guys really liked my list of the 13 best books I read in 2022! I hope you found some good suggestions as obviously every book on that list is coming at you highly, highly recommended. If you missed that post, HERE it is :). It’s filled with the very best books I read this year (and I read many, many, MANY books this year)…

Review of the Christmas Book With One of the Prettiest Book Covers I Have Ever Seen:

The Christmas Bookshop {Jenny Colgan}

I received this book during last year’s holiday season from a wonderfully kind blog reader. I couldn’t get my hands on a copy and I desperately wanted to read it! I’m still not over the generosity of this person. SO AMAZINGLY KIND!!! You can read about that lovely gesture HERE.

So halfway through reading Joanne Demaio’s Winter Novels, I pivoted my reading plans and basically stopped everything to read this book! You can read all about that decision HERE.

Out of the 8 holiday books that I was excited to read, THIS book was the one that I was the MOST excited to read (you can read that post with the other 7 titles HERE).

Can we talk about this GORGEOUS cover??? It’s BEAUTIFUL! The colors are so bold and amazing. Bookshop AND Christmas?! Absolutely love everything about this cover!

Goodreads Synopsis of The Christmas Bookshop {Jenny Colgan}:

When the department store she works in closes for good, Carmen has perilously little cash and few options. She doesn’t want to move in with her perfect sister Sofia, in Sofia’s perfect house with her perfect children and her perfectly ordered Edinburgh life.

Frankly, Sofia doesn’t exactly want Carmen there either. Her sister has always been sarcastic and difficult. But Sofia has yet another baby on the way, a mother desperate to see her daughters get along, and a client who needs a retail assistant for his ailing bookshop, so welcoming Carmen might still have some benefits for everyone.

At Sofia’s behest, Carmen is thrown into the daily workings of old Mr. McCredie’s ancient bookshop on the streets of the old dark city. Can she use her design skills to revamp the store and bring it back to popularity in time to benefit from Christmas shopping traffic? Can she choose between bad boy literary rock star Blair and quiet Quaker student Oke? And will she heal the rift with the most important people of all: her family?

My Review of The Christmas Bookshop {Jenny Colgan}:

It’s a beautiful story! So descriptive and lovely with wonderful characters and beautiful settings.

In our hotel room last Christmas Day! We took a staycation in downtown Chicago and this book came along for the journey!

My ONLY complaint…so…the bookshop was just 1 of the many storylines in this book. I wanted the bookshop to be the MAIN storyline. I wanted this entire book to revolve around a lovely Christmas bookshop

I think I went into reading this book thinking it was a light, easy read and wasn’t prepared for the depth that it provided. At ANY OTHER TIME during the year, I would have wholeheartedly welcomed that depth but during the holiday season I really just want light, easy, fluffy books.

Trifecta.

I did love that I found myself googling picturesque Edinburgh (and various tree types that were mentioned throughout the story) and seeing pictures of the exact area where the fictitious bookshop is supposed to be. What a stunning backdrop for this story! If you do read this, I highly suggest doing a bit of research on this beautiful area. It helped to have a bit of background knowledge when reading the descriptions of the area.

Side Note: One of the most beautiful book covers I have ever seen.

Bottom Line:

A beautiful book…just don’t expect the majority of it to be about the bookstore, lol.

Have you read this book? What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Blogmas 2022 Posts:

12/1 Welcome to Blogmas 2022 {Video)!!

12/2 BLOGMAS 2022: Happy Birthday to ME {Target Gift Card Giveaway}

12/3 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Holiday Swap {Maggie Knox}

12/4 Blogmas 2022: The Bookish Gift I Bought For Myself

12/5 Blogmas 2022: Winter Wonderland Book Tag

12/6 Blogmas 2022: 6 Books I Want To Read in 2023

12/7 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Kiss Her Once For Me {Alison Cochrun}

12/8 Blogmas 2022: Book I’m Currently Reading, Coffee I’m Currently Drinking, 1 Thing Making Me HAPPY!

12/9 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Audiobook Review: Maybe Someday {Colleen Hoover}

12/10 Blogmas 2022: The Christmas Book I Started Reading and Didn’t Finish

12/11 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: Christmas in Winter Hill {Melody Carlson}

12/12 Blogmas 2022: 2 Books For Upcoming Blog Giveaways

12/13 Blogmas 2022: Non Holiday Book Review: Skinny {Donna Cooner}

12/14 Blogmas 2022: INTERNATIONAL BOOK GIVEAWAY (2 Signed Copies): The Mommy Clique {Barbara Altamirano}

12/15 Blogmas 2022: The Holiday Book I’m Most Excited to Read NEXT Holiday Season

12/16 Blogmas 2022: Book Review: The Twelve Topsy-Turvy, Very Messy Days of Christmas {James Patterson, Tad Safran}

12/17 Blogmas 2022: The 13 Best Books I Read in 2022

Xo,

Jenny

This blog is my favorite hobby and I would so love your support!  Here are ways you can help my blog to GROW:

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Please share this page with your book and blog loving friends!*

*Subscribe with your email address to my blog (scroll all the way to the bottom of this page on mobile devices OR check the top right of this screen to enter your email address)*

*If you already have a blog, please “follow” mine*

*”Like” my Facebook page (and please comment on, “like”, and share my posts)*

*Follow me on Instagram*

*Follow me on Twitter*

*Subscribe to my YouTube channel*

*Clicking and buying products through my Amazon Affiliate links.  The cost to you is exactly the same and I receive a tiny commission off of your purchases.*

*Leaving a positive review on my Facebook page*

The ultimate list of my top book suggestions can be found HERE

The 13 best books I read in 2021 can be found HERE

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